Hybridization Effect on Mechanical Properties and Erosion Wear of Epoxy-Glass Composites

Abstract

In this research work the mechanical and erosion wear behavior of E-Glass fiber reinforced epoxy based hybrid composites were determined. Fillers like coal fly ash (CFA), Coal powder (CP) and mixture of coal fly ash and coal powder (CFA-CP) at different weight proportions of 0wt%, 5wt% and 10wt% were mixed with Epoxy Resin and composites were fabricated by manual hand lay-up technique with 50wt% of Glass Fiber as reinforcement and the prepared composites were cut in to specimens as per ASTM standards for mechanical characterizations like tensile, flexural, ILSS, Impact and Hardness properties and erosion wear behavior. Experimental analysis shows that the tensile strength of unfilled Epoxy-Glass composites is maximum (252.189MPa) where as for 10wt% coal fly ash filled epoxy-glass composites tensile modulus is maximum (7.823 GPA). The flexural strength and ILSS are 750.54 MPa and 25.188 MPa respectively for 10 wt% CP filled hybrid composites. The impact strength and hardness are 2100 J/m and 62Hv for 10wt% CFA-CP filled epoxy composites. Coming to erosion wear behavior of composites filled with CFA-CP have exhibited maximum erosion wear resistance when compared with CFA filled epoxy composites. It is observed that with the increase in weight percentages of the filler material. The mechanical properties and erosion wear resistance of the composites were enhanced. Hence, for structural applications filler materials mixed Glass- Epoxy hybrid composites can be used in place of plain glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites due to the enhanced properties of composites.