FRICTION REDUCTION AND WEAR RESISTANCE ENHANCEMENT OF ALUMINUM/EPOXY COMPOSITES

In this study, the effect of surface modification of aluminum powders on wear and the fracture mechanics behaviors of aluminum/epoxy composites was investigated. Aluminum powders were surface-modified with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane. Aluminum/epoxy composites were fabricated by the cast molding method using 10% wt. untreated and silane-treated aluminum powders. Tensile, Mode I fracture and wear tests were performed on both composites. The results showed that the tensile modulus and strength of silane-treated aluminum/epoxy composites were 20% and 30% greater, respectively than those of untreated aluminum/epoxy composites. The results also showed that the fracture toughness and wear resistance of silane-treated aluminum/epoxy composites were ~25% and ~75% greater than that of untreated aluminum/epoxy composites. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) examination showed that the improvement of tensile and fracture properties of silane-treated aluminum/epoxy composites were attributed to the improved dispersion and bonding of aluminum particles in the epoxy, due to the silanization of aluminum powders.