Investigation of mechanical, thermal, and dielectric properties of natural rock reinforced epoxy composites and identification of application areas

In this study, natural stone-reinforced epoxy-based materials were obtained, and the physical and chemical characterization processes of these composites were carried out. Marble, sand, and gravel stones were ground and reinforced with epoxy. The effects of these stones on the composite were compared, and response surface methodology (RSM) was used to evaluate the performance of the materials. The effect of each stone on the mechanical and thermal properties of the composite was compared. The thermal stability of the composites was evaluated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Additionally, the bulk density, thermal conductivity, dielectric constant, hardness, and morphology of the composites were determined. To provide information about the structural integrity of the material, the distribution and surface quality of the natural stones within the matrix were evaluated. The dielectric properties of the composite were compared for each stone reinforcement by measuring over a wide frequency range. The distribution of the reinforcement materials and the stone-epoxy interactions were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The chemical bond structure and interface interactions of the composite were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Marble-reinforced composites exhibit higher density and thermal stability. Gravel-reinforced composites have high mechanical properties and low thermal conductivity. The lowest dielectric constant is observed in the sandstone-reinforced composite. This thesis contributes to understanding the contribution of natural stones to epoxy-based composites and the development of versatile materials. The use of such natural stones as reinforcement materials reduces dependency on synthetic and costly fillers and enables the development of environmentally friendly composites.