DRY SLIDING WEAR RESISTANCE OF AGED WOVEN CARBON AND GLASS FIBER-REINFORCED EPOXY MATRIX COMPOSITES IN DIFFERENT DEGRADATION ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

In this study, the dry sliding behavior of carbon/epoxy (CFRP) and glass/epoxy (GFRP) composites, aged for 30, 60, and 90 days in artificial seawater, engine oil, and diesel fuel environments, was experimentally tested and compared using the pin-on-disc method. The composites were manufactured using a vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) process, reinforced with RIM 135 epoxy polymer matrix, twill-woven glass fibers, and plain-woven carbon fibers. Wear tests were conducted following the ASTM G99-17 standard. AISI 52100 bearing steel, hardened to 65 HRC, was used as the abrasive disc, and the experiments were performed on a pin-on-disc wear testing device. The dry sliding behavior of the aged composites was examined under 10 N, 20 N, and 30 N loads using the pin-on-disc method. The results indicated that the lowest weight loss occurred in the diesel fuel environment, while the highest weight loss was observed in the engine oil environment. Furthermore, the seawater environment was found to have the least impact on the specific wear rate.