Optimization of abrasive wear behaviour of halloysite nanotubes filled carbon fabric reinforced epoxy hybrid composites

Abstract

Abstract This research article presents the role of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) incorporated carbon fabric/epoxy under a dry sand three-body abrasive wear (D3BW) condition. HNTs filled carbon fabric/epoxy nanocomposites are structured by hand layup assisted by the vacuum bagging process. The experiments were planned using L16 Taguchi array. The load, abrading distance, and filler loading were considered as a controlling factor. Wear volume loss associated in D3BW with two different sand particles size (212 μm and 425 μm) were investigated. Post-wear surface morphology was observed under the scanning electron microscope, and micro-cutting, and micro-ploughing were predominant. Both 212 μm and 425 μm sand particles had a similar wear volume loss, but, the composites were wear-resistant towards the 425 μm sand particles. Based on the experimental results, analysis of variance and multi-linear regression models, the load, abrading distance, load + abrading and load + filler loading had considerable impact on the abrasive wear on the composites. However, the filler loading had no definite impact on the abrasive wear behaviour.