Effect of crab shell particles on the thermomechanical and thermal properties of polybenzoxazine matrix

• Calcium carbonate from crab shell improves the Tg of polybenzoxazine.
• Chitin biopolymer from crab shell catalyzes the polymerization of benzoxazine.
• Chitin acts as coupling agent between polybenzoxazine matrix and calcium carbonate.
• Addition of 30% of crab shell increases 173% in storage modulus of polybenzoxazine.
• Calcium carbonate in crab shell enhances the thermal stability of polybenzoxazine.

For various molecular ratios ranging between 0% and 30%, the effect of Crab Shell Particles (CSP) on the thermal and thermomechanical properties of polybenzoxazine has been studied. The high contents of CaCO3 particles in CSP clearly improve both the thermomechanical and thermal properties of the polybenzoxazine corresponding to a gain in storage modulus and glass transition temperature of 137% and 25%, respectively, at 30% CSP loading. Thermal analysis reveals that the polybenzoxazine matrix filled with CSP also increases the initial decomposition temperatures and the char yield of composites which reaches 49% at maximum CSP content.

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