Preparation and properties of natural sand particles reinforced epoxy composites

An epoxy composite using Cancun natural hydrophobic sand particle as filler material was fabricated in this study. Three point bending tests demonstrated an enhancement of 7.5 and 8.7% in flexural strength and flexural modulus, respectively, of epoxy composite containing 1 wt.-% sand particles without any chemical treatment involved, compared to the pristine epoxy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies revealed that the fracture toughness of the epoxy matrix was enhanced owing to the presence of sand particles in an epoxy/sand composite. Through dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermal mechanical analysis (TMA) methods, it was found that the storage modulus (E'), glass transition temperature (T-g) and dimensional stability of the sand particles/ epoxy composites were increased compared to the pristine epoxy. The friction behavior of epoxy/sand system reflected that the microstructure of epoxy composites was steady. These experimental results suggest that Cancun sand, as a freshly found natural micron porous material, may find promising applications in composite materials.