OPTIMIZATION OF ABRASIVE WEAR CONDITIONS

WITH THE TAGUCHI METHOD FOR THE NATURAL

FIBER REINFORCED EPOXY COMPOSITES

Under the guidance of

Sri.S.Madhusudan
By
Ch.Chandra Rao
(310277133002)

ABSTRACT
Utilization of bio waste today motivates the researchers, world wide
on the studies of bio waste natural fiber reinforced polymer composite
and cost effective option to synthetic fiber reinforced composites.
In present investigation the wear behaviour of treated and untreated
coir dust filled epoxy composites were studied. The effect of treated and
un treated coir dust concentration (10%, 20% and 30%), varying loads
(10,15, and 20N) and varying speed (200, 300, and 400) on the abrasive
wear rate of composite has been analyzed. The abrasive wear property of
the composite is examined on a pin-on-disc machine against 400 grade
(grit-23m) size abrasive paper. To minimize the experimental time and
cost of investment taguchi method model L9 is selected. However, it is
found that the treated fiber composite shows better wear resistance than
the untreated fiber composites. Abrasive wear rate is decreased with
increasing the coir dust amount. Increment in abrasive wear rate has been
observed with increasing load as well as increasing velocity.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
LITERATURE SURVEY
MATERIALS AND METHODS
RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
REFERENCE

What are composite materials ??

A composite material consists of two or more materials with different physical
and mechanical properties which when combined produce structures with an
improved performance.

Metals & Alloys

Steel-Cord
tyres

Metal
matrix
composites

Composites
Polymers

Ceramics &
Glasses

Carbon fibre reinforced plastic

Glass fibre reinforced plastic

Natural fibers

Applications of composites
General engineering
pipe systems, air ductwork
storage tanks, pressure
vessels ,power transmission
drive shafts.
Aerospace
General and military aviation
fuselage, cargo liner, wings.

LITERATURE SURVEY
Chand et al. studied low stress abrasive wear behavior of short E-glass fiber
reinforced polymer composites with and without fillers by using rubber wheel
abrasion test apparatus. They reported that higher weight fraction of glass fibers
(45%) in the composites improves the wear resistance as compared to the
composite containing less glass fibers (40%).
Evans et al. studied the abrasion wear behavior for 18 polymers and they
noticed that low density polyethylene (LDPE) showed the lowest wear rate in
abrasion against rough mild steel, but a higher wear rate in abrasion with coarse
corundum paper.
Budinski investigated the abrasion resistance of plastics and concluded that the
abrasion resistance of plastics is inconclusive and recommended for further
study.

Cenna et. al. studied abrasion wear resistance of three types of vinyl ester resin
systems, i.e., un-reinforced, reinforced with glass fibers, and reinforced with
particles of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE). They found
that UHMWPE reinforced composites showed enhanced wear resistance against
both coal and mineral ignimbrite used as abrasives.
Cirino et al. investigated the sliding and abrasive wear behavior of poly-etheretherketone (PEEK) with different continuous fiber types and reported that the
wear rate decreases with increase in the fiber content and also studied the
mechanisms of abrasive wear using scanning electron microscopy and discussed
the topic by schematic illustrations of basic wear phenomena.
The abrasive wear behavior of short carbon/glass fiber reinforced with
PEEK/polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) thermoplastic polymers was reported by
Lhymn et al. and they concluded that the wear rate is sensitive to the fiber
orientation axis with respect to the sliding direction. The normal oriented
specimen showed a lower wear rate than the anti-parallel or parallel specimen.

PREPARATION OF COMPOSITE
Coir fiber :10%, 20%, 30%,weight fractions.
Hardener :HY951
(1:10)
Preparation of test specimen :- Different amount treated and untreated fibers (10, 20, and
30 % wt) were added to the mixture of epoxy resin (Araldite LY556) and hardener (HY
951) of 10:1 ratio at room temperature. The above mixture was stirred for 10 min by a
glass rod to obtain uniform dispersion of fiber and then poured into cylindrical mould.

The upper and lower portions of the mold were fixed properly. Composite pins of
length 35 mm and diameter of 10 mm were prepared by this process. The samples
were kept in the moulds for curing at room temperature (29 0C) for 24 hr. Cured
samples were then removed from the moulds and used for abrasive wear test.
Designation

Composition

Sample A

Epoxy + 10%wt Coir Dust

Sample B

Epoxy +20% wt Coir Dust

Sample C

Epoxy +30% wt Coir Dust

ABRASIVE WEAR TEST

Abrasive wear studies were carried out under multi-pass condition on a pin-on-disc
type wear testing machine against abrasive paper of 400 grade (grit-23 m) .

sc

Figure 3.5. Multi pass condition disc.

Table.1 Test Conditions

Test Parameter

Units

Values

Load (F)

5, 10, 15,

Speed (N)

RPM

Track radius (r)

mm

200, 300, 400

50

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Table .2 Orthogonal array for L9 Taguchi Design
Sl. no

Fiber content

Load

Speed

Table.3 Experimental lay out and Abrasive test

results
Sl.
no

Fiber
content
(% wt)

Speed
Load
(N)

Wear rate for

Wear rate for

Un treated coir

treated coir

(gm)

(gm)

10

10

(RPM)
200

10

15

300

0.0011560

0.0009270

10

20

400

0.0016000

0.0014910

20

10

300

0.0005100

0.0001500

20

15

400

0.0010210

0.0008610

20

20

200

0.0008520

0.0004920

30

10

400

0.0005912

0.0003822

30

15

200

0.0005392

0.0003402

30

20

300

0.0007123

0.0006033

0.0005940

0.0003150

Table.4 S/N ratio of different test

conditions
Sl.
no

Fiber
content
(% wt)

Load

Speed

(N)

(RPM)

Wear rate for

Wear rate for

Untreatedcoir treated coir

(gm)

(gm)

SN Ratio

SN Ratio

Un treated Treated
coir

coir

10

10

200

0.0005940

0.0003150

64.5243

70.0338

10

15

300

0.0011560

0.0009270

58.7408

60.6584

10

20

400

0.0016000

0.0014910

55.9176

56.5304

20

10

300

0.0005100

0.0001500

65.8486

76.4782

20

15

400

0.0010210

0.0008610

59.8195

61.2999

20

20

200

0.0008520

0.0004920

61.3912

66.1607

30

10

400

0.0005912

0.0003822

64.5653

68.3542

30

15

200

0.0005392

0.0003402

65.3650

69.3653

30

20

300

0.0007123

0.0006033

62.9467

64.3893

90
untreated coir

80
70

0
treated coir

60

50

S/N Ration
40

Abrasive wear
0

30

untreated coir

20
0

treated coir

10

0
0

0
0

10

test runs

test runs

Fig . Abrasion wear VS Test runs

Fig . SN ratio VS Test runs

10

3D surface graph of un treated fiber abrasive wear rate Vs fiber, load and velocity

3D surface graph of treated fiber abrasive wear rate Vs fiber, load and velocity

TABLE.5 . RESPONSE TABLE FOR

S/N RATIO (UNTREATED COIR)
level

Fig . Main effects plot of S/N ratio for

un treated coir

fiber

load

Velocity

59.73

64.98

63.76

62.35

61.31

62.51

64.29

60.09

60.10

Delta

4.56

4.89

3.66

Rank

TABLE.6 RESPONSE TABLE FOR

S/N RATIO (TREATED COIR)

level

Fig 4. Main effects plot of S/N ratio for

Treated fiber

Fiber

load

Velocity

62.41

71.62

67.98

63.77

67.37

62.36

62.06

Delta

5.57

9.26

6.46

Rank

68.52
67.18

Figure Histogram of both treated and untreated composites

CONCLUSIONS
1. A new class of epoxy based coir fiber reinforced composites
of both treated and untreated were fabricated successfully.
2. In the initial investigation it is observed that the treated
fiber gives the best wear resistance.
3. As the percentage of treated and untreated coir fiber
increases the wear resistance also increases.
4. From the results of S/N ratio also it is observed that load is
the domination factor for wear rate in both treated and
untreated coir
5. Effect of fiber, load and velocity on wear rate and its
variation has been studied using 3D surface plots.

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Thank you