Determination of mechanical and tribological properties of silicone-based composites filled with manganese waste

High-tonnage industrial processes generate high amount of waste. This is a growing problem in the whole world. Neutralizing such waste can be time consuming and costly. One of the possibilities of their reuse is to use them as fillers in polymer composites. Introduction of the filler in polymer matrix causes change in its mechanical and tribological properties. In the article, the effect of introducing fillers from post-production waste, and its effect on changing the physical properties of silicone-based composites filled with manganese (II) oxide and waste manganese residue was investigated. The composites were made by gravity casting. Composites with 2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 wt% of the fillers were examined. The composite materials were subjected to tests such as: density, hardness, resilience, tensile test, abrasion resistance, and ball-on-disc. Microscopic images showed that, the particles of the fillers are uniformly distributed in silicone matrix with the formation of smaller agglomerates. Such agglomerates introduced a discontinuity in the structure of the polymer material, which caused a decrease in the tensile strength and elongation at break for all tested compositions in comparison with the mechanical properties of the silicone used as the matrix. However, it was found that all silicone-based composites filled with manganese (II) oxide and manganese residue showed a reduction in abrasive wear, compared to the reference sample.