Assessment of bamboo leaf ash waste in the production of ceramic electrical insulator

Recycling is well known environmental solution for saving the raw materials and to consequently the contamination of zero waste environment. Bamboo leaf is one the forest waste materials, it has been utilized in the present study. Replacement of quartz by bamboo leaf ash in the production of ceramic electrical insulator was achieved as per industrial norms. The influence of bamboo leaf ash on the fabrication of insulator to enhanced the superiority of this product. Fabricated insulator was characterized by its physico-mechanical properties. Mineralogical study revealed that the formation of crystalline phases mullite and quartz is dependent to BLA addition. Functional groups were identified by using the Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopy (FTIR). Microstructure development of the insulator was analysed through Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Higher dielectric strength was found in BLA addition specimen. Analytical characterization results are correlated with the observed physcio-mechanical parameter. It should be observed that high quality electrical insulator can be achieved from bamboo leaf ash originated ceramic materials.