Snail shell powder-filled polypropylene composites: Mechanical properties and engineering potential

Abstract

The rising demand for thermoplastics in engineering has sparked research into innovative materials. This study explores the impact of incorporating snail shell powder (SSP) into polypropylene (PP) composites. SSP was made by crushing snail shells, calcining them at 600°C for 2 hours, and grinding them into fine powder. It was then mixed with PP at weights from 2% to 10%. Using melt mixing and compression molding, composite samples were fabricated, and their mechanical prop erties, such as tensile strength, tensile modulus, elongation at break, hardness, wear resistance, and impact strength, were determined using an Instron machine, durometer, Taber abrasion tester, and Charpy impact tester, respectively. The results showed significant improvements in tensile strength (35.50 N/mm² to 39.08 N/mm²), tensile modulus (1019.97 N/mm² to 1024.45 N/mm²), and hardness (76.21 Shore A to 113.64 Shore A) compared to pure PP. However, elongation at break decreased with higher SSP content, with the 10 wt% sample at 181.32% against 288.87% for pure PP. The 10 wt% SSP also enhanced wear resistance (55.21 mm³/rev). Conversely, increased SSP content led to reduced impact strength due to agglomeration, with the 10 wt% composite showing 89.01 J/mm² compared to 134.05 J/mm² for pure PP. SEM analysis indicated a shift from a smooth to a rougher surface in SSP-filled composites. In comparison, moderate SSP improved dis persion; excessive amounts caused irregularities that could weaken mechanical properties. Optimizing SSP content is es sential for achieving desired properties in SSP-filled PP composites. SSP-filled PP composites provide a lightweight, ef fective material for use in automotive, furniture, packaging, and construction applications.