Engineering Sciences

Technology has been developed to utilize natural fibre reinforced industrial wastes (red mud, Fly Ash) as polymer composites to make wood substitute products. The advantages of this technology are room temperature processing and high strength to weight ratio. The specific flexural strength of industrial waste based polymer composites is 54-58, is termite and corrosion resistant and self extinguishing within 15-20 second. The fire properties such as fire ignitibility, fire propagation Index and surface spread has showed better performance than the Teak wood. The extent of absorption of water in the wood is much higher (~ 20%) than that of the industrial waste based polymer composites (~1%) resulting in better durability over teak wood and the shelf life is expected to be more than 20 years and moreover cost effective.