Mechanical and Tribological Behaviour of Nano Fly Ash Reinforced Hybrid Composites

Abstract

Polymers and polymer matrix composites with conventional reinforcements are finding an ever-increasing application as structural materials in various components and engineering systems. They find great potentials in industry as a class of important tribo-engineering materials, not just for ease in manufacturing and low unit cost, but also for their potentially excellent tribological performance in engineering forms. Nanotechnology is recognized as one of the most promising areas for technological development in the 21st century. It has changed our vision expectations and abilities to control the material world. In materials research, the development of polymer nanocomposites is rapidly emerging as a multidisciplinary research activity whose results could broaden the applications of polymers to the great benefit of many industries. It has been recognized that polymers (thermoplastics, thermosets or elastomers) that have been reinforced with small quantities (less than 5% by weight) of nano-sized particles having high aspect ratios (L/h > 300) can radically changed the properties. The term filler is very broad and encompasses a very wide range of materials which plays an important role for the improvement in performance of polymers and their composites. Filler materials are used to reduce the material cost, to improve the mechanical properties to some extent and in some cases to improve process ability. Besides, it also increases properties like abrasion resistance, hardness and reduces shrinkages. Therefore a judicious selection of matrix and the reinforcing phase can lead to a composite with combination of strength and modulus comparable or even better than conventional metallic materials. The physical and mechanical properties can further be modified by addition of a solid filler phase to the matrix body during the composite preparation. The present work explores the possibilities of using nano fly ash, (a ceramic rich industrial waste generated during burning of coal in thermal power plants) as a filler material innatural fiber reinforced epoxy hybrid composites. The mechanical and tribological behaviour of the developed composite with and without nano filler is studied and has been reported in this work.