EFFECTS OF FIBER TYPE AND FIBER CONTENT ON THREE BODY ABRASIVE WEAR BEHAVIOUR OF EPOXY COMPOSITES

Author’s Name : Nagendra R N | B Suresha

Volume 02 Issue 03  Year 2015  ISSN No:  2349-3860  Page no: 6-10

Abstract -Basalt is an emerging reinforcing material used in constructions, and mechanical applications as an alternative to glass and carbon fibers. In this paper, basalt fiber (BF) in plain weave woven fabric form used as reinforcement and epoxy resin as a matrix for making composite systems. Basalt fiber provides high strength than the E-glass fiber and has high heat resistance. The basalt fabric reinforced epoxy (BF-Ep) with and without glass fabric composites were prepared using hand layup followed by compression molding. In this work, the effect of fiber type and fiber content on the abrasive wear behaviour has been investigated. Three body abrasive wear test is conducted in accordance with ASTM G-65 on the composite material fabricated, dry sand/rubber wheel abrasion tests were carried out at the test speed of 200rpm. The tests cases for 23N and 36N loads for four abrading distances 250, 500, 750 and 1000m have been tabulated. It results that the BF-Ep composite with 60% of fiber content provides excellent wear resistance when compared to 55%, also it has been shown that hybrid composites gives good abrasive resistance and are strong evidence being a potential candidate for use in a variety of industrial applications, especially for automobile parts, aircraft components and electrical insulators.

Keywords – Basalt fabric reinforced epoxy; Glass fabric; Compression molding; Three-body abrasive wear