Chapters authored
Strength Analysis and Variation of Elastic Properties in Plantain Fiber/Polyester Composites for Structural Applications
Plantain fiber-reinforced composite materials have demonstrated significant properties that are applicable in structural design and development. However, two major concerns arise in relation to the obvious material anisotropy and challenges imposed by structural discontinuity encountered as need for use of fasteners arises. The study assesses the extent of variation of elastic properties ( E x , E y , G xy , v xy , v yx , m x , m y ) with fiber orientation using MATLAB functions while considering the extent of variation of the tangential stresses around an idealized functional hole edge. The tensile strength of 410.15 and 288.1 MPa was recorded at 0° fiber orientation angle, while 37.3397 and 33.133 MPa were obtained at fiber orientation angle of 90° for Plantain Empty Fruit Bunch Fiber Composite (PEFBFC) and Plantain Pseudo Stem Fiber Composite (PPSFC), respectively. The tangential stress distribution at hole edge indicated maximum stress value of 119.15 and 100.587 MPa at angular position ø = 90° for PEFBFC and PPSFC, respectively. Judging from various failure indices considered, failure will be initiated at ø = 70° for PEFBFC with stress concentration factor of 2.53 and ø = 65° for PPSFC with stress concentration factor of 2.13, which are less than the stress concentration around the peak stress when angular position is 90°. Both PEFBFC and PPSFC showed similar trends in response to the design scenario considered.
Part of the book: Composite and Nanocomposite Materials
Production of Electrical Porcelain Insulators from Local Raw Materials: A Review
This paper reviewed the production of electric porcelain insulators utilizing from local raw materials from developing countries. The raw materials used were feldspar, quartz/silica and kaolin. The chemical composition, mineralogy, and thermal properties of the raw materials were characterized using AAS, XRD, and TGA respectively. Different weight percentage combinations of the individual raw materials were investigated by the authors. Most of the results showed relatively acceptable porcelain insulators properties such as low water absorption, porosity, high insulation resistance, dielectric strength and bulk density. The paper showed that electric porcelain insulators with good properties can be produced from available local raw materials in some developing countries using appropriate formulations. However, for production of improved porcelain insulators properties, suggestions were made on the areas for future research.
Part of the book: Clay and Clay Minerals