The Effect of Short Carbon Fiber and Hydrothermal Carbon Content on Impact and Wear Properties of Epoxy Composites

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the effect of different weight fractions (3%, and 5%) of short carbon fibers (SCFs) and hydrothermal carbons (HTCs) on the impact and wear properties of epoxy matrix composites. The samples were fabricated using the hand lay-up method. Izod impact tests were applied to the unnotched samples. To investigate the wear properties of pure epoxy and composites, reciprocating wear tests were conducted. Also, a Scanning Electron Microscope has been used for observation of the morphology of the broken and worn surfaces of pure Epoxy and (SCFs and HTCs) reinforced epoxy-based composites. Results showed that HTCs have remarkable effects on improving the wear resistance rate as compared to SCFs reinforced composites. However, SCFs reinforced epoxy composites have better energy-absorbing effects compared to HTCs epoxy-reinforced composites.