Effect of coupling agents on the mechanical properties of fly ash/polyester particulate composites

Fly ash (FA)/general purpose unsaturated polyester resin (GPR) particulate composites were made. The effect of the surface treatment of FA with two different silane coupling agents (CAs) on the mechanical properties, such as the tensile, flexural, compressive, and impact strengths and hardness, of FA-GPR composites were studied. The properties of FA-CA-GPR were also compared with that of GPR and CaCO3-GPR. An enhancement in the tensile, flexural, compressive, and impact strengths and a decrease in the tensile and flexural moduli were observed when FA was surface treated with CA. Hardness also increases with CA-treated FA. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.