Mechanical and tribological properties of self-lubricating bio-based carbon-fabric epoxy composites made using liquid composite molding

Polymer composites reinforced with fibrous materials are used in several tribological and mechanical applications. In this study, the effect of carbon fiber as a reinforcement on the mechanical and tribological properties of a bio-based epoxy composite was investigated. The level of cure was investigated using DSC and the tribo-surfaces were studied using SEM micrographs. Use of carbon fibers with epoxy composites expectedly enhanced the bending strength and modulus of the composite. More importantly, the use of carbon fibers improved the tribological properties. Taguchi technique was employed in order to extract the data in a controlled situation in the experiments. Through the regression analysis equations, it was possible to predict the COF and volume loss as a function of these parameters. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.