Experimental study on Abrasive wear behaviour of flexible green composite intended to be used as Protective Cladding for Structures

Abstract

In the present study, the influence of material and process parameters on the two body abrasive wear behavior of Jute-Rubber flexible composite is investigated using Taguchi s design of experiments (DOE). Three different stacking sequences of composite namely jute-rubber-jute (JRJ), jute-rubber-rubber-jute (JRRJ) and jute-rubber-jute-rubber-jute (JRJRJ) are considered and their wear behavior is evaluated using two body abrasion test with multi-pass condition for abrading distances of 0.4 m to 1.2 m in increments of 0.4 m and varied load of 9.81 N, 12.26 N and 14.71 N. Abrasive volume loss and specific wear rate as function of abrading distance are determined. The results from Taguchi s design of experiments show that for two body dry sliding wear situation, an abrading distance significantly affects the specific wear rate compared to load and composite configuration. However, volume loss is more and appreciable when jute fabric is exposed to abrasive medium rather than when the rubber is exposed. Surface morphology study is carried out using a scanning electron microscope to get an insight of wear mechanism of constituents of the flexible composite. Stretching of asperities results in wear of the rubber, whereas fiber breakage causes wear of the jute. Rubber being the dominating constituent of flexible composite results in providing better wear resistant properties and thus can act as a potential candidate for sacrificial structures to protect primary structures subjected to wear. International Journal of Modern Manufacturing Technologies.