Investigating the Effectiveness of Reinforced Ice on the Mechanical Properties

The analysis of the mechanical properties of ice composites encompasses three key aspects: material novelty, fiber selection, and strategic placement within the ice matrix. Controlled experiments were conducted using four different materials: rice husk, sawdust, waste paper, and glass fiber. Ice composites were fabricated with a 10% wt. fraction of each material and frozen at −20 ℃ for approximately 24 h. Flexural and fracture toughness tests were performed using a three-point bend using a universal testing machine (UTM) to evaluate the mechanical properties. Reinforcement led to significant improvements in flexural modulus and strength, with waste paper achieving approximately 90 and 1082.5% improvements, respectively, and glass fiber achieving approximately 166.37 and 968% improvements, respectively. However, fracture toughness results showed that glass fiber outperformed waste paper with an approximately 837.77% improvement compared to 188.8% identified experimental errors that were summarized, and corresponding improvement plans were proposed.