Static and viscoelastic behaviour of Acacia catechu gum reinforced epoxy composite

This study investigates the impact of Acacia catechu (AC) gum filler at various volume percentages (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, and 35%) on the mechanical and dynamic mechanical behaviour of epoxy composites. The AC filler was subjected to ball milling and subsequent reinforcement with epoxy resin through ultrasonication. The results indicate that incorporating up to 20% v/v of Acacia catechu gum filler into the epoxy resin enhances the tensile strength (16.12 MPa), flexural strength (14.36 MPa), fracture toughness, and low-velocity impact strength of the composite material. However, exceeding 20% volume fraction of the filler diminishes the mechanical properties. Viscoelastic properties were evaluated using a dynamic mechanical analyser, revealing that incorporating up to 20% Acacia catechu improves the storage modulus and decreases the damping factor. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were employed for characterisation. FTIR spectroscopy identified O–H groups from cellulose, represented by a broad peak at 3567 cm −1 in AC. A peak at 3400 cm −1 in 20% AC blended epoxy suggests intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions, with -OH groups from AC particles serving as catalysts. Morphological behaviour of the fibre with epoxy was examined through SEM analysis.