Tribological Properties of Cyperus pangorei Fiber-Reinforced Polyester Composites (Friction and Wear Behavior of Cyperus pangorei Fiber/Polyester Composites)

This paper investigated the tribological behavior of natural fiber-reinforced
polyester composites. The Cyperus pangorei (CP) fiber and polyester were
used as a reinforcement material and thermosetting matrix, respectively.
The composites were fabricated using compression molding technique with
40 wt% of CP fiber. Technological properties such as density, hardness, and
wear of the composite specimens were determined. The density and shore
D hardness of the prepared specimens were 1.0176 g/cc ± 0.106 and
87.25 ± 4.1, respectively. A pin-on-disk wear test machine was used to
conduct the dry sliding wear test with constant sliding distance; various
sliding velocities of 1, 2, and 3 m/s; and a range of contact pressure of
0.13–0.38 MPa. After the wear test, the surface roughness of worn specimens
was measured. The specific wear rate increased when the applied
load was increased on the specimen. A non-linear decrease in coefficient of
friction was observed with the combination of increasing contact pressure
and decreasing sliding velocity. The morphological analyses were carried
out using a scanning electron microscope for the worn specimens.