A study on sliding wear behaviour of carbon fiber reinforced IPN composites

Abstract

Carbon fiber usage is keep on increased in most of the industrial applications due to its light weight, high weight to stiffness ratio, high tensile strength, chemical resistance, low thermal expansion, high – temperature tolerance and low weight. Their uses mostly evidenced in nearly all of the applications like aerospace, military, motorsports, civil engineering applications. In this present study, carbon fiber is loaded with different proportions of alumina (0%, 10%, 15% and 20%) as filler in the presence of interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN – vinylester/polyurethane), as matrix material. The physical properties of the carbon fiber loaded interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) with alumina filler (particulate) have been thoroughly investigated as per ASTM standards. Besides that to completely know about the influence of coating of nickel on carbon fiber and loading of alumina filler on wear characteristics, through the pin-on disc the wear analysis were carried out. It is evidenced that the alumina filled carbon fiber (uncoated) reinforced IPN composite has shown noteworthy raise in wear resistance. Similarly the nickel coated carbon fiber, alumina loaded IPN composites as well have shown the very good wear resistance characteristics.