Friction and wear analysis of basalt micro-filler loaded various epoxies and esters based thermoset polymer composites

Abstract

In this study, thermoset polymers (synthetic epoxy, bio-epoxy, polyester, and vinyl ester) and basalt-reinforced (30 wt%) polymer composites were examined for their hardness and tribological characteristics. Under two levels of basalt weight percentage (0% and 30%), and three levels of load (3, 6, and 9 N), speed (100, 150, and 200 rpm), and distance (100, 150, and 200 m) parameters, the coefficient of friction (COF) and specific wear rate (SWR) are examined. According to the L18 orthogonal array design, which was created using the statistical software MINITAB-19, the tests are carried out using Pin-on-Disk Tribometer as per ASTM G99 standard. The optimum parameters are determined for COF and SWR using Taguchi statistical method. The significance of each parameter and its contribution is analyzed using the ANOVA technique. For synthetic epoxy samples, the optimum set of parameters for the COF response is 30 wt% basalt (2nd rank), 9 N load (4th rank), 100 rpm speed (1st rank), and 150 m distance (3rd rank); for the SWR response, the parameters are 30 wt% basalt (1st rank), 3 N load (2nd rank), 100 rpm speed (4th rank), and 200 m distance (3rd rank). For bio-epoxy samples, the optimum set of parameters for the COF response is 30 wt% basalt (4th rank), 9 N load (1st rank), 150 rpm speed (3rd rank), and 100 m distance (2nd rank); for the SWR response, the parameters are 30 wt% basalt (4th rank), 6 N load (2nd rank), 200 rpm speed (3rd rank), and 200 m distance (1st rank). For polyester samples, the optimum set of parameters for the COF response are 30 wt% basalt (2nd rank), 6 N load (4th rank), 200 rpm speed (1st rank), and 200 m distance (3rd rank); for the SWR response, the parameters are 30 wt% basalt (1st rank), 3 N load (4th rank), 100 rpm speed (3rd rank), and 150 m distance (2nd rank). For vinyl ester samples, the optimum set of parameters for the COF response is 30 wt% basalt (1st rank), 9 N load (3rd rank), 100 rpm speed (4th rank), and 100 m distance (2nd rank); for the SWR response, the parameters are 30 wt% basalt (2nd rank), 6 N load (3rd rank), 100 rpm speed (1st rank), and 100 m distance (4th rank). The ANOVA method demonstrated that the addition of 30 wt% basalt considerably reduced both COF and SWR. The optimum parameters that are not included in the proposed array underwent confirmation tests, and the results showed that the optimum parameters had an error rate that was less than 10% and within the bounds of statistical acceptability. According to the SEM morphology, the basalt particles reduced the material's plastic flow under different processing conditions.