Erosion response analysis of waste marble dust reinforced kenaf-polyester composites

With polymer composites finding widespread applications as tribo-materials, it is becoming pertinent to study the responses of these composites in different working conditions and wear modes. In view of this, the present paper depicts the erosion wear behavior of a class of polyester-based hybrid composites. Such composites are fabricated using marble dust; a construction/industrial waste as the filler in short kenaf fiber reinforced polyester and the effects of these reinforcements on the erosion behavior of raw polyester are studied. Taguchi’s orthogonal array is used to ascertain the impact of different process parameters on the erosion wear rate of the composites. Erosion trials are conducted to study the effects of individual control factors on the erosion loss of the composites. It is found that the filler content and the impact velocity are the most significant factors affecting the wear rate. Micrographs of the worn composite surfaces taken using a scanning electron microscope are analyzed to determine the possible mechanisms causing the erosion loss. This work suggests that the incorporation of micro-sized marble dust particles helps in improving the wear resistance of the natural fiber composite to a great extent. It also opens up a new avenue for the utilization of kenaf fibers and waste marble dust in polymer composites.