Wear Characterization of Reinforced Polyurethane Composites Produced via Vacuum Casting

Abstract

In recent years, research relating to polyurethane has been growing because of the lightness, low cost, and favorable mechanical properties of this material. The increased usage areas of polyurethane in tribological systems make it very important to determine its wear behavior. This study focuses on the wear characterization of polyurethane composites reinforced with glass fiber, SiC, and Al2O3. The wear tests were carried out using a pin-on-disc test apparatus against an abrasive counter-face at different applied loads (5 and 10 N). Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the damage on the worn surfaces. The wear experiments clearly demonstrated that the reinforcement materials significantly affected the tribological properties of the polyurethane composites. In addition, it was observed that particle reinforcement was more effective than fiber reinforcement under experimental conditions. Consequently, polyurethane with glass fiber, SiC, and Al2O3 fillers would be a suitable candidate for use in tribological applications.