Optimization of Test Parameters That Influence Erosive Wear Behaviors of Glass Fiber-Reinforced Epoxy Composites by Using the Taguchi Method

Abstract

This study describes the development of a multicomponent composite system consisting of thermoplastic epoxy resin reinforced with E-glass fiber and silicon dioxide (SiO2) particles and investigates its erosion behavior under different operating conditions. Due to the increasing importance of composites in engineering applications and the need to tackle solid particle erosion in various industrial sectors, the study aims at finding how these composites behave in such type of wear. The composite specimens used for the tests were classified into three types; pure glass fiber (GF)–epoxy, those with addition of SiO2 particles at an amount of 15% and the last group had SiO2 particles added at 30% of the resin used for the materials. The experiments were carried out by selecting three different impact velocities, three different impingement angles, and angular alumina abrasive particles having approximate sizes of 200 μm. The fiber directions used were 0/90/0 and 45/ − 45/45. SEM views belonging to the specimens were taken before and after the tests in order to investigate the differences and the causes of the surface damages. Moreover, it is found that the Taguchi's robust orthogonal array method provides a simple, systematic, and efficient methodology for the optimization of the erosion wear parameters. At the end of the tests, the most significant factor in affecting the erosion rate is found to be the impingement angle, followed by the impact velocity, fiber direction, and filler material.