Materials Science and Engineering Commons^™

Polymer Foam /Fly Ash Composites: Evaluation Of Mechanical, Interfacial, Thermal, Viscoelastic And Microstructural Properties, Parisa Khoshnoud

Theses and Dissertations

Fly ash, a byproduct of coal combustion process in power plants, consists of fine, powdery particles that are predominantly spherical in shape, either solid or hollow, and mostly glassy (amorphous) in nature. It is capable of being recovered and used as a low-cost reinforcing filler. Adding fly ash particles to a thermoplastic foam poses many challenges to understanding the physical, mechanical, viscoelastic, thermal, and morphological changes to the composite. The effects of fly ash particles on the foaming process; e.g. nucleating and growth steps, cell types and size, and microstructure need to be evaluated in order to develop a commercial …