Obtaining Pectin Reinforced Polyester Composite and Investigation of Thermophysical Properties

In this study, pectin powder is mixed homogeneously in unsaturated polyester (UP). For the production of polyester composite, methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) and cobalt octoate (Co Oc) are added to the mixture. The obtained composite is poured into standard molds as a gel and allowed to cure for 24 hours. Some physical and chemical properties of the composite are determined and characterization processes are carried out. Density, Shore D hardness, thermal conductivity coefficient, and thermal stability of polyester composite are examined. According to the results obtained, pectin is used as a filler in the polyester composite. There is no change in the chemical structure of the polyester polymer with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The density of polyester composites decreases as the reinforcement of 0 wt.%, 1 wt.%, 3 wt.%, 5 wt.%, and 7 wt.% pectin powder increases. Besides, the reinforcement of pectin powder as filler reduces Shore D hardness of the polyester composite. However, it has been observed that the thermal conductivity coefficient of the polyester composite increases as the filler ratio rises. In thermal decomposition experiments of the composite, the activation energy decreases slightly as the filler ratio increases. According to the optimization results, 3 wt.% pectin powder supplementation does not adversely affect both the surface morphology and thermophysical properties of the polyester composite.