Assessment of mechanical and physical properties of LDPE reinforced with marble dust

Abstract

the main objective of this study is to examine the capability of using marble dust in industry. The re-use of cement-based materials waste is expected to reduce the cost and insure sustainability. This study focused on the source of this waste and its effect on the environment. Also, it is intended to obtain a novel composite material by using these dispersed particles as a reinforcement in low density polyethylene (LDPE) matrix. The effect of different weight percentage of marble dust particles (10–50%) on the mechanical and physical properties were also investigated. On of the other hands, scanning electron microscopy with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (SEM–EDX) was used to study the morphology and the elemental composition of the marble dust particles. The experimental results were observed, and the optimum conditions were determined. It was found that the mechanical and thermal properties (such as flexural strength, compressive strength and hardness) of the LDPE composites were improved by adding the marble dust particles into the LDPE matrix.