Mechanical and tribological properties of waste iron scale reinforced polypropylene composite

Abstract

Purpose In this study, waste iron scale, which occurs in high amounts during steel production and contains high amounts of iron element, was used as a reinforcing material in the polypropylene (PP) matrix. Design/methodology/approach In the PP matrix, 33 micron-sized iron scale was added at 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% ratios. The composites were subjected to mechanical and dry sliding wear tests. The wear mechanisms occurring on the wear surfaces were determined by SEM supported by EDS. Tensile testing was performed using a tensile tester. Hardness tests were performed using a Shore-D hardness tester with ASTM-D-22 standards. Findings Composite reinforced with 5% iron scale showed the highest tensile strength. The addition of higher amounts of iron scale particles reduced the tensile strength of the composites compared to PP. Hardness increased from 58 to 64 Shore-D with the increase in scale content. The reinforcement of PP with iron scale increased the dry sliding wear resistance. Originality/value According to the authors’ knowledge, in the literature review, there was no study found on the effect of iron scale reinforcement on PP. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-08-2020-0316/