Abrasion resistance of cenosphere-reinforced thermoplastic composite for tribological applications

Abstract

An in-depth investigation was carried out into the abrasion resistance of cenosphere-reinforced polypropylene (PP) based on composites tailored for tribological applications, employing a systematic design of experiments (DOE) approach. Abrasive wear tests involving three bodies were conducted to assess the specific wear rates of various composite combinations, considering factors, such as filler percentage, abrasive distance, and applied load. According to the results, addition of cenosphere by 40% (by wt) results in enhancement of hardness by 8.08% compared to virgin PP. It is also found that adding cenosphere as filler to the suggested composite increases its abrasion resistance with specific wear rate reducing by 71.42–227.27% due to incorporation of cenosphere at different weight percentages. The most significant variable impacting the abrasive behavior of the suggested composites is identified using the statistical technique of Taguchi's L16 orthogonal array (OA). The statistical approach showed that the filler has the greatest impact on how easily the suggested composites will abrade. When experimental results are compared to the expected results, it can be seen that they are generally supportive of each other. Studies using scanning electron microscope (SEM) micrographs showed the dynamics of three-body abrasive wear and the underlying micro-processes that affected how well such composites wear. This detailed investigation highlights the potential of cenosphere-reinforced PP composites for enhanced wear resistance in tribological applications.

Graphical Abstract