Effect of ceramic particles on the mechanical and tribological properties of short carbon fibre reinforced epoxy composites

In this investigation, an effort has been made to develop the short carbon fibre stiffened epoxy composites (CFSEC) mixed with multi-walled carbon nano-tubes (MWCNT) and silicon carbide particles (SiCp) using a compression moulding process. The content of MWCNT varied as 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%, and SiCp content was maintained at 10% by weight of the composite. The impact of the ceramic particles on mechanical characteristics such as hardness, tensile, flexural, and wear behaviour of CFSEC was investigated. For all the mechanical characteristics, the rise in the proportion of MWCNT in the composite has shown a significant improvement. The specific wear rate (SWR) and coefficient of friction (COF) of the composite were studied using the pin-on-disc tester. The wear parameters yielding the lowest SWR and COF were identified from the wear testing process parameters. The fractography analysis of tensile specimens was carried out using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).