Optimization of Dry sliding Wear Performance of pongamia oil cake filled Basalt Epoxy Composites by Taguchi Approach

Abstract

The study finds a possible utilization of natural pongamia oil cake for developing a new vista in the incorporation of the oily nature of natural waste material into polymer matrix composites. The woven basalt fibres were reinforced within an epoxy matrix incorporated with distinct weight percentages of pongamia oil cake (up to 6wt. %) and composite samples were composed by using resin transfer moulding process. The experimentation has been carried out as per ASTM standard, according to L27 orthogonal array using Taguchi teqnique. The control variables such as sliding distance, applied load and sliding velocity and filler contents were chosen for this study. The results revealed that the addition of pongamia oil cake into basalt epoxy composites improved their wear resistance. Further, wear mechanisms was studied by using the scanning electron Microscope (SEM). The worn surfaces are characterized by fibre fracture, fibre pull out, matrix micro cracking and matrix with pongamia oil cake masking of fibres.