Evaluation of the Mechanical Properties of Polypropylene-Aluminum-Dross Composite

Abstract

Aluminum (Al) dross is a hazardous waste from the secondary smelting of aluminium industries, and safe disposal of this waste is a big challenge to these industries. Dumping of this waste is an environmental hazard to plants, animals, and even human beings. This study is aimed at improving the mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP) by adding Al dross in 2–50 wt% for particle sizes 53 μm and 150 μm. PP-Al-dross composite samples were cast, and ultimate tensile strength (UTS), impact resistance (IR), water absorption (WA), and density (D) tests were carried out. The results obtained show that UTS improved by 68% (at 15 wt% Al-dross addition), D increased by 54% (at 50 wt% Al-dross addition), and WA by 500% (at 8 wt% Al-dross addition) over the convectional PP. The impact resistance of the composite was found to be the same (68 J) with that of conventional PP at 15 wt% Al dross.