Tribological Properties Of Epoxy Composites Research Articles

Heterostructured three-dimension MXene/short carbon fiber to enhance thermal, mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites

Heterostructured three-dimension MXene/short carbon fiber to enhance thermal, mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites

Investigating the impact of TiO2 filler on abrasive wear characteristics of bamboo fiber-reinforced epoxy composites using the Taguchi method

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of titanium oxide (TiO2) filler on the abrasive wear properties of bamboo fiber reinforced epoxy composites (BFRCs) using a Taguchi approach. The study aims to enhance the abrasive wear resistance of these composites by introducing TiO2 filler as a potential reinforcement, thus contributing to the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly materials. Design/methodology/approach This study focuses on the fabrication of epoxy/bamboo composites infused with TiO2 particles within the Wt.% range of 0–8 Wt.% using hand layup techniques. The resulting composites were subjected to wear testing according to ASTM G99-05 standards. Statistical analysis of the wear results was carried out using the Taguchi design of experiments (DOE). Additionally, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the influential control factors impacting the specific wear rate (SWR) and coefficient of friction (COF). Findings The study illuminates how integrating TiO2 filler enhances abrasive wear in epoxy/bamboo composites. Statistical analysis of SWR highlights abrasive grit size (grit) as the most influential factor, followed by normal load, Wt.% of TiO2 and sliding distance. Analysis of the COF identifies normal load as the primary influential factor, followed by grit, Wt.% of TiO2 and sliding distance. The Taguchi predictive model closely aligns with experimental results, validating its reliability. The morphological study revealed significant differences between the unfilled and TiO2-filled composites. The inclusion of TiO2 improved wear resistance, as evidenced by reduced surface damage and wear debris. Originality/value This research paper aims to integrate TiO2 filler and bamboo fibers to create an innovative hybrid composite material. TiO2 micro and nanoparticles show promise as filler materials, contributing to improved tribological properties of epoxy composites. The utilization of Taguchi’s DOE and ANOVA for statistical analysis provides valuable guidance for academic researchers and practitioners in optimizing control variables, especially in the context of natural fiber reinforced composites.

Mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites reinforced with food-waste fillers

One of the assumptions of the zero-waste economy is to reduce the amount of industrial waste produced, process it, and recover it without burning or burying it. Citrus peels are among the food wastes that are difficult to recycle. Due to the long time of decomposition and the waxes and fats in their structure, the shells rarely end up in composters and, consequently, are not included in natural fertilisers. The assumptions fit into the research described in the article.The authors investigated the possibility of using ground peels of citrus fruits: grapefruit, key lime, lemon and orange as fillers in composite materials in which the role of the matrix was played by epoxy resin. Composite materials with 2.5, 5 and 10% filler content were prepared. The materials were tested using the tensile, hardness, and abrasive tests using the pin-on-disc method.The research was to answer whether adding citrus waste can change the physicochemical properties of composite materials based on epoxy resin and native resin. Particular attention was paid to the properties that are important from the point of view of engineering applications: mechanical properties and tribological properties.In the face of challenges related to the growing amount of waste from the food industry, joint materials engineering tries to answer whether this waste can be used in the production of composite materials. In several publications from recent years, it has been postulated that used food industry products can be used as fillers for composite materials, as they can, on the one hand, improve specific physicochemical properties of new materials and manage food waste.The tests proved that composite materials with grapefruit and key lime as a filler were characterized by the best tribological properties, mechanical properties, and hardness, which were unchanged or better than the epoxy resin used as a matrix.

Mechanical, water absorption and tribological properties of epoxy composites filled with waste eggshell and fish scale particles

Egg shells and fish scales are two abundantly available by-products from food industries which can be used as filler materials to reinforce polymer composites. The bulk of discarded chicken eggshells and fish scales are disposed of in landfills, which cause environmental issues. The present research work focuses on the water absorption, mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites reinforced with chicken eggshells and catla fish scale particles. Hybrid composites incorporating both fillers were also made and evaluated. Results from the water absorption tests showed that the addition of fillers decreased the water absorption of the composites than neat epoxy. Tensile and impact tests revealed that the inclusion of fillers reduced the tensile and impact strength of the composites compared to neat epoxy, but improved the tensile modulus. The hybrid composite (EFREC) showed improvement in both flexural strength and modulus in comparison to neat epoxy. Also, the results from the wear tests revealed that the addition of fillers improved the wear resistance of the composites. Among all the mechanical and wear tested composite specimens, the hybrid composite (EFREC) showed the best performance. This was also validated from the SEM images of the fracture and wear surfaces of the composites.

Preparation of double-core microcapsules and tribological properties of epoxy composites

Double-core microcapsules were prepared via in situ polymerization using poly(urea-formaldehyde) (PUF) as the wall material as well as ionic liquid and linseed oil as the core material. The addition of microcapsules to epoxy matrices can result bifunctional epoxy composites with self-lubricating and self-healing properties. Frictional wear experiments indicated that compared with pure epoxy resin, the friction coefficient of the epoxy composite containing 7 wt% microcapsules was reduced by 93.5% and the wear rate of the composite was reduced by 98%. In addition, the composite material has excellent repair properties for scratches.

Development of epoxy composites with graphene nanoplatelets and micro-sized carbon foam: Morphology and thermal, mechanical and tribological properties

The effect of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and carbon foam (CF) micrograins on the morphology and thermomechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites was determined. The binary composites containing separately CF grains or GNPs and multiphase composites with CF particles and GNPs together obtained by two procedures were studied. In the first method GNPs were dispersed initially in epoxy resin and then CF particles were introduced. In the second procedure, conversely, CF particles were distributed in polymer before GNPs addition. CF simultaneously applied with GNPs strongly improves storage modulus, hardness and thermal stability of composites and reduces the friction coefficient and the wear rate compared to epoxy matrix. The composite fabricated by the first method exhibited better tribological properties, especially considering the higher wear load.

Enhanced mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites reinforced by novel hyperbranched polysiloxane functionalized graphene/MXene hybrid

Two-dimensional graphene and Ti3C2Tx MXene have enormous potential in improving mechanical and frictional properties of the resin matrix. However, their easy re-stacking trend and poor interfacial adhesion in organic substance hinder practical applications. Herein, the lamellar reduced graphene oxide/MXene (RGO/MXene) hybrid functionalized with a series of Si-O-C hyperbranched polysiloxane (HBPSi-1, 2, 3) were successfully synthesized. The introduction of more side groups in HBPSi enhances the interfacial adhesion between nanofillers and epoxy (EP) matrix. The good lubricating function of lamellar RGO/MXene, excellent toughening effect of HBPSi due to its flexible chain segment and intermolecular cavities, and fine interfacial adhesion lead to the dramatically improved mechanical and frictional performance of EP composites. The results showed that the incorporation of moderate addition of HBPSi-3 modified RGO/MXene (H3RM) markedly enhanced the comprehensive properties of EP composites. Specifically, when the EP loaded with 0.7 wt% H3RM, the composites exhibited the highest impact and flexural strengths (33.2 kJ/m2 and 170.1 MPa). And 0.6 wt% H3RM/EP composite achieved dramatic reductions of 51.7% and 70.2% in the average frictional coefficient and volume wear rate. This work enlightens a brand idea for the design and application of RGO/MXene solid lubricant additive.

Fabrication of RGO/CNTs/MXene 3D skeleton structure for enhancing thermal and tribological properties of epoxy composites

In this study, the RGO/CNTs/MXene aerogel-epoxy composites (RCM-EP) were fabricated via freeze drying following by resin perfusion process. RCM aerogel with different pore sizes and morphologies were regulated by changing concentration of MXene. In addition, mechanical properties and thermal behaviors of EP composites with RCM and dispersed fillers were comparatively investigated. The results show that the RCM-EP have a better mechanical strength and thermal properties due to outstanding dispersion performance, interfacial bonding and spatial thermal conductivity network. Simultaneously, tribological test results revealed the wear rate and friction coefficient of EP were reduced by 83.5 % and 53.1 %, respectively, with the incorporation of RCM aerogel. The RCM aerogel inside the EP matrix could improve the bearing capacity of composites and inhibit the accumulation of friction heat via 3D inter-crosslinked network. Moreover, the RCM aerogel was slowly released and participated in friction transfer during sliding process, constructing high-quality transfer film, which endowed the RCM-EP with distinguished tribological performance.

The Mechanical and Tribological Properties of Epoxy-Based Composites Filled with Manganese-Containing Waste.

Waste from large-scale production processes is a growing environmental problem that can potentially be solved by using this waste as fillers in polymeric composites to improve the mechanical and tribological properties of polymeric matrixes. This paper presents research concerning how the introduction of fillers in the form of manganese residue and manganese(II) oxide changes the mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites produced by gravity casting. The research was carried out for composites with 2.5 wt.%, 5 wt.%, and 10 wt.% of fillers. Properties such as the density, hardness, resilience, flexural strength, deflection, flexural modulus, tensile strength, elongation at break, and Young’s modulus were determined. Moreover, based on the ball-on-plate test, the wear volume and friction coefficients of the tested materials were determined. Microscopic images of the abrasion profiles were also obtained. The geometry of the wear paths was measured with a profilometer, and the results showed that introducing fillers reduced the abrasive wear of the composites; however, in all cases, the fillers decreased the strength of the tested materials.

Experimental evaluation and comparison of silica/biocarbon particulate-epoxy composites for high-strength applications

Biowaste utilization and management are of primary concern in the current scenario for a sustainable environment. One way to enable this is to replace commercial fillers with composite materials. In the present study, the fillers, that is, silica and biocarbon are extracted from rice husk and processed further as biofillers for processing composites. With inherent processing challenges involved in biofiller-based composites, this study investigated and compared the influence of dispersed silica and biocarbon particles independently on the mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites. The composites were fabricated by a hand lay-up process. The composites were fabricated with three different filler loadings each of silica and biocarbon separately (2, 4 and 6 wt%). The mechanical characterization results illustrate that tensile, flexural, compression, and erosion wear showed superior properties compared to neat epoxy. It is also evident that there was an enhancement of 19% in compressive strength in composites compared to neat epoxy at 2 wt% silica and biocarbon filler composites. The tensile strength increased by 2.6 times when compared to neat epoxy at 2 wt% silica filler addition. Alongside, erosion results confirm that the properties of pure epoxy change from semi-brittle to ductile due to the addition of silica and biocarbon fillers. This semi-brittle to ductile nature is important for marine applications as propellers are subject to extreme cold and warm temperatures with very little transition time, leading to ductile to brittle failure. Finally, it can be inferred that silica extracted from rice husk has versatile applications when compared to the carbon extract.

Effect of process parameters on sliding wear performance of red brick dust-filled glass–epoxy composites

This research is focused on the study of the tribological properties of epoxy composites reinforced with red brick dust and glass fiber. Wear tests are conducted on a pin-on-disk apparatus. The wear rate and coefficient of friction are measured after tribological tests. The relative effect of process parameters such as sliding velocity, normal load, filler content on specific wear rate, and coefficient of friction is also examined using the Taguchi model and analysis of variance technique. Furthermore, an innovative optimization approach is adopted by combining grey relational analysis with the metaheuristic firefly algorithm to obtain the desired response values. A nonlinear regression model is generated to cater to the relationship between the grey relational grade and the process parameters. This model is further employed in the firefly algorithm to move the firefly to the neighboring brighter and attractive firefly. The most influencing factors for wear rate and friction coefficient are sliding velocity and normal load, respectively. This work not only opens up an opportunity for value-added utilization of waste material such as red brick dust but also the proposed metaheuristic approach can be customized and applied for any multi-response optimization problem.

Space‐confined thermal disintegration synthesis of graphene‐copper nanohybrids for enhanced tribological behaviors of epoxy‐based composites

AbstractEpoxy resin (EP) has received extensive attention in the field of mechanical engineering due to its outstanding physical mechanical performance and chemical stability. However, relatively weak thermal and abrasion properties seriously limit its application in motion conditions. Here, we report copper‐graphene nanohybrids (Cu‐G) prepared by a space‐confined thermal disintegration method as promising materials for improving the thermal and tribological properties of epoxy composites. Impressively, the thermal conductivity and stability properties of EP/Cu‐G composites present obvious enhancements compared to pure EP. Meanwhile, the tensile strength and elongation at break of EP/Cu‐G are increased by 8.0% and 7.5% compared to those of pure EP. In addition, sliding test results reveal that the wear rate of EP/Cu‐G composites show a 66.7% decline, which can be ascribed to the synergistic enhancement effects between graphene and Cu.

Effect of carbon nanotubes modified with different concentrations of rare earth lanthanum on the mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites

Rare earth modified acidified carbon nanotubes were prepared by functionalization of acidified carbon nanotubes with different concentrations of LaCl3. The modification results were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The rare earth successfully increases the surface activity of the acidified carbon nanotubes. Polymer matrix composites were prepared by using the rare earth modified acidified carbon nanotubes as the reinforcement in epoxy matrix. Mechanical properties were analyzed by Zwick Z100 testing machine and the tribological behaviors were test by multifunctional tribological tester. Compared with pure epoxy (epoxy resin), the mechanical strength of the best composite sample was increased by 50–120%, the coefficient of friction was reduced by 19.4% and the wear rate was reduced by approximately 40 times. The experimental results show that the RE concentration of 0.2–0.3 wt% has the most obvious influence on the properties of polymer composites. The mechanism of rare earth reinforcement in polymer matrix is analyzed and suggested.

Enhancing the mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites via incorporation of reactive bio-based epoxy functionalized graphene oxide.

The high rigidity and brittleness of traditional thermosetting resin based on bisphenol epoxy limits its many potential technical applications. Here, a novel tertiary amine containing cardanol-based epoxy resin (NC-514-DEA) was synthesized by reaction of diethanolamine (DEA) with cardanol epoxy resin (NC-514). Moreover, NC-514-DEA modified graphene oxide (GOND) was prepared and used as a reactive nano-reinforcing filler for epoxy composites. The results show that, compared with neat epoxy resin, the fracture toughness of the epoxy composite with 0.5 wt% GOND is increased by nearly 10%, and the friction coefficient is reduced from 0.567 to 0.408, demonstrating the best performance among specimens. The improved mechanical and wear resistance properties of prepared composites were attribute to the synergistic effect of NC-514-DEA and GO, which inhibited the generation and propagation of cracks by enhancing the interfacial interaction and distributing stress. In addition, the synthetic process of GOND is green, simple and efficient, providing a novel way for designing epoxy composite materials with many potential applications.

Effects of hyperbranched polyesters covalent functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites

In order to improve the mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy composites, the hyperbranched polyesters with terminal carboxyl (HBP) were used for covalent functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). The dispersibility and wettability of functionalized MWCNTs (HBP-NH2-MWCNTs) in epoxy resin (EP) were analyzed. The HBP-NH2-MWCNTs reinforced EP composites (HBP-NH2-MWCNTs/EP) were prepared. The microhardness and fracture toughness of HBP-NH2-MWCNTs/EP were tested, and the tribological behavior and mechanism under dry friction conditions were investigated. The results show that the hyperbranched polyesters coated on the surface of MWCNTs forms a physical barrier layer, blocking the van der Waals force between MWCNTs, effectively reducing the agglomeration phenomenon and significantly improving its dispersibility and wettability. Meanwhile, The flexible hyperbranched polyester on the surface of MWCNTs alleviates the stress concentration of the interface and improves the load transfer efficiency, which greatly improves the microhardness and fracture toughness. Under dry friction conditions, the friction coefficient and wear loss of HBP-NH2-MWCNTs/EP composites showed a trend of decreasing first and then increasing as the content of HBP-NH2-MWCNTs increased from 0.3 phr to 1.2 phr. When the content of HBP-NH2-MWCNT is 0.6 phr, the composites has the lowest friction coefficient and the wear loss, and the wear mechanism is mainly characterized by slight fatigue wear.

Erosion behaviour of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) reinforced epoxy composites

This paper deals with the manufacture and examination of tribological properties of epoxy composites reinforced with graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) nanopowder. The composites had prepared with five different proportions of g-C3N4 nanopowder using a hand layup process. Comparison of tribological properties has made between the composites laid at different percentages of g-C3N4 in epoxy. The results showed the maximum erosion resistance of g-C3N4 particulate polymer matrix for 3% filler content. Also, by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), the erosion morphology analysis is done on the internal structures of the specimen.

Microstructure and tribological properties of epoxy composites modified by methyl silicone oil-loaded microcapsules and/or reinforced with potassium hexatitanate whiskers

Self-lubricating functional microcapsules using melamine-formaldehyde resin encapsulating methyl silicone oil as core materials were synthesized by in situ polymerization method. And they are further adopted as antifriction additive to improve the tribological properties of binary and ternary epoxy (EP) composites, which were fabricated by incorporating microcapsules and the potassium hexatitanate whiskers (PTWs) into the EP matrix. The tribological behaviors of the as-synthesized EP composites have been evaluated by means of a block-on-ring high-speed wear tester. The results demonstrated that the friction coefficient and wear rate of EP /microcapsules binary composites decreased with the increase of microcapsule concentration due to the self-lubricating effect of the core material. For the EP /microcapsules/PTWs ternary composites, not only the mechanical properties and thermal stability PTWs were improved, but also the friction reduction and antiwear effect of the ternary composite are further enhanced due to the synergistic effect of PTWs and microcapsules.

Enhancing the tribological performance of epoxy composites utilizing carbon nano fibers additives for journal bearings

The research aims to develop new materials which could be a reasonable substitution to the metallic materials in the bearing systems. The tribological properties of epoxy composites containing 0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 wt% contents of carbon nano-fibers (CNFs) have been investigated. The experimental results revealed that epoxy composites containing 0.4 wt% CNFs showed the minimum friction coefficient and reasonable wear resistance. This behavior was referred to the formation of CNFs enriched lubricating film. The lubricating film acts as a protective shield from the severe wear and provides a lower conjunction intermediate layer facilitating the slipping of the rubbing surfaces. Increasing the CNFs contents up to 0.8 wt% has an inverse effect on the friction coefficient despite the sharp increase in the wear resistance.

Wear and friction of epoxy based nanocomposites with silica nanoparticles and wax-containing microcapsules

When subjected to wear by metal surfaces, epoxy normally exhibits rather high frictional coefficients (COF), causing high wear rate, exacerbated noise and frictional heat, thus limiting their service life. Liquid lubricants are known to reduce friction effectively, but they can be easily lost in operation. Therefore, encapsulating them is a proper solution to this issue. Herein, tribological properties of epoxy composites filled with wax-containing microcapsules (WMCs) and/or silica nanoparticles were investigated systematically. Results exhibited a tremendous decrease in the specific wear rates (Ws) and COF for the silica/WMC/epoxy ternary nanocomposites, specially three orders of magnitude reduction in Ws and a 10-fold reduction in COF were observed in specific test conditions. The wear mechanism was investigated based on worn surfaces and transfer films developed during wear tests. Furthermore, incorporating hybrid fillers negligibly deteriorates the mechanical properties of epoxy. Hence, the combination of rigid nanoparticles with WMCs is an appropriate choice when excellent tribological and mechanical properties are required.

Influence of the multi-walled carbon nanotube and short carbon fibre composition on tribological properties of epoxy composites

The present research work deals with the development of a novel polymer composite for brake pad applications. The composite that was used consists of epoxy resin, carbon fibre and carbon nanotubes in varying weight percentage. The tribological performance of three different samples was tested using a pin-on-disc under dry contact condition. The results indicated that the sample filled with short carbon fibres (SCF), and multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) had superior performance. Reduction in wear rate was observed due to synergism between SCF and MWCNT as compared to SCF only. Scanning electron microscopy was subsequently performed on all samples. The micrographs show changes in the structural formation after the incorporation of SCFs and MWCNT. This increased composite structural strength and explains why SCF and MWCNT’s hybrid-filled composite material has better tribological properties.