Influence of Filler Content on the Mechanical and Wear Properties of Hemp Filler Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composites

Natural fibre reinforced polymer matrix composites have gained significant importance due to their bio-degradable nature and sustainable availability. Hemp is one of the most widely researched natural fibres due to its appreciable mechanical and wear properties. Filler reinforced composites are found to solve the problems of delamination and fibre pull-out, as seen in fibre reinforced composites. This article focuses on the study of the mechanical and wear properties of hemp filler reinforced epoxy composites for 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5 wt percent filler loading. The hemp filler reinforced composites showed maximum tensile and flexural strengths at 7.5% of filler loading. A pin-on-disk (POD) tribometer is used to conduct a dry wear test against a flat steel surface. The input parameters for wear tests varied in load (5, 10 and 15 N), sliding speed 550 rpm and sliding distance 1000 m. Incorporation of less filler content and minimal load shows maximum wear resistance capacity compared to higher values of load and greater filler percentages in the composite. Neat epoxy shows better wear under low load, but as the normal load is increased, the wear resistance decreases.