USE OF BAMBOO POWDER AND OPHTHALMIC LENS WASTE IN OBTAINING POLYMERIC COMPOSITES
Polymeric Composites, Ophthalmic and Bamboo Lens Waste Powders, Reuse, Polyester Resin, Characterization ..
The environment has been suffering from the indiscriminate use of natural resources and their environmental impacts. The main attacks on environmental sustainability are caused by synthetic materials and their waste. This work combines two materials that aim to contribute to this problem; one of natural origin, natural bamboo fiber of the Bambusa Vulgaris Schrad species and one of discard, ophthalmic lens waste, both without defined application, produced in large quantities and the waste discarded irregularly in landfills. Bamboo and tailings powders were produced in 2.07 mm and 1.14 mm granulometries, respectively. The amounts by weight of 10 and 15% bamboo, 15 and 40% tailings and a hybrid composition with 5% bamboo and 20% tailings were used to obtain the desired composites. The composite plates were manufactured by the cold compression wet molding process in closed mold. In the characterization, the tests of traction, flexion, Charpy impact, scanning electron microscopy, water absorption, apparent density, natural aging and thermals were performed. A SEM scanning electron microscopy was also operated to analyze the manufacturing process and the failure mechanisms after traction. It was verified the decrease of the mechanical strength of the composite in comparison to the matrix, concluding that the bamboo powders and lens rejects had a filling load function in the produced composites. The most expressive result of the composites was the impact resistance, corresponding to 0.55 J / cm2 for RL 40% 39.6% higher than the polyester resin matrix. As a practical application, a table top and a bench top were manufactured using the most economically and ecologically viable composites, C4 and C2.