Investigation of Drilling Performances, Tribological and Mechanical Behaviors of GFRC Filled with B4C and Gr

Abstract

In this study, the effects of Gr and B₄C filler materials on drilling performance, mechanical, and tribological behaviors of glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composites were experimentally investigated. Glass fiber-reinforced composite materials filled with B₄C and Gr at different weight ratios (5%, 10%, and 15%) were manufactured using hand lay-up method. The produced composite materials underwent various tests, including mechanical tests (tensile and flexural tests), tribological tests (wear behavior), and drilling tests under different parameters. Additionally, SEM images of the worn and fractured surfaces were examined. The addition of both B₄C and Gr fillers adversely affected the mechanical properties of glass fiber-reinforced composites. It was observed that tensile and flexural strengths decreased with increasing filler ratios. However, the addition of B₄C and Gr fillers enhanced the wear resistance of glass fiber-reinforced composites. It was revealed that in drilling operations, as the feed rate increased, the thrust forces increased, while the cutting speed increased, the thrust forces decreased. It was determined that delamination values in glass fiber reinforced composites decreased as the feed rate increase, while delamination values increased as the cutting speed increased. Generally, the thrust forces, vibration, delamination, and moment values obtained during the drilling of B₄C-filled glass fiber composites were found to be higher compared to Gr-filled glass fiber composites.