Sivakumar Sambath,
Rajasekar Rajendran,
Sabarish Rajagopalan,
- Research Scholar, School of Mechanical Engineering, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Associate Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Associate Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Abstract
Research into the mechanical and tribological characteristics of Prosopis juliflora-fiber reinforced epoxy-matrix composites with recycled tyre rubber particles is the focus of this investigation. Making use of old tire rubber and bio-reinforcing with fibers from the common invasive plant Prosopis juliflora are the goals of the two-reinforcement techniques. The end goal is to produce long-lasting, cost-effective engineered composite materials with improved performance. A constant epoxy resin matrix was used to make the composites, with the amounts of tyre rubber particles (TRP) and P. juliflora fibers (PJF) varied. Mechanical tests entailed bending and tensile strengths as well as impacting energy absorption. Tribology tests included measuring the coefficient of friction (COF) and the wear rate (pin-on-disc and slide wear). A small amount of PJF (10% by weight) was found to improve the tensile modulus by approximately 12% and the flexural modulus by about 15% when compared to plain epoxy, according to the results. A 15% increase in TRP resulted in a 25% improvement in impact absorption. In a test with a 20 N load and a rolling speed of 1 m/s, the hybrid composite consisting of 10% PJF and 15% TRP exhibited the best specific wear rate (about 0.85 × 10⁻⁶ mm³/N · m) and coefficient of friction (around 0.42). A scanning electron microscopy analysis of worn surfaces revealed that the rubber particles prevent cracks from occurring, the fibers reinforce the matrix, and a protective lubricious transfer film is formed, resulting in reduced friction. Composites made from a combination of recycled rubber and natural fibers and epoxy performed well in mechanical and tribological tests, according to the research. This contributes to the achievement of objectives for the environmentally friendly utilization of trash.
Keywords: Epoxy composites, Prosopis juliflora, natural fiber reinforcement, mechanical properties.
[This article belongs to Special Issue under section in Journal of Polymer & Composites (jopc)]
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Journal of Polymer & Composites
| Volume | 14 | |
| Special Issue | 04 | |
| Received | 22/07/2026 | |
| Accepted | 05/08/2026 | |
| Published | 12/08/2026 | |
| Publication Time | 21 Days |