DESIGN, FABRICATION AND EXPRIMENTAL ANALYSIS OF POLYMER

COMPOSITES

Polymer Matrix Composites are being increasingly employed as structural materials in civil,
military, aerospace, automotive and industrial applications where the weight reduction can
contribute toward saving in fuel and other materials. Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) is a
widely used thermoplastic. ABS polymers have a high toughness, satisfactory rigidity, and good
resistance to heat, chemical, and environmental stress cracking. Moulded articles with high
dimensional stability and good surface quality can be produced by simple processing technique.
It is essential to carryout investigations to characterize ABS thermoplastic composites for its
wear behavior for tribological applications. Hence it is required to correlate the influence of
percent weight and grain size of reinforcements to the wear rate and friction coefficient.

In this investigation, different test specimens are fabricated with extrusion and injection
moulding processes. Experiments are conducted on pure ABS thermoplastic composites and
Glass fibre (E-Glass) filled ABS test specimens using pin-on-disc equipment under dry sliding
condition condition to determine wear and frictional coefficient and to analyze the wear
characteristics from the above experimental results. Experiments are planned using design of
experiments technique and wear tests are conducted as per Taguchis orthogonal array (L27)
technique.

Objective of the Present Study

The following objectives have been benefit for this project work:
To design the pure ABS composite and ABS filled with Glass fibre. The designing process
and materials selected has to be in accordance with ASTM standards.
To prepare composites of composition such as matrix resin and filler percentages i.e. 0%, 3%
and 5%, 10% and 15% and fabricate the composites by extrusion and injection molding
processes.
To perform the mechanical behavior of the ABS matrix and filled with glass fibre.
To evaluate the tribological properties by using pin-on-disc equipment under dry sliding
conditions on all the above composite specimens to determine the wear and friction.
 Experiments are planned using Design of Experiments (DOE) technique and Wear tests are
conducted as per Taguchis orthogonal array on pure ABS, Glass fibre filled ABS under dry
sliding conditions.
Results can be analyzed using Minitab statistical software.
Besides the above all the objective is to develop new class of composites by incorporating Glass
fibre phases into ABS polymeric resin. Also this work is expected to introduce a new class of
polymer composite that might find tribological applications.

Methodology
In order to realize with the stated objectives, following methodology is adopted during the
present research work.
The required specimen for determining wear will be fabricated by Extrusion and Injection
molding processes are to be carried at GLS Polymers pvt Ltd, Peenya Indl area, Bangalore.
The mechanical behavior (Tensile, Hardness and Flexural) of the ABS matrix with different
filler percentages i.e., 0%, 3% and 5%, 10% and 15% composites will be carried at Brakes
India Pvt Ltd, Sundaram Polymer Division, Mysore.
The friction and wear tests will be carried at The Centre for Material Research, The National
Institute of Engineering, Mysore.
Screening wear tests are performed in ordered to establish the range of different tribological
parameters viz., load, sliding speed and sliding distance.
Experiments are planned using Design of Experiments (DOE) technique.
Wear tests are conducted as per Taguchis orthogonal array (L27) on pure ABS and Glass
fibre filled ABS under different test conditions.
Experimental results are to be analyzed by Minitab 14 statistical software, the tribological
behavior of pure ABS compared with Glass fibre filled ABS under dry sliding and lubricating
conditions.