Reinforcement size and concentration influences a material’s mechanical properties.

Reinforcement
with smaller size increases the strength of the material and the more concentrated it is; the more
uniform the reinforcement is distributed in the mixture that improves the material’s properties.

A composite material is composed of two phases, the continuous (matrix) phase and the
discontinuous (reinforcement) phase. The discontinuous phase is composed of reinforcements that
strengthen a material’s different properties. There are three types of composites according to
reinforcements; particle reinforced composite, fiber reinforced composite, and structural composite.
These three types of reinforcements are used for different purposes due to the different properties it
enforces in the mixture. In this experiment, the size and concentration of reinforcement in the mixture
is varied to determine the difference it makes when larger or smaller reinforcement sizes are mixed in
the material production, or when a higher or lower concentration of reinforcement is used for the
mixture.

According to Ameh et al (2015), as the particle and the concentration of the reinforcement used
for the mixture increases, the tensile strength and the elastic modulus of the material decrease. From
this statement, it can be said that if the reinforcement used for the mixture is finer, it will result to a
higher tensile strength, impact strength, and can increase the elasticity of the material. These results
were acquired from series of tests like the hardness, tensile, flexural, impact strength, and water
absorption test. The same conclusions were acquired by Kracun et al (2017) wherein it was founded that
by using a smaller particle as reinforcement for a material, the reinforcements becomes easier to
distribute throughout the mixture thus resulting to higher material strength. Same results can be said
for the reinforcement’s concentration. From the experiments of Ameh et al, when the concentration of
the reinforcement is increased, the material results to have a lower strength. According to Kracun et al,
the greater concentration of reinforcement is mixed in the mixture, the harder it is to uniformly disperse
them thus having uneven distribution of reinforcement throughout the material. Aside from the
different strength (tensile, flexural, and impact) experienced by the material, the hardness and elasticity
of the material was also tested. When the concentration of the material is increased, the material
becomes harder and so the elasticity of the material decreases. Also, the water moisture of the material
decreases with a smaller particle reinforcement.

In conclusion, better strength can be seen in a material if its reinforcement is uniformly

distributed throughout the mixture. This can be done by having a finer reinforcement and lower
concentration. Smaller reinforcement size also decreases a material’s ability to absorb water. In
addition, when the concentration of the reinforcement increases, the elasticity of the material
decreases and its hardness increases as well.
References:

AMEH, A., ISA, M., & SANUSI, I. (2015). Effect of particle size and concentr ation on the mechanical
properties of polyester/date palm seed particulate composites. Leonardo Electronic Journal of Practices
and Technologies, (26), 65-78. Retrieved November 30, 2018, from
http://lejpt.academicdirect.org/A26/065_078.pdf

Kracun, A., & Podgornik, B., et al (2017). DISTRIBUTION OF Al 2 O 3 REINFORCEMENT PARTICLES IN

AUSTENITIC STAINLESS STEEL DEPENDING ON THEIR SIZE AND CONCENTRATION. MATERIALS AND
TECHNOLOGY, 973-980. Retrieved November 30, 2018, from
http://mit.imt.si/Revija/izvodi/mit176/kracun.pdf