Ultrasonic and numerical estimation of thermal management of waste ink powder/epoxy composites

Abstract

Every year, large toner cartridges are made and used in printers and copiers. Because waste cartridges contain toner powder with a specific chemical composition, they are classified as hazardous waste. As such, recovering waste cartridges is crucial for both waste management and environmental protection. A Waste Ink Powder (WIP)/Epoxy (EP) compound was used, prepared with various volume fractions (0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, and 10%). The polymer materials were produced using a hand-lay process with an open-forming method. An experimental study was conducted to determine the thermal conductivity values at various temperatures. Furthermore, this research conducted an experimental ultrasonic test on the composite material, yielding longitudinal velocity values (P-wave velocity) to predict the properties of composite materials. Furthermore, a numerical analysis of the thermal steady state of the composites was performed using ANSYS based on the finite element simulation workbench. Validation is performed by comparing experimental results with numerical analysis results. It was discovered that the numerical analysis’s conclusions and the experimental findings agreed well. The thermal conductivity for pure epoxy (0.0854 W.m −1 .k −1 ) is less than that of the composite material with a volume fraction of 6%, which reached (0.095 W.m −1 .k −1 ). In comparison, the thermal conductivity values of the composite material with a volume fraction of 10% reached (0.115 W.m −1 .k −1 ) at the same temperature, 35°C. According to the findings, thermal conductivity values increased as the volume fraction of the material increased with increasing temperatures. In addition, the experimentally obtained thermal conductivity values showed a linear relationship with the ultrasonic P-wave velocity.