Improvement in the mechanical and tribological behavior of epoxy matrix with the inclusion of synthesized Ti 3 AlC 2 MAX particles

Abstract

This study has investigated the mechanical and tribological performance of epoxy composites filled with different contents of Ti₃AlC₂ MAX phase particles. The Ti₃AlC₂ particles were synthesized by the mechanical alloying of Ti, Al and C powders. The ultrasonic blending was used for preparing the mixture of Ti₃AlC₂ and epoxy matrix. The Vickers microhardness and pin on disc tests were carried out to investigate the mechanical and wear properties of samples, respectively. Moreover, the fracture and worn surface of the samples were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy images. Results showed that the microhardness values were increased due to increasing the content of Ti₃AlC₂ in the epoxy matrix. In this regard, the highest value of 39.24 Hv was achieved for composites containing 0.75 wt.% Ti₃AlC₂, which corresponds to the 75.4% improvement in microhardness value, compared to neat epoxy. Moreover, wear results demonstrated that the friction coefficient and wear rate values were decreased by the addition of Ti₃AlC₂ particles in the epoxy matrix.