Mechanical and abrasive wear characterization of bidirectional and chopped E-glass fiber reinforced composite materials

Bi-directional and chopped E-glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites are fabricated in five different (15, 20, 25, 30 and 35) wt% in an epoxy resin matrix. The mechanical characterization of these composites is performed. The three body abrasive wear behavior of fabricated composites has been assessed under different operating conditions. Abrasive wear characteristics of these composites are successfully analysed using Taguchi’s experimental design scheme and analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results obtained from these experiments are also validated against existing microscopic models of Ratner-Lancaster and Wang. It is observed that quite good linear relationships is held between specific wear rate and reciprocal of ultimate strength and strain at tensile fracture of these composites which is an indicative that the experimental results are in fair agreement with these existing models. Out of all composites fabricated it is found that tensile strength of bi-directional E-glass fiber reinforced composites increases because of interface strength enhancement. Chopped glass fiber reinforced composites are observed to perform better than bi-directional glass fiber reinforced composites under abrasive wear situations. The morphology of worn composite specimens has been examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to understand about dominant wear mechanisms.     

Microstructure and abrasive wear behaviour of B<Subscript>4</Subscript>C particle reinforced 2014 Al matrix composites

In this study, the microstructure and abrasive wear properties of varying volume fraction of particles up to 12% B₄C particle reinforced 2014 aluminium alloy metal matrix composites produced by stircasting method was investigated. The density, porosity and hardness of composites were also examined. Wear behaviour of B₄C particle reinforced aluminium alloy composites was investigated by a block-on-disc abrasion test apparatus where the samples slid against the abrasive suspension mixture (contained 10 vol.% SiC particles and 90 vol.% oil) at room conditions. Wear tests performed under 92 N against the abrasive suspension mixture with a novel three body abrasive. For wear behaviour, the volume loss and specific rate of the samples have been measured and the effects of sliding time and the content of B₄C particles on the abrasive wear properties of the composites have been evaluated. The dominant wear mechanisms were identified using SEM. Microscopic observation of the microstructures revealed that dispersion of B₄C particles was generally uniform while increasing volume fraction led to agglomeration of the particles and porosity. The density of the composite decreased with increasing reinforcement volume fraction but the porosity and hardness increased with increasing particle content. Moreover, the specific wear rate of composite decreased with increasing particle volume fraction. The wear resistance of the composite was found to be considerably higher than that of the matrix alloy and increased with increasing particle content.     

Effect of heat treatment on strength and abrasive wear behaviour of Al6061-SiC<Subscript>p</Subscript> composites

In recent years, aluminum alloy based metal matrix composites (MMC) are gaining importance in several aerospace and automobile applications. Aluminum 6061 has been used as matrix material owing to its excellent mechanical properties coupled with good formability and its wide applications in industrial sector. Addition of SiC_p as reinforcement in Al6061 alloy system improves its hardness, tensile strength and wear resistance. In the present investigation Al6061-SiC_p composites was fabricated by liquid metallurgy route with percentages of SiC_p varying from 4 wt% to 10 wt% in steps of 2 wt%. The cast matrix alloy and its composites have been subjected to solutionizing treatment at a temperature of 530°C for 1 h followed by quenching in different media such as air, water and ice. The quenched samples are then subjected to both natural and artificial ageing. Microstructural studies have been carried out to understand the nature of structure. Mechanical properties such as microhardness, tensile strength, and abrasive wear tests have been conducted both on matrix Al6061 and Al6061-SiC_p composites before and after heat treatment. However, under identical heat treatment conditions, adopted Al6061-SiC_p composites exhibited better microhardness and tensile strength reduced wear loss when compared with Al matrix alloy.     

Mechanical and three-body abrasive wear behaviour of PMMA/TPU blends

The blends of poly(methyl methacrlate) (PMMA) and thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) were prepared by a Brabender co-twin screw extruder. The mechanical and three-body abrasive wear behaviour of PMMA/TPU blends has been studied. Three-body abrasive wear tests were conducted using rubber wheel abrasion tester (RWAT) under different abrading distances at 200 rpm and 22 N load. A significant reduction in tensile strength and tensile modulus with an increase in TPU content in the blend formulation was observed. Three-body abrasive wear results indicate that the wear volume increases with increase in abrading distance for all the samples studied. However, neat PMMA showed better wear resistance as compared to PMMA/TPU blends. The worn surface features, as examined through scanning electron microscope (SEM), show matrix cracking and deep furrows in PMMA/TPU blends.     

The mechanical properties and abrasive wear behavior of functionally graded aluminum/AlB2 composites produced by centrifugal casting

Functionally graded aluminum composites reinforced with different average sized (15, 44, and 74 µm) aluminum diboride (AlB₂) particles (10 wt%) have been fabricated through centrifugal casting process. The outer, middle, and inner surfaces of all the functionally graded composites were tested for their microhardness using a Vicker's hardness tester. The outer and inner zones of all the composites were investigated for their tensile strength using a universal testing machine. The abrasive wear test was conducted using dry abrasion tester on the outer region of the composites based on Taguchi's design of experiments, under the influence of parameters such as load, speed, and reinforcement size. The analysis of variance was performed and determined that load has major significance on the wear rate followed by reinforcement size and speed. Scanning electron microscopy analysis was performed on the worn-out surfaces and it was observed that outer surface of coarser particle reinforced composite with lesser scratches and minimum loss of material.     

Development of a new inexpensive green thermoplastic composite and evaluation of its physico-mechanical and wear properties

In the present study an attempt has been made to use turmeric spent (TS) as reinforcing filler to fabricate polypropylene (PP) green composite for load bearing and tribological applications. PP/TS composites were fabricated using varying amounts of TS viz, 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% (w/w) by twin screw extrusion method. The fabricated PP green composites were evaluated for physico-mechanical and tribological properties. Experimentally obtained tensile values were compared with theoretically predicted values using different theoretical models. Tensile modulus of composites increased from 1041 to 1771 MPa with the increase in filler addition from 0 to 40 wt.%. Flexural strength and flexural modulus of composites were improved after incorporation of TS into PP matrix. The water absorption characteristics of composites were determined. The effect of abrading distances viz., 150, 300, 450, and 600 m and different loads of 23.54 and 33.54 N at 200 rpm on the abrasive wear behaviour were studied using dry sand/rubber wheel abrasive test rig. The TS filler lowered the abrasion resistance of PP/TS composites. The wear volume loss and specific wear rate as a function of abrading distance and load were determined. The surface morphology of tensile fractured green composites and their worn surface features were examined under scanning electron microscope.     

The tribological behavior of nanometer and micrometer TiO2 particle-filled polytetrafluoroethylene/polyimide

The friction and wear properties of micrometer and nanometer TiO₂ particle-filled polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)/polyimide (PI) composites were studied in this paper. The effect of filler contents (0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 3%, 5% and 7 vol.%) on the tribological properties was examined. The transfer films and the worn surfaces of the PTFE/PI composites filled with micrometer and nanometer TiO₂ particles were investigated by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Experimental results show that anti-wear properties of the PTFE/PI composites can be improved greatly by filling nanometer TiO₂ particles. The wear rate of 1.5% nanometer TiO₂ filled composite is the lowest, which is about 52% lower than that of PTFE/PI. In the case of micrometer TiO₂ filler, the friction coefficient and wear rates increase with increasing filler volume fractions under identical test conditions. It was also found that the wear mechanism of micrometer TiO₂ particle-filled PTFE/PI is mainly severe adhesion and abrasive wear, while that of nanometer TiO₂ particle-filled PTFE/PI is mainly slight abrasive wear.     

Mechanical and dry sliding wear characterization of epoxy–TiO2 particulate filled functionally graded composites materials using Taguchi design of experiment

Titania (TiO₂) reinforced homogeneous and functionally graded epoxy composites are developed by simple mechanical stirring and vertical centrifugal casting technique respectively. Investigations on mechanical and wear characteristics of TiO₂ reinforced homogeneous epoxy composites and its functionally graded composite materials developed for tribological applications are presented. The effect of various operational variables, material parameters and their interactive influences on specific wear behaviour of these composites has been studied systematically. A series of test are conducted on a pin-on-disc machine with three sliding velocities of 105, 209 and 314 cm/s under three different normal loading of 20 N, 30 N and 40 N. Out of all samples 20 wt.% epoxy–TiO₂ epoxy graded composites exhibited lowest specific wear rate TiO₂ particle additions on epoxy graded composites have a dramatic effect on the flexural strength, tensile modulus and impact strength in comparison to homogeneous composites. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations also indicate that in homogeneous composites TiO₂ particles are peeled off from the matrix to form holes while in graded composite materials under same experimental conditions the TiO₂ particles remain quite intact to the matrix.     

Microstructure,strength and tribological behavior of Fe–C–Cu–Ni sintered steels prepared with MoS<Subscript>2</Subscript> addition

Powder metal processing permits development of new composites with specific properties required for demanding applications. Complex shaped machine elements like gears and bearings are made of powder metallurgy technique economically. In many applications these machine elements operate under unlubricated conditions and there is a need for materials with good friction and wear characteristics, strength and modulus. In the present study, Fe–C–Cu–Ni alloys with solid lubricant, MoS₂, were developed using a simple single stage compaction and sintering. The microstructure, strength, hardness and tribo behavior of the composites were evaluated. The friction and wear characteristics were evaluated using pin-on-disc type tribo test machine. Addition of solid lubricant improved the compressibility and thereby the density of the compacts. Presence of the secondary sulphide phases in the as-sintered compacts improves the hardness and strength. The coefficient of friction and wear loss decreased with addition of MoS₂. A simple wear model is proposed to predict the wear loss in these composites. The model predicts wear loss values that are in agreement with the experimental data.     

Wear and mechanical properties of epoxy/SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> composites

Preparation of epoxy/SiO₂-TiO₂ composites is investigated in this paper. The products are characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy. Results of FT-IR spectroscopy and atom force microscope (AFM) demonstrated that epoxy chains have been covalently bonded to the surface of the SiO₂-TiO₂ particles. The particles sized of SiO₂-TiO₂ are about 20–50 nm, which characterized by AFM. The properties of composites such as impact strength, flexural strength, tensile strength and ring-on-block wear are also investigated. Dry sliding wear tests showed that the SiO₂-TiO₂ particles could improve the wear resistance of the epoxy matrix even though the content of the SiO₂-TiO₂ particles was at a relatively low level (1.95–2.65 wt%). This makes it possible to develop novel type of epoxy-based materials with improved wear resistance for various applications. The worn surface was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and mechanisms for the improvement are discussed in this paper     

Abrasive wear behavior of monolithic alloy,homogeneous and functionally graded aluminum (LM25/AlN and LM25/SiO2) composites

Functionally graded metal matrix composites (MMCs) and homogenous composites (Al/AlN and Al/SiO₂-10 wt%) have been fabricated through centrifugal casting and liquid metallurgy route, respectively. The properties of these composites were compared with aluminum alloy. Microstructural characteristics and hardness were studied on the surfaces of functionally graded materials (FGMs), homogenous composites, and unreinforced aluminum alloy using an optical microscope and a Vickers micro hardness tester, respectively. Tensile test was carried out on the outer and inner sections of FGMs and specimens from homogenous composites and alloy utilizing universal testing machines (UTMs). Three-body abrasive wear test was conducted for different loads and speeds to study their effect on the surfaces of composites and alloy using dry abrasion tester. Microstructural and hardness results reveal that the outer surface of aluminum nitride (AlN)-reinforced FGM has a particle-enriched region with the highest hardness. Tensile strength was found higher in both homogenous composites compared to zones of their FGMs. Abrasion wear rate was found increased with increase in load and decreased with increase in speed. The outer surface of AlN-reinforced FGM has higher wear resistance followed by the outer surface of SiO₂-reinforced FGM. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analysis was performed on worn-out surfaces and observed particle-enriched outer surface of Al/AlN FGM with less abrasion.     

Abrasive Wear Volume Maps for PA6 and PA6 Composites Under Dry Working Condition

In this study the wear volume map is obtained and considered for evaluation of the abrasive wear performance for polyamide (PA6) and PA6 composites. Polyamide composites were tailored using 25 wt.% glass bead, 20 wt.% talc and 30 wt.% wollastonite fillers. In this work, the influence of filler materials, abrasion surface roughness and applied loading values on abrasive wear performance of PA6 and PA6 composites were evaluated. Experimental abrasive wear tests were carried out at atmospheric condition using pin-on-disc rig arrangement. Tests were performed under 4, 6, 8 and 10 N load values, traveling speed of 1 m/s and abrasion surface roughness values of 5, 20 and 45 μm. Wear volume maps were obtained and the results showed that the lowest wear volume rate for PA is reached using glass bead filler. Furthermore, the results also showed that the higher is the applied load and the roughness of the abrasion surface, the higher is the wear rate. Finally it is also concluded that abrasive wear process mechanism include ploughing mechanism and delimitation of filler tips.     

Mechanical and three-body abrasive wear behaviour of three-dimensional glass fabric reinforced vinyl ester composite

The mechanical and three-body abrasive wear behaviour of two- and three-dimensional E-glass woven fabric reinforced vinyl ester composites were studied in this article. The mechanical properties were evaluated using universal testing machine as per ASTM D-638. Three-body abrasive wear tests were conducted using rubber wheel abrasion tester (RWAT) under different abrading distances at two loads, wherein the wear volume loss were found to increase and that of specific wear rate decrease. The results indicate that the three-dimensional glass woven fabrics in vinyl ester (G_3D–V) have significant influence on wear under varied abrading distance/loads. Further, it was found that G_3D–V composite exhibited lower wear rate compared to two-dimensional glass woven fabric reinforced vinyl ester (G_2D–V) composite. The worn surface features, as examined through scanning electron microscope (SEM), show ruptured glass fiber in G_2D–V composite compared to G_3D–V composites.     

Thermal and mechanical properties of poly(ether ester)-based thermoplastic elastomer composites filled with TiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles

Poly(butylene terephthalate)-block-poly(tetramethylene glycol) (PBT-PTMG)-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) was filled with nano TiO₂ particles by direct melt blending. The particle content in matrix was varied from 1.3 to 4.9 vol.%. The samples were characterized using SEM, μCT, DSC, TGA, DMTA and tensile test. SEM examination shows strong interfacial interactions between TPE matrix and TiO₂ particles due to formation of chemical bonds. The incorporation of TiO₂ particles increases overall the thermal properties of soft and hard segments such as the glass transition temperature, the melting temperature, and the thermal stability of material. The tensile properties of TPE are also significantly improved indicated by increased tensile strength and modulus. Increasing particle content leads to increased mechanical properties and thermal stability of composites.     

Study of Abrasive Wear Volume Map for PTFE and PTFE Composites

The potential of this work is based on consideration of wear volume map for the evaluation of abrasive wear performance of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and PTFE composites. The fillers used in the composite are 25% bronze, 35% graphite and 17% glass fibre glass (GFR). The influence of filler materials, abrasion surface roughness and applied load values on abrasive wear performance of PTFE and PTFE composites were studied and evaluated. Experimental abrasive wear tests were carried out at atmospheric condition on pin-on-disc wear tribometer. Tests were performed under 4, 6, 8 and 10 N load values, travelling speed of 1 m/sec and abrasion surface roughness values of 5, 20 and 45 μm. Wear volume maps were obtained and the results showed that the lowest wear volume rate for PTFE is reached using GFR filler. Furthermore, the results also showed that the higher is the applied load and the roughness of the abrasion surface, the higher is the wear rate. Finally it is also concluded that abrasive wear process mechanism include ploughing and cutting mechanisms.     

Influence of fillers on abrasive wear of short glass fibre reinforced polyamide composites

Various composites of polyamide 6 filled with short glass fibre, polytetrafluoroethylene and metal powders viz. copper and bronze were formulated in the laboratory and characterised for their various mechanical properties such as tensile strength, tensile elongation, flexural strength, hardness and impact strength. Compositional analysis was done with gravimetry, solvent extraction and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) techniques followed by tribo-performance evaluation in abrasive wear mode by abrading a sample against silicon carbide (SiC) abrasive paper in a single pass condition under various loads. It was observed that the fibre reinforcement deteriorated the abrasive wear resistance of virgin polymer. Combination of fibre and particulate filler was more detrimental in this respect. Efforts were made to correlate the wear performance with the appropriate mechanical properties. Under selected loading condition, wear as a function of product of hardness, elongation to break (e) and ultimate tensile strength (S) showed better correlation than Ranter-Lancaster plot. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyse the worn surfaces of the samples.     

Abrasive Wear Model for Al2O3 Particle Reinforced MMCs Using Genetic Expression Programming

In this investigation, a new model was developed to predict the wear rate of Al2O3 particle-reinforced aluminum alloy composites by Genetic Expression Programming (GEP). The training and testing data sets were obtained from the well established abrasive wear test results. The volume fraction of particle, particle size of reinforcement, abrasive grain size and sliding distance were used as independent input variables, while wear rate (WR) as dependent output variable. Different models for wear rate were predicted on the basis of training data set using genetic programming and accuracy of the best model was proved with testing data set. The two-body abrasive wear tests of the specimens was performed using a pin-on-disc abrasion test apparatus where the sample slid against different SiC abrasives under the loads of 2N at the room conditions. The test results showed that GEP model has produced correlation coefficient (R) values about 0.988 for the training data and 0.987 for the test data. The predicted wear rate results were compared with experimental results and found to be in good agreement with the experimentally observed ones.     

Characterization of mechanical properties and three‐body abrasive wear of functionally graded aluminum LM25/titanium carbide metal matrix composite

Several engineering components require location specific performance under operating conditions. A compositional/microstructural gradient can provide the performance required at specific locations and these materials were named as functionally graded materials. Functionally graded aluminium metal matrix composites were generally established for the tribo‐components where high wear resistance was a necessity. Reports on three body abrasive wear behaviour of functionally graded materials was limited to date. In the present work, a new functionally graded system comprising aluminium/titanium carbide (10 wt%) was produced through stir casting route followed by centrifugal casting technique and its three body abrasive wear behaviour was investigated. Hollow cylindrical part with the dimensions of length 150 mm, outer diameter 150 mm and thickness 16 mm was obtained. Microstructural study was performed on outer (1 mm) and inner surface (13 mm) to analyze the compositional gradient across the thickness of the functionally graded composite. Hardness was measured on different surfaces along the radial distance from outer periphery and tensile test was conducted on the outer and inner zone. Abrasive wear test was conducted on different surfaces of the functionally graded composite under various loads and speeds at constant time. The microstructural results revealed that particle segregation was more at the outer surface and less at the inner surface. Wear test results showed that increase in wear rate was obtained with increase of load and decrease in wear rate was obtained with increase of speed. The outer surfaces of the functionally graded composite had greater mechanical properties and better wear resistance compared to other surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy analysis was done on the abraded surfaces and observed wear mechanisms were interpreted.     

Effects of graphite particle addition upon the abrasive wear of polymer surfaces

The abrasive wear performance of vinyl ester resins modified with various volume fractions (5, 10, 15, 20 and 30%) of graphite powder has been measured. Using a conveyor belt driven testing machine developed locally, it has been possible to realistically simulate the effect of three-body abrasive wear upon these graphite modified polymer samples. A comparison of the calculated dimensionless wear rates obtained for these surfaces reveals that the effect of the graphite powder depends strongly upon the volume fraction of particles in the resin matrix. It appears that, for intermediate volume fractions, the presence of graphite powder in the resin matrix reduces the abrasive wear of the polymer surface. Scanning electron microscopy has been used to probe the mechanisms of abrasive wear of the pure resin and graphite modified surfaces. It appears that the embedded graphite particles can act as a lubricant during the abrasion process thus reducing the wear rate. The effect of increasing graphite powder volume fraction upon the abrasive wear mechanism is discussed.     

单磨粒作用下Al2O3-TiC-TiN复合陶瓷的摩擦磨损特性

本文利用置于扫描电子显微镜（SEM）中的销-盘（pin－disk）式滑动摩擦磨损试验装置，研究了在单颗粒磨粒的作用下Al₂O₃－TiC－TiN复合陶瓷的摩擦磨损特性．结果显示，在真空和空气两种环境中，该材料的摩擦行为具有不同的特点．其磨损机理，在磨损初期表现为明显的微切削，随着磨损的进行，其机理以脆性的微断裂为主．同时还表明，在三体磨粒磨损条件下，磨粒的相对软硬显著地影响该陶瓷的磨损率．