Effect of Sunflower Seeds Husk, Peanut Shell Husk and Vegetable Oils on the Tribological Performance of Basalt Chopped Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Hybrid-Composites

Natural fiber and fillers in hybrid materials have been attracting extra attention of researchers during recent years for enhancing properties/behavior of polymer composites. Because of their lightweight, high thermal stability and safe environmental impacts sunflower husk and like fillers are proposed to improve the tribological performance of reinforced polymer hybrid composites in several studies by researchers and scientists. In the present work sunflower husk and peanut shell powder are used as natural fillers besides sesame and castor oils to improve the tribological performance of basalt fiber reinforced epoxy composites. Epoxy resin reinforced with 30% vol. basalt chopped fiber has been used for the purpose of enhancing mechanical strength, hardness, and stiffness of composites. Natural fillers and vegetable oils were added in a volumetric ratio up to 20 % interchangeably. Friction coefficient and wear rate of epoxy hybrid - composites were measured under dry sliding condition by means of Block-on-Ring (BOR) tribometer. Hardness was also investigated for the proposed polymer composites. Results show that friction coefficient of basalt reinforced epoxy hybrid –composite remarkably improved with adding of natural fillers as well as vegetable oils. For tribological applications that require low friction coefficient and high wear resistance, like solid lubricants or self-lubricated materials; epoxy hybrid-composites filled with 10 % peanut shell husk fillers as well as 10 % sesame oil have been recommended.