Investigation of mechanical, thermal, and tribological performance of activated carbon-glass/epoxy hybrid composites

The present study investigated activated carbon (AC) material, a biomass derivative, as a significant reinforcement for developing hybrid polymer composites for brake pad applications. Hybrid composites were manufactured using a simple hand lay-up technique utilizing different weight percentages of AC, silicon carbide, glass fiber (GF), and epoxy resin as constituents. This work investigated the mechanical performance, thermal stability, and wear properties of hybrid composites. Modifying composites with 2 % AC and 6 % glass fiber improved the tensile and flexural strengths by approximately 340 % and 206 %, respectively, compared to the neat epoxy. The thermogravimetric analysis suggested that incorporating AC contributed to the composites' thermal stability. Wear analysis suggested incorporating AC and GF strengthened composites for reducing two-body sliding wear. A 2 % AC and 6 % GF combination showed the maximum resistance against wear, with approximately 101 % less material loss than the pure epoxy. It also exhibited average coefficient of friction values in the range of 0.51 to 0.59 at different applied loads. The FESEM analysis of the fractured and worn surfaces of the composites revealed that fiber pull-outs and poor interfacial bonding are the primary phenomena responsible for the fracture of the composites.