Abstract
Over the past two decades, a lot of work has been reported on polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) reinforced with 30% glass fiber (30GF) for electrical insulations. However, the material cost of PBT-30GF remains a challenge for the industry, and an alternative thermoplastic composite with comparable properties is required. Also, there is a significant need for the industry to reuse, recycle, and reduce (RRR) the thermosetting polymers to address the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 12. But to date, little has been reported on the development of an alternative thermoplastic-thermosetting composite as a potential replacement for PBT-30GF in electrical insulation. In this study, polyamide-6 (PA6) reinforced with bakelite (a selected industrial thermosetting waste) was characterized to evaluate its potential as a replacement for PBT-30GF in electrical insulation terminals. The PA6 was reinforced with bakelite in different proportions (0%, 5%, and 10% by wt.) using a twin screw extruder (TSE) and tested for melt flow index (MFI) per ASTM-D1238 to ascertain rheological behavior for 3D printing of electrical insulation. The TSE parameters were optimized for the PA6-bakelite composite (used in filament fabrication for 3D printing). Results of the study suggest that the filament samples (with acceptable mechanical properties) were fabricated at the screw temperature (ST) of 235°C, bakelite reinforcement of 5%, and screw speed (SS) of 50 rpm. The results are supported by mechanical testing, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), dielectric measurements, and morphological analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
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