Investigation of thermal and mechanical properties of composite materials fabricated with waste agricultural products and their usability in automotive

This study investigates the production of polymer matrix composites using agricultural wastes such as cotton wastes, corn wastes and pine root wastes as fillers. The aim of the study is to determine the thermal conductivity, mechanical properties and optimum waste filler ratio of composite samples produced from agricultural wastes. In the study carried out in Çukurova region, open mold technique was used as the method. Polyester and vinylester resins were used as matrix materials in the composite material produced, and waste fillers were prepared by reducing the size of agricultural waste materials to the feed size in the range of 1 mm and 0.5 mm. Mechanical characterization tests were applied to determine the mechanical properties, Ultimate tensile and hardness tests were performed. In addition, thermal conductivity was determined by conducting thermal tests in the laboratory. The results of this thesis showed that the addition of waste bio-fillers to polyester and vinylester matrices has a decreasing effect on the mechanical behavior, but these effects can be negligible for non-structural applications. Thermal conductivity tests showed that the samples are strong candidates for thermal insulation applications.