An investigation into performance properties of sustainable polypropylene composites reinforced with basalt fiber and fly ash

The presented work explores the fabrication and performance analysis of a 10–20 wt% basalt fiber (BF) reinforced styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene toughened polypropylene (PP) composite. The effect of hybridization of 5 wt% cetrimonium bromide (CTAB) treated submicron particulate fly ash (FA) on various properties of the composites was investigated. The composites containing 5 wt% FA and 20 wt% BF offered the highest tensile and flexural strengths of ~48 and 99 MPa, respectively. Likewise, an impact strength of 1.08 kJ/m² was possessed by the composite containing 5 wt% FA and 10 wt% BF. Thermomechanical and thermal decomposition analysis depicted a desirable increase in the storage modulus, glass transition temperature and a positive shift in the degradation temperature of all the composites compared to base matrix. The use of PP with naturally available basalt fiber, along with waste fly ash for the composite could be environmental benign and welcomed by industry.