Utilizing agro-waste material such as rice husk (RH) and coco peat (CP) reinforced with thermoplastic resin to produce low-cost green composites is a fascinating discovery. In this study, the effectiveness of these blended biocomposites was evaluated for their physical, mechanical, and thermal properties. Initially, the samples were fabricated by using a combination of melt blend internal mixer and injection molding techniques. Increasing in RH content increased the coupons density. However, it reduced the water vapor kinetics sorption of the biocomposite. Moisture absorption studies disclosed that water uptake was significantly increased with the increase of coco peat (CP) filler. It showed that the mechanical properties, including tensile modulus, flexural modulus, and impact strength of the 15% RH-5% CP reinforced acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), gave the highest value. Results also revealed that all RH/CP filled composites exhibited a brittle fracture manner. Observation on the tensile morphology surfaces by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) affirmed the above finding to be satisfactory. Therefore, it can be concluded that blend-agriculture waste reinforced ABS biocomposite can be exploited as a biodegradable material for short life engineering application where good mechanical and thermal properties are paramount.
The current literature suggests that a lack of integration between engineering for performance shaping factors (PSFs) and workplace energy management (WEM) is a significant barrier to improving energy management practices (EMP) and power plant efficiency. The study identified three research objectives in response to this research gap: (1) conduct a systematic literature review to analyze current studies; (2) develop a novel integrative model capable of predicting EMP; and (3) test the novel model's validity and reliability through an empirical study in thermal power plants. In this study, a group of academic and energy experts designed research instruments to achieve the study's objectives, which were then pilot-tested. Partial least square structural equation modeling was utilized to analyze the data in this study. The study successfully developed a new model for future sustainable energy management in power plants and a new model integrating the PSFs and WEM to predict power plant energy performance, aiming to enhance communication between operators and EMP in power plants. The model exhibited exceptional explanatory and predictive abilities, yielding a strong fit. Furthermore, the incorporation of success factors associated with PSFs positively influenced the EMP. The data set followed a normal distribution, confirming the model's reliability and validity. Significantly, this study achieved a breakthrough by being the first to integrate success factors for PSFs and WEM in thermal power plants, thus effectively addressing an unexplored area of research. However, the inconsistencies in the current studies emphasize the necessity for additional investigations into the strategy of PSFs in EMP within power plants.
This study investigates the mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties of basalt/woven glass fiber reinforced polymer (BGRP) hybrid polyester composites. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to explore the chemical aspect, whereas the dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and thermomechanical analysis (TMA) were performed to determine the mechanical and thermal properties. The dynamic mechanical properties were evaluated in terms of the storage modulus, loss modulus, and damping factor. The FTIR results showed that incorporating single and hybrid fibers in the matrix did not change the chemical properties. The DMA findings revealed that the B7.5/G22.5 composite with 7.5 wt% of basalt fiber (B) and 22.5 wt% of glass fiber (G) exhibited the highest elastic and viscous properties, as it exhibited the higher storage modulus (8.04 × 109 MPa) and loss modulus (1.32 × 109 MPa) compared to the other samples. All the reinforced composites had better damping behavior than the neat matrix, but no further enhancement was obtained upon hybridization. The analysis also revealed that the B22.5/G7.5 composite with 22.5 wt% of basalt fiber and 7.5 wt% of glass fiber had the highest Tg at 70.80 °C, and increased by 15 °C compared to the neat matrix. TMA data suggested that the reinforced composites had relatively low dimensional stabilities than the neat matrix, particularly between 50 to 80 °C. Overall, the hybridization of basalt and glass fibers in unsaturated polyester formed composites with higher mechanical and thermal properties than single reinforced composites.