EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS OF NYLON 6 POLYMER MATRIX COMPOSITES MATERIAL FOR WEAR REDUCTION IN GEARS

The wear reduction material analysis of Nylon 6 polymer matrix composites material mixed in the ratio of (80:20) is presented in this paper. In recent Trends of advancement in gears, the Automobile industries have inclinations in developing composite materials for high durability, less replacement and low-cost. Several attempts were made in varying composition of polymer matrix composite at the cost of durability and ruggedness. A few researchers have landed up in Nylon 6 polymer matrix composites material of ratio 80:20 to increase the strength of the material and wear resistance. However, the reduction in wear is still a challenging issue. The present study focuses on developing 80:20 Nylon 6 Polymer matrix metal composites and analyzing the effect of various input process parameters namely process temperature and weight % of reinforcement (glass fiber) on the hardness, flexure and tensile strength and morphology of the material done with SEM test. It is observed on experimentation that mechanical properties of the nylon composites are significantly influenced by the weight percentage of glass fiber and 80% nylon + 20% composite shows the highest elastic modulus, yield strength and significantly improved tensile strength. These experimental results confirm the excellent wear reduction of the material that envisages for the better product life and less maintenance.