SPECIFIC WEAR RATE OF EPOXY RESIN BASED COMPOSITES REINFORCED WITH NATURAL FIBERS AND UNI-AXIAL GLASS FIBERS FOR BIO MEDICAL APPLICATIONS

In recent times the concern for the environmental pollution and the prevention of non-renewable and non- biodegradable resources has promoted research in the field of green technologies, eco friendly, non polluting materials which can maximize energy and resource savings. In the present work Jute fibres reinforced with biaxial glass fibres in epoxy matrix, alongside Banana fibres reinforced with biaxial glass fibres in epoxy matrix and Flax fibres reinforced with biaxial glass fibres in epoxy matrix was prepared and mechanical properties were evaluated and compared for two weight fractions, the samples were prepared by using the hand lay-up process and applying pressure at room temperature. The samples were subjected to tribological testing was performed on the samples to investigate the wear properties and to suggest a material which could compete with synthetic materials and still be easily disposed. Results of wear test showed that with increasing reinforcement concentration the wear rate decreases but with increasing speed, sliding distance the wear increases, additional interesting observation was that banana hybrid composite showed less wear than all the other composites.