Influence of Concentration of Aramid Fabric on Abrasive Wear Performance of Polyethersulfone Composites

Abstract

In this work, three composites of polyethersulfone (PES) containing Aramid (Kevlar 29) fabric with concentration 64, 72 and 83% (by weight) were developed by the compression molding technique. These composites were characterized for their mechanical and physical properties. The abrasive-wear performance of the composites was evaluated by abrading 1 × 1 × 1 cm³ samples against silicon carbide paper under various loads. The fabric reinforcement enhanced the abrasive-wear resistance of PES significantly (approximately 3–8 times depending on the operating conditions). It was observed that the 80% fabric composite showed the highest resistance to wear and impact along with the best tensile strength and elongation properties. Its flexural strength and ILSS value, however, were lowest. The 64% fabric composite, on the other hand, showed an exactly reverse trend among the three composites. Considering all the properties simultaneously, it was concluded that in the selected range of composites 72% fabric inclusion was the optimum for the best combination of tribological and mechanical properties. Ratner–Lancaster plots showed good linearity indicating that ultimate tensile strength and elongation to break were the prominent factors controlling the abrasive-wear behavior of the composites.