Adhesive wear of thermoplastic composite based on kenaf fibres

Abstract

In this work, adhesive wear and frictional characteristics of thermoplastic treated kenaf fibre-reinforced polyurethane (T-KFRP) is investigated. The T-KFRP composite was tested against stainless-steel counterface using a block-on-disc apparatus. The effects of applied loads and sliding distance on the wear and frictional performance of the composite were studied. In addition to that, the fibre orientation, parallel orientation, anti-parallel orientation (AP-O), and normal orientation with respect to the sliding direction on the composite performance were considered. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the damage features on the worn surface of the composite. Adhesive wear results revealed that T-KFRP (in AP-O) has a high degree of wear resistance compared to neat polyurethane. SEM observations showed different wear mechanisms such as fibre detachment, pitting, delaminating, and micro-cracks.