EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION ON TRIBOLOGY AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FUNCTIONALIZED GRAPHENE AND MWCNTs REINFORCED EPOXY HYBRID NANOCOMPOSITES
Abstract
The development of epoxy-based hybrid nanocomposites reinforced with functionalized graphene and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has emerged as a promising strategy to enhance structural performance under combined mechanical and tribological characteristics. In this study, the tribological and mechanical characteristics of epoxy and its hybrid nanocomposites (EGpCn1–EGpCn5) was systematically evaluated under different loads, obtaining results that indicated a significant improvement in the wear resistance of the optimized formulations. Among all compositions, EGpCn3 demonstrated superior wear performance, exhibiting considerably lower material loss, smoother worn surfaces as well as evidence of nanofiller bridging and thin-film formation, which acted as protective layers against severe abrasive damage. Conversely, EGpCn5 revealed deep grooves, nanofiller bundles and pull-out regions, indicating poor dispersion and leading to accelerated wear degradation. Beyond tribological performance, the tensile properties of the hybrid nanocomposites also exhibited noteworthy enhancements, with EGpCn3 achieving the highest tensile strength of 69.12 MPa, corresponding to an almost 88 % increase over epoxy (36.71 MPa). This remarkable improvement can be attributed to strong interfacial adhesion, effective stress transfer and restricted crack propagation facilitated by the uniform graphene–MWCNT network. However, EGpCn5 again showed considerably lower tensile strength (27.12 MPa), where large voids, agglomeration and stepped fracture morphology confirmed the detrimental effect of poor nanofiller dispersion. Morphological examinations, using SEM, further demonstrated that the synergistic interaction of graphene and MWCNTs provided superior reinforcement by bridging microcracks, dissipating energy and enhancing load bearing capacity under both static and dynamic conditions.
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