TENSILE STRENGTH OF POLYESTER MATRIX COMPOSITES WITH INCORPORATION OF RED MUD WASTE FROM THE AMAZON REGION (Atena Editora)

Abstract

The industrial process plays a vital role in the manufacturing of various products, but it also faces challenges such as that arising from waste generation. Transforming these byproducts into value-added resources is a growing goal to promote economic and environmental sustainability. In this context, this study aims to evaluate how the incorporation of red mud waste influences the tensile strength of polyester matrix composites. Five formulations were prepared, ranging from 0 to 40 wt.% red mud waste, with a particle size of 50-100 mesh. The density of the red mud waste and the composites were calculated. The composites were manufactured by the compression molding method, using a stainless-steel mold with dimensions of 300 x 160 x 2.5 mm. Through tensile tests, it was possible to identify that 10, 20, 30 and 40 wt.% red mud waste/ polyester composites exhibit higher tensile strength, exceeding by 42.75%, 53.83%, 31.76% and 22.54% the tensile strength of the neat polyester, respectively. The mechanical properties obtained were treated by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey test. Furthermore, a fractographic analysis was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze in detail the fracture surfaces of the tested samples and understand the failure mechanisms of each composite material.