Wear and friction behavior of composite materials reinforced with carbon fiber and Kevlar

The objective of this research work is to study the friction and wear of different laminated composites reinforced with carbon fiber and Kevlar in dry and lubricated conditions. Two different laminates were manufactured using the vacuum resin infusion process. One laminate was obtained using 10 layers of 0/90 degrees bidirectional carbon fiber and the other one was made with 10 layers of 0/90 degrees bidirectional kevlar fiber, a Epolam 2015 epoxy resin was used in both laminates. The samples of each laminated have dimensions of 15 x 15 x 3 mm thickness. The wear and friction tests were carried out with a self-manufactured experimental platform of reciprocating movement by ball-plane contact, using a load of 8 N, displacement of 8 mm and a frequency of 2 Hz to reach a duration of 3600 cycles. Tests were carried out at room temperature (similar to 25 degrees C) and at 150 degrees C. For lubricated tests an ISO 68 antifriction lubricant was used, which was supplied through an oil bath. A 4.75 mm diameter 52100 steel ball was used to generate friction and wear on the samples. From the results, in the tests that involved temperature, the friction and wear increased in both types of composite material. In general, the carbon fiber composite material showed better wear resistance compared to Kevlar. Finally, the use of these materials may be feasible in low contact stress applications such as gears, cylinders, etc.