Effects of pores distribution on tensile strength of recycled polyacrylonitrile and polyethylene terephthalate blends

The pore size dictates prominent mechanical properties such as the tensile strength of recycled polyacrylonitrile (rPAN) blended with polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The distributions indicate the materials' properties such as toughness, ductility, or brittleness after compounding. The study used SEM and AFM to analyze the morphology of the pore size distribution for different compounding weight samples: rPAN/PET (30/70), rPAN/PET (50/50), rPAN/PET (70/30), and rPAN (100) and PET (100) as a reference for the study. The sample was blended in a twin screw Rheomixer followed by compression moulding for the test sample for characterization. Based on the study findings, the rPAN/PET (70/30) showed improved mechanical properties, while rPAN/PET (30/70) was very brittle leading to weaker mechanical properties. These findings were justified by the SEM and AFM images. To further improve the properties of the composite, it is recommended that fillers and additives be incorporated into the composite materials to further expand the material area of application.

Dr. Taoreed Adesola Adegbola is a Mechanical Engineer specializing in material science characterization relating to mechanical properties in Mechanical Engineering. He holds a DTech in Mechanical Engineering from Tshwane University of Technology. He also holds an MSc in Systems Engineering from the University of Lagos. Dr Adegbola is currently working as a Lecturer at the Tshwane University of Technology where he is also conducting research in the material science field and guiding young researchers in the field of study.