Development of Epoxy‐Based Flooring Containing Poppy Capsule Waste

OpenAlex İngilizce

ABSTRACT Epoxy resins are widely used in construction and coating applications due to their excellent adhesion, corrosion resistance, and mechanical properties. Reinforcement using natural or industrial waste has gained attention due to its potential to improve performance and support sustainability. This study utilized poppy capsule waste (PCW) in a DGEBA epoxy–amine system at 0.5–10 wt%. The resulting composite coatings were systematically evaluated for adhesion, mechanical properties, thermal stability, water repellency, and water absorption. Pull‐off adhesion tests revealed that adhesion strength improved up to a 1% PCW level but declined at higher concentrations. Cross‐cut adhesion tests showed that unreinforced and 0.5% PCW samples achieved 5B (no detachment), while ≥ 1% PCW samples received 4B, indicating minor flaking without significant performance loss. With increasing filler content, decreases were observed in both the tensile stress at maximum load and the tensile strain at break (%). Impact resistance testing revealed no cracking or delamination for coatings with up to 5% reinforcement, while surface delamination was observed at 10%. Contact angle measurements confirmed that coatings retained hydrophobic characteristics up to 5%. These results show that adding small quantities of PCW can improve or maintain epoxy coating key properties while promoting the development of sustainable materials.