Laboratory study finds strength and wear trade-offs in jujube-seed epoxy composites

A laboratory study reported in an open-access research article found that adding Indian wild jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana) seed particles to epoxy improved some mechanical properties while increasing water absorption and producing different wear and erosion responses. The strongest tensile result occurred at 12 wt% particles, whereas the highest flexural strength and lowest wear rate occurred at other concentrations, indicating that a single particle content did not optimize every measured property.

According to the abstract, the researchers fabricated the composites by hand layup using an LY-556 epoxy matrix cured with HY-951 at room temperature. They tested particle concentrations of 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 wt% and evaluated mechanical, tribological, water-absorption and thermal properties. Particle-size analysis found a bimodal distribution with an average hydrodynamic diameter of 1,099 nm and a polydispersity index of 0.969. Scanning electron microscopy was used to examine morphology and interfacial behaviour.

The 12 wt% composite recorded the highest tensile strength at 43.5 MPa, compared with 38.0 MPa for pure epoxy, a reported improvement of 14.5%. Maximum flexural strength was measured at 8 wt%, reaching 148.7 MPa and representing a 7.5% improvement. Water absorption increased with particle content under both test conditions, while saltwater absorption was lower than water absorption because of ion-retarded diffusion. Erosion resistance improved for every composite: the lowest erosion rate was 1.59 mg/min at 20 wt%, compared with 1.74 mg/min for pure epoxy. Conversely, the lowest wear rate was 7.560 × 10⁻⁶ mm³/(Nm) at 4 wt%, after which wear increased as particle content rose. Thermal analysis showed slower degradation and greater char residue above 450 °C as particle concentration increased.

The available evidence is limited to the article abstract rather than the complete paper, so details such as specimen numbers, statistical uncertainty and replication are not provided here. The findings are also bounded to the tested epoxy system, fabrication method, curing temperature, particle concentrations and measurement conditions. Although the authors frame agricultural seed-particle reinforcement as supporting circular-economy and sustainable-materials goals, the reported experiments do not by themselves establish cost, scalability, long-term durability or performance outside the laboratory conditions described.

Subject of Research: Mechanical, tribological, water-absorption and thermal testing of jujube-seed-reinforced epoxy composites

Article Title: Sustainable development of multifunctional epoxy composites reinforced with jujube seed particles

Article References: Tamilarasan, C., Albarakati, R., Raja, C. P., & Babu, N. B. K. (2026). Sustainable development of multifunctional epoxy composites reinforced with jujube seed particles. Discover Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-026-04925-9

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1007/s43621-026-04925-9

Keywords: jujube seed particles, epoxy composites, mechanical properties, tribology, water absorption, thermal degradation, erosion resistance, sustainable materials, Sustainable, development, multifunctional, epoxy