Sliding Wear Response of Human Beard Reinforced Epoxy Based Composites Filled with Ferrochrome Slag

The prospect of employing ferrochrome slag (an industrial waste) along with human hair (a natural fiber) in epoxy as a novel material for extended life exists. In this study an effort has been made to research the possible uses of human hair, which can be easily and cheaply discovered, for creating goods with additional value. Some industrial wastes ( ferro chrome slag), have been investigated for use as filler components in these composites. The goal of the current research is to understand how human hair reinforced epoxy composites with particulate fillers are developed, characterized, and worn over time. The mechanical properties of the composites are evaluated under normal test conditions. Testing for sliding wear is done using Taguchi's L9 orthogonal array design in order to estimate the influence of different process parameter on wear response of the fabricated composites. In accordance with Taguchi's experimental design, the fiber content and sliding velocity are the two factors that have the most significance on wear response of the developed PMCs. It was observed that the wear rate increases with an increase in sliding velocity, whereas it reduces with an increase in fiber content. This experiment reveals that presence of human beard along with ferro slag particles increase the wear resistance of normal epoxy. Keywords: Human Beard, Ferro-Chrome slag, PMCs, Mechanical Properties, Sliding Wear