Three-body Abrasive Wear Behavior of Filled Epoxy Composite Systems

Particulate filled epoxy composites have been studied for the three-body abrasive wear behavior using the rubber wheel abrasion test (RWAT) apparatus. The epoxy composites were fabricated with 0—20 wt% of the boron carbide in steps of 5wt%. In the present investigation, angular silica sand particles of size in the range 200—250 μm were used as dry and loose abrasives. The wear volume and wear rate were determined as a function of abrading distance. The filler additions have shown significant influence on three-body abrasive wear behavior at different loads. It was observed that inclusion of boron carbide filler in particulate form into epoxy matrix showed improved abrasion resistance. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the worn surface features to understand the mechanisms involved in the removal of material.