Exploring the Erosive Wear Resistance of Ipomoea staphylina Fiber Reinforced Composites: A Comparative Study with Epoxy, Vinyl Ester, and PLA Matrices

In this study, the erosive wear resistance of Ipomoea staphylina fiber-reinforced composites utilizing epoxy, vinyl ester, and PLA matrices was compared. The primary goal was to evaluate the performance of these composites under erosive conditions and offer insights into their potential applications. The investigation involved characterizing the mechanical properties of Ipomoea staphylina fibers and preparing and characterizing epoxy, vinyl ester, and PLA matrices. The composites were then fabricated using a specified process and erosive wear testing was conducted under controlled conditions. Post-testing microstructural analyses provided valuable insights into the failure mechanisms. The key findings indicate distinct erosive wear rates, with the epoxy-based composite exhibiting the lowest wear rate of 0.0025 mm3/mm2, outperforming the vinyl ester-based composite (0.0032 mm3/mm2) and the PLA-based composite (0.0048 mm3/mm2). Microstructural analysis revealed notable differences, such as superior fiber-matrix bonding in the epoxy composite (92%) compared to matrix cracking in the vinyl ester composite (78%) and pronounced fiber pull-out in the PLA composite (85%). These comparative results suggest that the enhanced interfacial bonding in the epoxy composite contributed to its superior erosive wear resistance, whereas the vinyl ester and PLA composites exhibited vulnerabilities in terms of matrix cracking and fiber pull-out, respectively. These findings provide valuable insights into the material selection for various engineering applications.