Influence of impingement angle on solid particle erosion of carbon fabric reinforced polyetherimide composite

Polyetherimide (PEI) composite reinforced with plain weave carbon fabric (CF) (40% by volume) was developed and characterized for physical and mechanical properties. The erosive wear behaviour of PEI and its composite was evaluated using silica sand particles at a constant impact velocity but varying angles of impingement. It was confirmed that though all the mechanical properties of PEI improved substantially by CF reinforcement, the erosion resistance (W-R) deteriorated by a factor of almost four-six times at all angles of impingement. Both materials showed minimum wear at normal incidence (90 degrees impingement). In spite of the fact that PEI is not a very ductile polymer (elongation to break-60%), it showed maximum wear at 15 degrees which is a characteristic of ductile and semi-ductile mode of failure. The composite (elongation to break-1%) also showed highest wear at 30 degrees (impingement at 15 degrees was not studied). These phenomena were explained using scanning electron micrographs of the eroded surfaces. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.