LAUSR

The polymer composites show a remarkable improvement in their properties when compared to the virgin thermoplastic polymer materials, and it finds its application in several fields. In the current research work Polypropylene (PPE) was chosen as a thermoplastic matrix and Spheri Glass 3000 (SG3) as the filler. The SGE was added at 0, 1.25, 2.5 and 5 wt.% to PPE matrix. The processing of PPE and PPE/SGE was done using a twin screw extruder. Injection moulding was used for producing the test specimens. The processed PPE/SGE composites were characterised by X-ray diffraction, dispersion studies density, Melt Flow Index (MFI), Heat Deflection Test (HDT) and abrasive wear tests. The abrasive wear test by means of two-body abrasive test was carried out with input factors like (i) sample (0, 1.25, 2.5 and 5 wt.%), (ii) applied load (10, 20, 30, 40 N) and (iii) sliding velocity (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 m/s) under a constant sliding distance of 500 m. The influencing factors of the two-body abrasive wear tests were studied by Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Finally, the worn surface morphology of the abraded surface was studied using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM).