Tribological characteristics of sustainable fibre reinforced thermoplastic composites under wet adhesive wear

Abstract

Friction and specific wear rate of sustainable kenaf fibre reinforced polyurethane composite were investigated against stainless steel counterface and under wet contact conditions. The new composites were evaluated at different applied loads (50 - 80 N), sliding distances (up to 2.7 km) and fibre mat orientations. Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the damage features on the worn surfaces. The results revealed that sustainable kenaf fibres assisted to enhance the wear and the frictional performance of the polyurethane thermoplastic composite by about 59%, and 90% respectively. Operating parameters and mat orientation controlled the wear and the frictional behaviour of the composite. Better wear performance was exhibited at high loads and when the fibre mats were oriented perpendicularly to sliding direction. The observations on worn surfaces revealed different features of damage such as micro-cracks, tearing of fibre, fibre detachment and delamination. However, there was no trace of fibre pull-out at all the tested conditions.