Effect of medium-density fiberboard sawdust content on the dynamic and mechanical properties of epoxy-based composite

Abstract The amount of waste produced by industrial processes continues to increase, necessitating its reuse. Medium-density fiberboard (MDF) sawdust is a waste product generated from woodworking. Since there is not an economical recycling method now, it is burned or disposed of. This study investigates the incorporation of MDF sawdust in epoxy-based composites. With micro-scale particle concentrations of 2, 5, 7, 10, 15, and 20 wt%, the specimens were made following ASTM standards. The results showed that the tensile strength and flexural strength increased by 11.16 and 6.90%, respectively, at a particle concentration of 5 wt% while absorbed energy increased by 11.05% at 2 wt% in comparison to the plain epoxy composite. The tensile modulus, flexural modulus, and hardness improved by 8.87, 13.33, and 26.78%, respectively, at 20 wt%. Moreover, density showed the greatest decrease at 20 wt% of MDF by 15.77%. The vibration test indicated that the damping ratio increased with MDF particles up to a 7 wt% by 3.91%, with a decrease at higher MDF content. The storage and loss modulus reached maximums of 5.56 and 9.14%, respectively, at 5 wt%; then, a decrease was observed at MDF contents exceeding 5 wt%.