Evaluation of the Electrical Characteristics of Recycled Iron Reinforced Polystyrene Composites

The prospective reuse of iron fillings from the milling machine and polystyrene in the solid waste streams in the production of plastic composites were considered in this study. The preparation, electrical properties, density, void fraction and particle distributions of the solvated polystyrene filled composites were all investigated as a function of recycled iron fillings concentration. The composites were developed by hand layup technique and cured by casting under ambient conditions (25 ± 2oC) for 7 days. The compared micrographs confirmed well-dispersed recycled iron fillings in polystyrene matrix and decreasing void fraction as iron filling increases in the composites. The highest electrical conductivity and density values of the composites were obtained at the highest iron filling composition of 40 wt% as 5.91 × 10-07 S/cm and 1.31 g/cm3, respectively. The developed iron polystyrene composite has good electrical properties, making it suitable to be an alternative material for metals.