Effect of operating parameters and abrasive particle size on three-body abrasion performance of alkali-treated eucalyptus fiber reinforced polyvinyl chloride composite

Abstract

The use of natural fiber polymer composites is being considered in many applications. In the current work, the three-body abrasion performance of an alkali-treated eucalyptus and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) composite was studied at different applied loads (40 to 130 N), sliding velocities (1.86 to 3.73 m/s), sliding distance (up to 4.0 km), and abrasive particle size (0.25 to 0.75 mm). The results showed that the applied load and sliding distance affected three-body abrasion. At lower applied loads and shorter sliding distances, higher specific wear rates (Ws) and more obvious worn surface features were exhibited, while sliding velocity had less of an effect on the wear behavior. The Ws and worn surface roughness increased as abrasive particle size increases, and deeper grooves and higher deformation on the worn surface were found due to the enhanced material loss from the larger particle size abrasive.