International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Sciences, 4(2) July-December 2011, pp. 33-38 Characterization of Mechanical Properties of Iron-mud Filled Glass Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites B. PANI 1 AND S. SINGH 2* 1 M. Tech. Scholar, School of Mechanical Engineering, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar-751024, Odisha (India) 2 Dean & Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar-751024, Odisha (India) ABSTRACT The present paper describes the processing and characterization of iron-mud filled glass fiber reinforced epoxy matrix (GFRE) composites and reports the possible effects of iron-mud filler inclusion on its mechanical properties. Glass fiber reinforced composites filled with different weight proportions (0, 10 and 20%) of iron-mud were fabricated using hand-lay-out technique. The mechanical properties like tensile strength, tensile strain, tensile modulus of elasticity, flexural strength, flexural strain, flexural modulus, inter-laminar shear strength and impact strength of the composites were measured. All the results were critically investigated for the effect of iron- mud filling and presented graphically also. It is expected that the present work will be beneficial for the researchers investigating the effects of filler materials on the mechanical behaviour of the glass fibre reinforced epoxy composites for fabrication of engineering components. Keywords: Iron-mud, Filler, Glass Fiber, Epoxy Matrix, Composite, Particulate Reinforcement, Mechanical Properties. 1. INTRODUCTION Fiber reinforced polymer composites are widely used in engineering applications due to their low density, reasonably good strength and wear resistance as compared to monolithic metal alloys [1]. Despite these advantages, it has been observed that there is a declining trend in their applications due to high costs and stability of properties at adverse environmental conditions [2]. In the present research work, the attention is on the use of cheap and easily available filler materials in fiber reinforced polymer composites without degrading mechanical properties of composites. Fillers are used for two prime reasons; first to improve the mechanical, thermal or tribological properties and second, to reduce the cost of component [3, 4]. Specifically, in polymers, a large number of materials such as minerals and inorganic oxides (alumina and silica) are mixed with the thermoplastics like polypropylene and polyethylene to improve upon its properties [5]. Composites can be tailor-made to deliver the properties needed for any specific engineering application by judicious control of reinforcing solid particulate and selection of matrix material, as well as suitable processing technique [6-8]. During last two decades, lot of research has gone into to explore the potential of cheap materials like mineral ores and industrial wastes for utilization in preparing the particle-reinforced polymer composites [9-12]. Very little research work has been reported about the potential use of iron-mud as filler material [13-15]. The present work has been undertaken to investigate the effect of iron-mud fillings on the mechanical properties of glass fiber reinforced epoxy (GFRE) composites. Iron-mud used to fabricate the present GFRE composites was collected from a iron mine in Odisa and was sieved to obtain particle size in the range of 75-150µ. It was treated in the laboratory for the evaluation of soil properties like moisture content, plastic to liquid behaviour, plastic limit, shrinkage limit, grain size distribution, compaction strength and chemical composition before being used to fabricate the composites. Epoxy-56L and E-glass fibers were used as matrix and fiber materials. Iron-mud particles were completely dried before being added to the composites. Samples with three different compositions, i.e. 0, 10 and 20 wt% iron-mud filling were fabricated by conventional hand-lay-up technique followed by light compression molding. The mechanical testing for evaluation of properties like tensile strength, tensile strain, tensile modulus of elasticity, flexural strength, flexural strain, flexural modulus, inter-laminar shear strength and impact strength were performed and the results were presented graphically also. It is expected that the present work will be useful to explore the possible application of iron-mud as the particulate fillers in polymer composites for successful development of the low cost, light weight, high strength and erosion wear resistant engineering components. 2. FABRICATION OF COMPOSITE The present composites has been fabricated with Epoxy-56L (Bisphenol-A-Diglycidyl-Ether) having elastic modulus 3.42 GPa and density 1100 kg/m 3 as * Corresponding author: E-mail: saranjitkiit@gmail.com