Browsing by Author "Azeko, S.T."
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Item Comparative analyses of rice husk cellulose fiber and kaolin particulate reinforced thermoplastic cassava starch biocomposites using the solution casting technique(Wiley, 2021) Agyei-Tuffour, B.; Asante, J.T.; Nyankson, E.; Dodoo-Arhin, D.; Oteng-Peprah, M.; Azeko, S.T.; Azeko, A.S.; Oyewole, O.K.; Yaya, A.he potential of biodegradable packaging materials from thermoplastic cassava starch (TPS) reinforced with rice husk cellulose fibers (RHCF) and kaolin particulates (KP) using the solution casting method has been presented. This involved the blending of TPS and RHCF/KP in a plasticizer of ~4 ml of glycerol and ~45 ml of distilled water at 125°C and stirred at 60 rpm until a gel was formed. The gel was cast into sheets and bone-shaped tensile specimens and allowed to dry for 5 days and characterized. The results show a semicrystalline structure for TPS with an ~36% increase in crystallinity after reinforcement. The O-H bond stretching and the C-H bending bonds due to starch–glycerol reactions were the common functional groups in TPS–RHCF biocomposites, and Si-O-C bonds were characteristics of the silica phase in the kaolin. The water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) reduced to ~34% with KP reinforcements from ~238 g/m.day to 177 g/m.day and to ~74 g/m.day and ~164% for TPS–RHCF. The strength increased with up to 50 wt% kaolin content; ~0.96 MPa yield strength and ~2.60 MPa ultimate tensile strength (UTS) were recorded. For the RHCF reinforced composites, TPS-50 wt% also showed high strengths of ~0.96 MPa yield strength and ~3.50 MPa UTS. The WVTR reduced as content of kaolin was increased. Typically, from 0 to 30 wt% volume fraction of kaolin, the WVTR was reduced by ~34% to 177 g/m.day for TPS–kaolin and by ~164% to ~74 g/m.day in TPS–RHCF. The as-prepared biocomposites have potential as good packaging materials.Item Reinforcement of cement mortar with recycled polyethylene waste for construction applications(JOURNAL OF COMPOSI T E MATERIALS, 2021) Flomo, M.K.; Azeko, S.T.; Arthur, E.K.; Kukurah, J-D.; Mustapha, K.; Annan, E.; Agyei-Tuffour, B.This current research work combines both experimental and theoretical study of the impact of cement mortar reinforced with recycled polyethylene waste for applications in the construction industry. The work explores incorporating low density polyethylene (LDPE) waste into cement mortar to improve its fracture toughness and flexural strength with balanced compressive strength. Different volume fractions (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, and 40%) of the powdered LDPE were mixed with cement and the density, compressive strength, flexural strength, and the fracture toughness were observed under different testing conditions. All specimens were tested after curing of 7, 14, and 28 days. The results show that there was 6% increase in the fracture toughness at 5 vol. %, 7% increase at 10 vol. %, and 24% increases at 20 vol. % of LDPE. Also, it was observed that the weight and compressive strength decreased with increasing volume fraction up to 40 vol. % of LDPE waste. The results for the survival/failure probability show that the PE-mortar composites with PE volume percentages up to 20 vol. % had the highest survival probability. The composite with this volume percentage can withstand crack up to 6mm, with a survival probability of 0.6.