Tensile and Wear Behaviour of Hybrid SiC-C Reinforced Epoxy Composites

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In this study, the wear and tensile behaviours of epoxy composites reinforced with SiC (silicon carbide) and C (carbon) were investigated. The influence of SiC and C reinforcement ratios and load parameters on the wear performance were systematically evaluated. The ultimate tensile load and deformation values were observed in neat epoxy samples. The incorporation of SiC and C particles adversely affected the tensile load of hybrid composite due to agglomeration of particles and weak bonding between filler and epoxy. When the SiC content was kept constant and the C content was increased, a noticeable improvement in the tensile load of the composite was observed. Conversely, when the C content was constant and SiC content was increased from 3% to 6%, the tensile load increased from 2053 N to 2409 N. Wear tests were conducted under two different loads (3N and 7N). The lowest coefficient of friction (COF) values were observed in epoxy composites reinforced with 6% SiC and 2% C due to protective layer formation on matrix surface by hard SiC particles and C particles. The addition of hard particles into the epoxy enhanced the wear performance of hybrid composites. SEM analysis of worn samples revealed that, surface deformations and material loss were more pronounced in the neat epoxy samples.