Analytical evaluation of snail shell derived-nanoparticles/wood ash/charcoal hybrid reinforced epoxy bio-composites

This study developed hybrid epoxy composites reinforced with snail shell-derived nanoparticles and either wood ash (WA) or wood charcoal (WC) microparticle. Snail shell nanoparticles were synthesized via ball milling whereas wood-based reinforcement were prepared through pyrolysis. Composites with 3–15 wt% reinforcement were fabricated using hand lay-up method. The mechanical and wear properties, water absorption, density and flammability characteristics were evaluated against the control, while microstructure analysis was investigated by SEM. Results showed significant property enhancement, with key improvements exceeding 50% in major properties investigated. Wood charcoal-based hybrid composites outperformed their wood-ash counterparts, especially in hardness and tensile strength. Specifically, the 9 wt% wood charcoal hybrid composites yielded the optimal tensile properties, demonstrating a 16.6% and 88.6% increase in tensile strength and tensile modulus, respectively, compared to the control sample. For hardness and impact strength, the 3 wt% and 15 wt% wood-charcoal hybrid composites yielded the optimal properties, yielding a 42.0% and 39.0% increase in hardness and impact strength, respectively, compared to the control sample. Conversely, the 3 wt% wood ash-based composites yielded excellent flexural properties, exhibiting a 21.1% and 70.7% increase in strength and modulus, respectively, compared to the unreinforced epoxy matrix composites. These results indicate that these bio-composites, particularly the 9 wt% wood charcoal hybrid, are promising materials for biomedical applications, pending further cytotoxicity and antimicrobial testing.