(6ck) Effect of Filler on Properties Bamboo Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites

Polymers have generated a wide interest in the engineering domain, including their tribological applications in view of their good strength and low density as compared to monolithic metal alloys. Being lightweight, they are the most suitable materials for weight sensitive applications, but their high cost becomes a limiting factor for commercial applications. However, by incorporating filler particles into the fiber reinforced composites, higher mechanical strength can be achieved along with the reduced material cost.Filler materials play an important role in determining the properties and behavior of the particulate Composites. In the present work, bamboo (untreated and alkali treated) fiber reinforced epoxy composites are fabricated using Cement By Pass Dust (CBPD) as filler material.  Mechanical and physical properties of both categories of the composites (untreated and treated bamboo) are measured and compared. Erosion test has been carried out to study the effect of various operational and material parameters on erosive wear behavior of these composites. In the experimental set-up, an air jet type erosion test rig has been used to carry out both the steady state and unsteady state erosion test. Taguchi’s orthogonal arrays are used for analysis of experiential results. It identifies significant control factors influencing the erosion wear and also outlines significant interaction effects. The findings of the experiments indicate that for untreated bamboo composites, impact velocity, stand-off distance, impingement angle and filler content are the most significant factors, while for the treated composites, impact velocity, stand-off distance, impingement angle and CBPD content emerge as the most significant factors in a declining sequence in affecting the wear rate. An optimal parameter combination is determined, which leads to minimization of erosion rate. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test has also been performed on the measured data and signal to noise (S/N) ratios to find the significance levels of factors.