Mechanical and Tribological Behavior of Agave Lechuguilla Fiber-1 Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Abstract

The objective of this research is to investigate the feasibility of incorporating the natural fiber Agave Lechuguilla into polymer-based composites as a reinforcing material. The potential of these fibers for usage in tribological applications has not yet been explored. Various weight percentages (10, 20, 30, and 40wt.%) of short fibers were incorporated as reinforcement within an epoxy polymer resin for the production of composite materials. The tensile and bending strengths, as well as the abrasive wear behavior, of the fabricated composites were investigated. The experimental findings suggest that adding Agave Lechuguilla fiber into epoxy significantly improves the material's mechanical and wear characteristics. The composites containing 30wt.% Agave Lechuguilla fiber have optimal mechanical properties and abrasion resistance. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) was utilized to examine the fractured and worn areas of the composites in order to identify the underlying failure causes.