Mechanical and three-body abrasive wear behavior of SiC filled glass-epoxy composites

Fiber/filler reinforced polymer composites are known to possess high strength and attractive wear resistance in dry sliding conditions. How these composites perform in abrasive wear situations needs a proper understanding. Hence, in this research article the mechanical and three-body abrasive wear behavior of E-glass fabric reinforced epoxy (G-E) and silicon carbide filled E-glass fabric reinforced epoxy (SiC-G-E) composites are investigated. The mechanical properties were evaluated using Universal testing machine. Three-body abrasive wear tests are conducted using rubber wheel abrasion tester wherein two different loads and four varying abrading distances are employed. The results showed that the wear volume loss is increased with increase in abrading distance and the specific wear rate decreased with increase in abrading distance/load. However, the presence of SiC particulate fillers in the G-E composites showed a promising trend. The worn surface features, when examined through scanning electron microscopy, show higher levels of broken glass fiber in G-E system compared to SiC- filled G-E composites.