Assessment of the Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Properties of Buffing Dust (BD)/Footwear Leather Offcuts Reinforced Waste HDPE (wHDPE) Composites

Abstract

Scanning electron microscopy provides an excellent technique for the study of surface morphology of buffing dust and footwear leather offcuts reinforced waste High Density Polyethylene (wHDPE) composites. This was aimed at studying the effect of voids, fibre pull-out and interfacial gap on the mechanical properties of a composite materials. The unreinforced (control samples) at X 9000 magnifications indicated that the matrix were well arranged. The untreated and treated composites at various weight fractions of reinforcement and at X 9000 showed some level of voids, fibre pull-out and interfacial gap. This interfacial gap could serve as stress concentration point when load or force is applied on the material and could cause the material to fail easily. The interfacial gap led to the low mechanical properties exhibited by the BZ5 (50 wt% benzoyl chloride treated BD/FLO-wHDPE) composite. Give a concluding sentence on the application(s) of the finding(s) in an industrial setting or the economic relevance