Dry sliding wear characteristics of natural fibre reinforced poly-lactic acid composites for engineering applications: Fabrication, properties and characterizations

Natural fibre composites have emerged as a viable alternative to conventional polymer composites, after environmental concerns gain popularity. In recent years, a tremendous growth in the applications of natural fibre composites have been observed, particularly in the field of construction, as well as aerospace and automotive industries. The present study investigates the feasibility of developing a novel tribo-material by reinforcing biopolymer with easily accessible and inexpensive plant fibres from the surroundings. The fibres were treated chemically prior to fabrication. The injection molding process was used to fabricate laminated composites by incorporating three different kinds of fibres (sisal, banana, and bagasse) into Poly-lactic acid (PLA) matrix at 10% and 20% fibre concentrations. Wear properties of fabricated composites were studied on a digital display controlled pin-on-disc test rig. The test parameters under dry sliding conditions were sliding distance (1000–3000 m), sliding speed (2,4 and 6 m/s) and applied load (10 N). The experimental results depict that the incorporation of natural fibres improved tribological properties of neat PLA matrix. The worn surfaces of developed composites were examined using a scanning electron microscope to study the wear mechanism.