Analytical Characterization of Microcrystalline Wood Charcoal Reinforced Polyester Composites Using ED-XRF, FTIR and SEM-EDS Techniques

Abstract

Various weight fractions (ranging from 0 to 30 wt percent, at 5 wt percent intervals) of microcrystalline wood charcoal powder (75μm) were used to generate polyester-based particle reinforced composites. The developed wood charcoal (WC) particles reinforced polyester matrix composites were successfully characterized quantitatively, qualitatively, and functionally using an energy dispersive x-ray spectrophotometer (EDXRF), scanning electron microscope (SEM) enhanced with ancillary EDS for elemental identification capability and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). Fe2O3, CaO, CuO, ZnO and Iron, calcium, copper, zinc are the major oxides and elements discovered in wood charcoal by EDXRF. The characteristics of reinforced polymer composites were found to be improved by these elements and oxides. The key elements revealed by EDXRF analysis were also validated by EDS elemental mapping. SEM images demonstrated that composites supplemented with microcrystalline wood charcoal had high interfacial adhesion and interlocking due to even dispersion of the filler particles. FTIR functional characterization indicated interactions of the microcrystalline wood charcoal fillers with the polyester matrix molecules as modest shifts in the frequency bands of functional groups commonly found in unsaturated polyester resin.