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Materials Today: Proceedings 4 (2017) 7285–7292 www.materialstoday.com/proceedings

ICAAMM-2016

Friction and Wear Behaviour of Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer

Composite (GFRP) under Dry and Oil Lubricated Environmental
Conditions

Anay Aruna*, Kalyan Kumar Singhb

a,b
Department Of Mechanical Engineering, Indian School Of Mines, Dhanbad-826004, India

Abstract

This paper presents the friction and wears behaviour of GFRP (glass fibre reinforced polymer) composites fabricated by vacuum
bagging process. Composites were experimentally investigated under two different sliding environments, (a) Dry environment
and (b) Oil lubricated environment. Wear tests were conducted on a pin on disc type tribometer and steel as counter body with
variable parameters. Experimental results depict that coefficient of friction and wear rate is less in oil lubricated sliding when
compared with sliding in dry environment. In oil lubricated sliding, the coefficient of friction is reduced due to presence of softer
epoxy resin body matrix in between layers of glass fibres. It is proposed that the lubricant gets absorbed on steel surface and the
slight initial wear of the polymer also serves in effect as a “lubricant storage reservoir”, as a result the protruding glass fibres pick
up lubricant molecules to effectively avoid fibre to steel contact and ensure effective thin film lubrication. In the dry sliding
environment condition, images taken by FESEM shows that the rate of wear of composite increases due to increasing load and
high friction as a result they undergo bending at the ends.

© 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selection and Peer-review under responsibility ofthe Committee Members of International Conference on Advancements in
Aeromechanical Materials for Manufacturing (ICAAMM-2016).

Keywords: Tribology; Sliding Wear; Polymer Matrix Composite; Wear resistance.

*anay arun. Tel.:+919801044409.

E-mail address:anay07@rediffmail.com

2214-7853© 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selection and Peer-review under responsibility ofthe Committee Members of International Conference on Advancements in Aeromechanical
Materials for Manufacturing (ICAAMM-2016).
7286 Anay Arun,Kalyan Kumar Singh/ Materials Today: Proceedings 4 (2017) 7285–7292

1. Introduction

The researches with superior reinforcing fibres in a base of polymer or epoxy resin materials has emerged as a
low cost, easily shape able, composite material, that for several applications may be the best alternative amongst the
materials available due to superior characteristics such as high impact strength and amenability to low cost
manufacturing, having higher strength to weight ratio and also less cost. Thus various uses of composite materials
have emerged in automobile and aircraft industries e.g. cams, seals, shafts, gears, bushes, etc [1–3] and some of
these do require an understanding of their tribological characteristics also.
Even though the epoxy resin polymer reinforcement with fibres improves the tribological characteristics of epoxy
resins, occasionally it may make them poor as well [4]. Moreover, though a wide range of materials have been
manufactured till now, yet the glass-fibre-reinforced polymer (GFRP) category needs more and more research for
enhancing its usage in light of its promise in terms of engineering application capabilities. Some research have been
done regarding the sliding wear of GFRP composites [5-6].
Prior research by other investigators has shown that when the polymer resins are reinforced with glass, carbon or
other hybrid fibres, the wear rate of polymers sliding against steel is reduced. The performance is influenced by
parameters such as the matrix composition, amount, shape, size, the type and angle of orientation of the fibres, and
the testing parameters such as speed of sliding, load and temperature [7, 9, and 10]. To extend that prior work, the
present research is aimed at determining the effects of such parameters on wear rate of GFRP composite materials.
The wear behaviours of GFRP materials are experimentally evaluated under various normal loads, sliding velocities
and sliding conditions and lubricating media such as dry, oil-lubricated, inert gas.

2. Experimental Details

2.1 Materials used for GFRP

Plain weave glass fibre include E-glass fibres of diameter 12– 24 µm. GFRP is a good engineering material with
high impact strengths, mouldable, high strength to weight ratio which is desirable in commercial applications due to
lower cost.
2.2 Fabrication of GFRP
The GFRP composite plates having dimensions 270mm×320mm×4mm were prepared by the vacuum bagging
process (Fig. 1(a)). To attain 4 mm nominal thickness, eight layers of glass fabric were used. We used a stacking
sequence, [0◦/ ±45◦/ 90◦]s. Surface with 0◦ fibre orientation was used for sliding against the disc. Composite were
cured at room temperature for 48 hrs and was prevented from damage from external environment as a result the
excessive resin gets entrapped in textile material provided on both the ends. Finally the specimen pins were prepared
by gluing GFRP pieces of 8mm×8mm×4mm to aluminium pins of 8mm diameter (Fig. 1(b)).

Fig.1 a) Vacuum bagging process b) GFRP specimen glued with Al pins 8mm dia
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2.3 Tribological testing

Sliding Friction and wear tests were performed using pin on disc type tribological machine. Track diameter of
80mm and 100mm has been used for all the sets of experiments. The loads and sliding velocities varied from 30 N
to 100 N and 1.47 m/s to 3.66 m/s respectively. A complete distance of 0.88 km and 2.56 km was attained with two
different speeds and track diameter. All sets of experiments were conducted two times in the same manner and
average weight loss was taken for calculation of specific wear rate. It was absorbed during experiment that some of
the parameters such as increase in coefficient of friction, increase in disc temperature, mark of abrasion on disc,
noise generation at extreme load actually occurred.
Oil used for lubricating disc was SAE20 with kinematic viscosity of 25-30cSt at 50 ◦C. Prior to every
experiment disc surface was cleaned by rubbing a 600 grade Si6 emery paper and washed with acetone. Initially, 2
drops of lubricating oil was placed over sliding surface. Further oil was poured at 0.02ml/min. During inert gas
sliding Argon gas of purity higher than 99.99% was used. In experiment 0.025 bar pressure was applied at rate of
1.5lit/min. The fabric used in GFRP specimen was parallel to sliding surface and wrap fibres were parallel to sliding
direction. The specific wear rate was calculated using the equation,
K0 (mm3/Nm) = ∆m/ρLd (1)
Where ∆m is the weight loss in kg, ρ the density in kg/mm3, L the load in N and d the sliding distance in m(Table
1 &2).Coefficient of friction for different sliding conditions are shown in Table 3&4.

Table 1. Weight loss and specific wear rate for dry, oil lubricated environmental conditions sliding at 1.47 m/s( ρ=1.7842x10-6 kg/mm3 , N=350
rpm , ∆T=600sec , Track dia = 80 mm, v=1.47 m/s)

LOAD(N) WEIGHT LOSS WEAR RATE

Dry 30 N 2.1 2.11 x10-5
Dry 70 N 4.9 2.48 x10-5
Dry 100 N 8.1 2.99 x10-5
Oil 30 N 1.2 1.10 x10-5
Oil 70 N 2.3 1.52 x10-5
Oil 100 N 6.5 2.13 x10-5

Table 2. Weight loss and specific wear rate for dry, oil lubricated environmental conditions sliding at 1.47 m/s( ρ=1.7842x10-6 kg/mm3 , N=700
rpm , ∆T=600sec , Track dia = 100 mm, v=3.66 m/s)
LOAD(N) WEIGHT LOSS WEAR RATE
Dry 30 N 5.5 2.22 x10-5
Dry 70 N 15.3 3.04 x10-5
Dry 100 N 28.8 3.92 x10-5
Oil 30 N 2.5 1.23 x10-5
Oil 70 N 7.4 2.08 x10-5
Oil 100 N 15.5 2.53 x10-5

Table 3. Coefficient of friction for dry, oil lubricated environmental conditions sliding at 1.47m/s ( ρ=1.7842x10-6 kg/mm3 , N=350 rpm ,
∆T=600sec , Track dia = 80 mm, v=1.47 m/s)
LOAD(N) COEFFICIENT
OF FRICTION
Dry 30 N 0.200
Dry 70 N 0.220
Dry 100 N 0.410
Oil 30 N 0.060
Oil 70 N 0.068
Oil 100 N 0.140
7288 Anay Arun,Kalyan Kumar Singh/ Materials Today: Proceedings 4 (2017) 7285–7292

Table 4. Coefficient of friction for dry, oil lubricated environmental conditions sliding at 3.66m/s ( ρ=1.7842x10-6 kg/mm3 , N=700 rpm ,
∆T=600sec , Track dia = 100 mm, v=3.66 m/s)
LOAD(N) COEFFICIENT
OF FRICTION
Dry 30 N 0.200
Dry 70 N 0.230
Dry 100 N 0.370
Oil 30 N 0.068
Oil 70 N 0.088
Oil 100 N 0.132

3. Results and Discussion:

3.1. Coefficient of friction

The values of coefficient of friction attain are given in Table 3& 4, the stationary values attained at the
beginning of the experiment, i.e. no “running-in” were there. Obtained results of coefficient of friction are plotted in
Fig. 2 (a) & (b). The figure shows the deviations of coefficient of friction (average value at each experimental
situation) with load and velocity of sliding for three mediums under which the sliding had taken place for, the GFRP
composite. Generally, the coefficient of friction always increases if there is an increase in both load and velocity of
sliding and the highest value is attained for the argon inert gas, followed by dry sliding and then for oil-lubricated
sliding.
In GFRP composite the effect of sliding medium on the coefficient of friction does not relate significantly to the
angle of the fibres. The possible explanation is that the reinforced glass fibre is a woven cloth and the micro
structure of the glass is fundamentally amorphous. Furthermore, the wear debris generated due to rubbing in
between the contact surfaces also has been found to play a significant part.

Fig: 2 (a) Coefficient of friction at v= 1.47 m/s (b) Coefficient of friction at v=3.66m/s

3.2. Wear studies

3.2.1. Weight loss and Specific wear rate

Fig 3 and 4 shows the weight loss and specific wear rate. Normal load, lubricating medium, sliding distance,
and velocity of sliding are the main variables affecting the weight loss and wear rate. The effects of the normal load,
sliding speed and lubricating medium on the weight loss of GFRP composites are shown in fig 3&4. The weight loss
and specific wear rate in GFRP composite specimens was measured at 1.47 m/s and 3.66 m/s speeds and under 30N-
100 N loads on the selected lubricating medium. The weight loss for all the composite specimens normally increased
with the increase of normal loads at both of the constant sliding speeds of 1.47 m/s and 3.66 m/s. The GFRP
specimens demonstrated a lower coefficient of friction and lesser amount of wear in oil lubricated medium, as
 Anay Arun,Kalyan Kumar Singh/ Materials Today: Proceedings 4 (2017) 7285–7292 7289

compared with dry sliding environment. Due to this reason, the weight loss also becomes comparatively less
pronounced for the same sliding distance also.
Experimental results also showed that upon increase in velocity of sliding and normal load the temperature of
specimen also increases. From table 1& 2 it can be observed that the “loss of weight due to wear” is increased with
increase in sliding velocity and normal loads. During experiment it was observed that the specimen temperature had
also increased with increase in normal load. The epoxy matrix layer of the sample which had become more softened
attaining more depth i.e. softening to a greater depth in proportion to the increment in temperature, it was found that
the softened layers and the glass fibres embedded got more easily separated from the surface of the samples, and as
a result, the weight loss increased with an increase in load and sliding speeds, in all lubricating mediums, which
primarily due to thermal softening of GFRP matrix.
The decrease in specific wear rate with oil lubricated sliding is because of the transfer film formation over the
counter face of steel. It is a very well known fact that the behaviour of wear for a polymer sliding over a metallic
surface is greatly affected by its capability to produce a transfer thin film on the counter face [11-12]. Oil as a
lubricating material reduces the loss due to wear of composite material which is strongly dependent on the quality of
the transfer film and its adsorption on at least the metallic surface.

Fig 3: a) Weight loss at V= 1.47m/s b) Specific wear rate at V= 1.47m/s

Fig 4: a) Weight loss at V= 3.66 m/s b) Specific wear rate at V= 3.66 m/s
7290 Anay Arun,Kalyan Kumar Singh/ Materials Today: Proceedings 4 (2017) 7285–7292

3.2.2. FESEM analysis of worn surface

All the worn surfaces were studied by FESEM analysis primarily to understand and get insights into the process
of wear. Micrographs of surfaces of selected composites are shown in Fig. 5 at lower magnification (×300), and
shown those for all composites at higher magnification (×500).
The extent of these stages of fibre and matrix damage increased with increase in normal load on fibres and could
be well correlated with wear performance. It could be observed systematically that how wear thinning of fibres
(which is responsible for wear resistance of composites) diminished with increase in normal load and how fibre
fracture and random dispersion of fibre debris (which is responsible for lower wear resistance and higher coefficient
of friction on composites) increased with increase in normal load.

Fig 5: SEM Images under Dry condition, Load= 30N a) 500 X b) 300 X

Fig 6: SEM Images under Dry condition, Load= 70N a) 500 X b) 300 X

Fig 7: SEM Images under Dry condition, Load= 100N a) 500 X b) 300 X
 Anay Arun,Kalyan Kumar Singh/ Materials Today: Proceedings 4 (2017) 7285–7292 7291

Fig 8: SEM Images under Oil lubricated condition, Load= 30N a) 500 X b) 300 X

Fig 9: SEM Images under Oil lubricated condition, Load= 70N a) 500 X b) 300 X

Fig 10: SEM Images under Oil lubricated condition, Load= 100N a) 500 X b) 300 X

Fig. 5, Fig 6, Fig 7, Fig 8, Fig 9 & Fig 10 shows the SEM images of worn out composites reveals the actual
dislocation of fibre from the matrix. The worn out face of sample has irregular surfaces and large dimensions. With
increase in sliding distance, sliding speed and load there is increase in wear rate of composite, this is due to more
intimate contact between composite and steel disc. Increase in load leads to plastic deformation of the composite and
can lead to Delamination. Dislocation of fibres are less in case of oil lubricated sliding when compared with dry
sliding condition. As the load increases the morphology of composites changes from fine scratches to large grooves
and finally leads to crack.
7292 Anay Arun,Kalyan Kumar Singh/ Materials Today: Proceedings 4 (2017) 7285–7292

4. Conclusions:

After observing all the results obtained out of friction and wear experiments for the glass fibre reinforced
polymer (GFRP) composite taken into the experiments, the following conclusions can be drawn:
• The coefficient of friction of the composites tested was in the range of 0.2-0.94 sliding against steel under
two stated environmental conditions.
• Friction and wear behaviour of a GFRP composite material is highly affected by the normal loads, sliding
velocity and sliding medium. For all values of normal loads and sliding velocities studied, the obtained
values of coefficients of friction and wear rates for dry medium are greater as compared to oil-lubricated
sliding. The greater wear rates obtained in this case also are due to the significant role of the softened
component of epoxy resin due to higher heat generation.
• In oil-lubricated sliding the minimum value of coefficient of friction is obtained due to formation of a
transfer film layer. Further the soft debris are inserted among fibres in between the composite layers and
leads to reduced value of coefficient of friction.
• In dry sliding the values obtained for coefficient of friction are lying in between the other two medium
options. These are obtained because of a consecutive deposition of soft debris resulting to soften the
process of rubbing. The fibres undergo a slight bending at ends resulting in an easy shear effect. As a
consequence, lower values for wear rate are obtained.
• Oils with capacity to get adsorbed on mating surface i.e. the counter face material and thus forming a
transfer film give the best results and reduced wear rates.
•
Acknowledgements

I am thankful to Mechanical Engineering Department of The Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, India for
providing me the experimental support for carrying out the laboratory work.

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