Tribo-performance analysis of red mud filled glass-epoxy composites using Taguchi experimental design

Solid particle erosion of polymer composites is a complex surface damage process, strongly affected by material properties and operational conditions. To avoid repeated experimentation, it is important to develop predictive equations to assess material loss due to erosion under any impact conditions. This paper presents the development of a mathematical model for estimating erosion damage caused by solid particle impact on red mud filled glass fiber reinforced epoxy matrix composites and also a correlation derived from the results of Taguchi experimental design. Red mud is an industrial waste generated during the production of alumina by Bayer's process. Using this red mud as the filler, hybrid glass-epoxy composites are prepared and experiments are conducted to study the erosion wear behaviour of these composites and the results are compared with the predicted values. Using Taguchi method for analysis, the significant control factors and their interactions influencing the wear rate predominantly are identified. The filler content in the composites, erodent temperature, the impingement angle and velocity are found to have substantial influence in determining the rate of material loss from the composite surface due to erosion. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.