Physical and tribo-mechanical properties of waste rubber tyre/epoxy composites

Waste tyre rubber/epoxy composites were prepared with 15, 30 and 45 wt% of recycled waste tyre rubber (WTR) particles (size:100 mu m, 200 mu m, and 300 mu m) as fillers in the epoxy matrix by open moulding method followed by post-curing at elevated temperature. The physical, mechanical and sliding wear behaviour of the composites were investigated. Due to the addition of WRT filler in epoxy enhanced its sliding wear resistance and reduced the modulus of the composites. it is found that both the quantity and particle size of WTR influenced on wear rate. Addition of 15 wt% WRT filler enhanced the tensile strength of the epoxy composite, further addition WRT filler deteriorates the tensile strength. Also, investigated the structure-property correlation and observed no correlation between mechanical properties and specific wear rate of WRT/epoxy composites. The morphological study was performed on tensile fractured and on the worn-out surfaces. The investigation revealed that the recycled WTR particles could be used as fillers for epoxy composites and it has potential applications like flooring and anti-corrosion coating, as well as an electrical insulating.