Mechanical characterization and enhancing wear properties of Glass/Sisal/nAl2O3strengthened polymer matrix nanocomposites using hybrid optimization approach

Abstract

Numerous industries require high-performance composite materials, and glass/sisal fiber-reinforced composites are promising due to their mechanical features and ecological benefits. Composites typically limit mechanical strength, impact resistance, and extreme-condition durability. This investigation intends to examine the mechanical characteristics of hybrid glass/sisal fiber (GF/SF) with different weight proportions of nano Al₂O₃ (nAl₂O₃) fillers strengthened composites and to optimize their wear features using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS)-Principal Component Analysis (PCA) technique. The vacuum infusion method was employed to produce the nano hybrid composite materials. Porosity, Shore D hardness, tensile, flexural, and impact testing were carried out to evaluate the mechanical features of composites. Tribological tests were done using a pin-on-disc tribometer. The results demonstrate that the laminates with 2 wt. % n Al₂O₃ outperformed the other composites while GF/SF/0% nAl₂O₃ exhibits the lowest mechanical and wear characteristics. The GF/SF/2% nAl₂O₃ composite's better characteristics are due to less porosity and better bonding amid the matrix and fibers. The broken surface under tensile testing shows a brittle fracture with voids, fiber fracture, fiber pullout, and severe matrix delamination. The optimization results show that the best settings are the GF/SF/2%nAl₂O₃ nanocomposite, an axial load (AL) of 10 N, and a sliding velocity (SV) of 0.419 m/s_. The analysis of variance data illustrates that the composite material has the most impact, accounting for 33.58% of the obtained responses. The SV and AL were the next most significant variables, contributing 31.8% and 21.6%, respectively.