Experimental Investigations on Microstructure, Properties and Wear Behavior of Chopped Basalt Fiber and Molybdenum Disulfide Reinforced Epoxy Matrix Composites.

This study examined the impact of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) addition as a filler in epoxy composites reinforced with chopped basalt fibers (CBF), maintaining the basalt fiber content at a constant 40 wt. %. The investigation focused on physical, microstructural, mechanical, and sliding-wear properties. Testing revealed that tensile, impact, compressive, and flexural strengths improved with MoS2 content from 0 to 8 wt. %. However, at 12 wt. % loading, these properties declined due to uneven dispersion and particle agglomeration. An increase in hardness was observed with rising MoS2 content, with a maximum value of 98 HV at 16 wt. %. Wear testing was conducted using a Taguchi L16 orthogonal array, evaluating the effects of multiple parameters. The results indicated that MoS2 content had the most significant influence on wear rate (WR), followed by applied load (P) and sliding distance (D), while sliding velocity (V) had minimal impact on specific wear rate (SWR) and coefficient of friction (COF). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze wear mechanisms, and analysis of variance (ANOVA) confirmed the optimal conditions.