Tribological characteristics of natural fiber reinforced polyester hybrid composites

Abstract

In order to investigate the wear behavior and tooth damage of Madar and Bauhinia Racemosa fibers reinforced polyester, the composite gears were fabricated with varying the fiber weight percentages of 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%. This paper explores the rolling and sliding of the composite gears running against nylon gear with a simplified method of analyzing and understanding the wear and tooth damage. Tests were conducted without external lubrication over a range of loads 4Nm, 8Nm,12Nm and 16Nm using a gear test rig. The test results of composite gears are compared with unreinforced polyester gear (URPE). It was found that the surface temperature was the primary factor affecting the wear rate and an initial relationship between gear surface temperature and load capacity. This composite can be useful for automobile and industrial applications.