CHARACTERIZATION OF EPOXY RESIN REINFORCED WITH ECO-FRIENDLY VEGETABLE OILS

This work aims to study the mechanical and tribological properties of different epoxy composites are performed. The epoxy matrix was adopted in this work as a base material, while the eco-friendly vegetable oils (castor, palm and rocca) are performed as filler materials. The hardness values, stress-strain curve, friction coefficient, wear resistance and topography of worn surfaces, via optical 3D, are adopted via conducting the experiments. The results show that the hardness enhanced with 11.4% % with filling content 12.5wt. %of palm. The epoxy matrix dispersed with 12.5%, 10% and 10% for castor, palm and rocca, respectively, give the lowest friction coefficient and wear rate among the other compositions.