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In this work, bidirectional rice stubble fiber (RS), Glass fiber (GF), and Linz-Donawitz sludge (LDS) are used as reinforcement for the fabrication of epoxy (EP) based hybrid composite materials. The mechanical (tensile, flexural, compressive strength), and physical (density, void content) characteristics were evaluated as per ASTM standards. The tensile, compressive and flexural strength values of neat epoxy increased from 45 to 111 MPa, 22.5 to 58 MPa and 84 to 140 MPa respectively, with the addition of 6 % RS in EP-LDS-GF-RS composites. With the continuous addition of RS content, the density of the EP-LDS-GF composite gradually decreases, while void content increases gradually within 0.1 %, but both are higher than pure resin. Dry sliding wear tests are carried out on the composites to acquire the specific rate of wear (SWrate). Taguchi's design of experiment analysis is used to highlight the effect of various dependent parameters on SWrate. Artificial Neural Network (ANN) tool is used to predict the combined effect of different input parameters on the SWrate. From the SEM analysis, it is observed that material removal is significantly less near the region of filler content and hence the RS content is found to be the predominant control factor affecting the wear rate of the composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the upgrading of mechanical properties in basalt fibre composites through the incorporation of microfiller. Because of their remarkable mechanical qualities and environmentally beneficial qualities, basalt fibres are becoming more and more popular in a wide range of engineering applications. However, to further expand their utility, improvements in mechanical properties like tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact resistance are essential. In this research, clamshell filler, an abundant waste material from seafood processing, is employed as a reinforcing agent in basalt fibre composites. Clamshells are found on the sea water and participate in marine ecosystems. They are derived from dead clams with no flesh in it. The research offers a solution to the disposal problem of clamshell waste by incorporating it into composite materials- a value-added product, offering both material performance benefits and sustainability. Dead clams are used to prepare the clamshell powder which is made into fine powder of 64-90 micron after cleaning and drying process. This size of micro-filler added in basalt fibre through hand layup fabrication techniques. A series of experiments and material characterization techniques are examined to know the effects of varying clamshell filler content (0, 5, 10 wt.%) on the mechanical performance of the composites. Mechanical test like tensile, flexural, microhardness and impact tests are done to evaluate the material's strength, stiffness, and resistance to external forces. The results show enhancements in the mechanical properties of basalt fibre composites with the addition of clamshell filler. The findings suggest that the utilization of clamshell filler can effectively improve the tensile and flexural strengths and hardness of the basalt fibre composites. Moreover, there is an increment of impact resistance which indicates the potential applications of composite in impact-prone industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, a new class of composite made up of wood apple dust (WAD) and epoxy is developed using the hand lay‐up process. The impact of WAD filler on the physical and wear characteristics of epoxy‐based composites are examined. The composite samples are prepared by varying the weight content of WAD (0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 wt%). The composites are subjected to dry sliding wear testing in accordance with the L25 Taguchi design to calculate the specific wear rate (SWR). An optimum parametric combination of control factors is established for the composites to have the least amount of wear loss. The SWR of WAD/epoxy composites is also predicted using commercial finite element method (FEM) software ANSYS 2019 R2. The experimental findings are compared with the predicted wear rates of the composites. The results revealed that addition of WAD powder improved the wear resistance of the composites. A remarkable increase in tensile, compressive and flexural strength values of 34.79%, 10.12%, and 22.66% respectively, is observed. Neat polymer has tensile, compressive and flexural strengths of 48, 82, and 22.5 MPa respectively, and the values increased to 64.7, 90.3, and 27.6 MPa with addition of 12 wt% WAD. It is further observed that out of the four control factors the most influencing control factor affecting the wear rate of the composites in decreasing order are WAD content, sliding velocity, sliding distance, and normal load. Highlights: In this study a natural fiber‐based waste, wood apple dust (WAD) is successfully used as a potential filler material in epoxy matrix.Physical and mechanical properties of the epoxy‐WAD composites are analyzed.Effects of filler contents on the wear behavior are studied using design of experiment.The wear rate of WAD/epoxy composites is predicted using finite element method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article depicts the solid particle erosion wear behavior of the coconut shell dust-filled epoxy composites. The erosion wear behavior of the composites is evaluated by a solid erosion test rig according to Taguchi's design-of-experiment approach. The experiments are carried out by both sand and Al2O3 erodent. The study shows that the inclusion of coconut shell dust improves the erosion behavior of epoxy resin. The wear behavior analysis also reveals that erodent size, angle of impingement (B), and impact velocity (C) are the most significant factors in that sequence that influence the erosion rate of the composites. Further, computational fluid dynamics analysis (CFD) is implemented to study the temperature and velocity gradient of the composites under an erosive environment. The experimental results are validated with CFD simulation results, and both values are found to be in better agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the demand for needle-punched nonwoven fabrics has been increasing, especially in the areas of high-performance composites as reinforcement due to their potential of imparting high z -directional strength, easy resin absorption, light weight, and low cost. In this study, needle-punched nonwoven viscose fabric-reinforced epoxy composites are prepared by varying the area density of fabric mat (100 gsm, 200 gsm, 300 gsm, and 400 gsm) at constant fabric loading of 30 wt.%. The effects of area density on mechanical and slurry abrasion behavior of composites are studied under controlled laboratory conditions. It is observed that the mechanical properties and abrasive wear resistance under steady-state condition has been improved with the increase in area density of fabric mat. Furthermore, experimental design through Taguchi's L 1 6 orthogonal array is applied to find out the optimal parametric combination for minimum wear rate. It is also observed through the analysis that silica sand size and sliding velocity are the most influential factors for wear rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Linz‐Donawitz sludge (LDS) are the microsized solid particles that are recovered after wet cleaning of the gas emerging from basic oxygen furnace during steel making. This article reports on the development of a new class of thermoset polymer composites filled with this industrial waste called LDS. It includes processing, characterization and solid particle erosion wear of epoxy composites filled with different proportions (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 wt%) of LDS by solution casting technique. The solid particle erosion wear tests are performed on the prepared epoxy‐LDS composite specimens as per ASTM G76 using Taguchi's Orthogonal Arrays followed by the parametric appraisal of the wear process by Response Surface Methodology (RSM). A theoretical model is developed to estimate the erosion rate of these composites under different test conditions. The results obtained from the proposed theoretical model are found to be in good agreement with the experimental values under similar test conditions. Both Taguchi's analysis and RSM suggest that the filler content and the impact velocity are the most significant factors affecting the erosion rate of the composite specimens. POLYM. COMPOS., 39:E2283–E2297, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated steel plants in general produce large amounts of solid wastes during iron and steel making process. LD sludge or Linz–Donawitz sludge (LDS) are the fine solid particles recovered after wet cleaning of the gas emerging from LD convertors during steel making. In general 8 kg Linz–Donawitz sludge is generated per one ton of crude steel production. This solid waste can have many valuable product-oriented applications if processed economically. The common reuse methods for Linz–Donawitz sludge are recovery of metal values, recycling in sinter plant, and production of value-added products. But its use as filler in polymer composites is not yet established. This work includes the processing and characterization study of epoxy resin filled with micro-sized Linz–Donawitz sludge. Mechanical properties of the composites are evaluated under standard test conditions. Sliding wear tests are conducted using Taguchi’s L25 orthogonal arrays over a range of sliding velocities (36–315 cm/s), normal loads (5–25 N), sliding distances (500–2500 m), and Linz–Donawitz sludge contents (0–20 wt.%). A theoretical model is developed to estimate the wear rate of these composites under different test conditions. The results obtained from the proposed theoretical model are found to be in good agreement with the experimental values under similar test conditions. Taguchi’s analysis suggests that the composition of the composite and the sliding velocity are the most significant factors affecting the specific wear rate. This study further reveals that wear resistance of neat epoxy is enhanced by incorporation of micro-sized LD sludge particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]