Modeling the solid particle erosion of rubber particulate-reinforced epoxy

Despite the relatively high erosion resistance of elastomers, few studies have considered using them as reinforcements for polymer composites. This study investigated the erosion of rubber particle-reinforced epoxy composites by angular silicon carbide particles. The erosion rates were found to be significantly lower than the neat epoxy for all tested conditions. Using the erosion rates of the two constituents, a new mixture rule based on the reinforcement areal coverage predicted the erosion rates to within 0.5%-10% of those measured. The areal coverage depended on the reinforcement size and volume fraction and could be accurately predicted assuming a random reinforcement distribution. The methodology may be an effective tool for the prediction of the erosion rate of other composites with elastomeric reinforcements.