Investigation of mechanical and tribological properties of epoxy resin samples reinforced with various thermoset wastes

Thermosets are a type of polymer material that does not change shape after production and is used in sectors such as automotive and electronics. Since thermosets do not soften when heated, they cannot be reshaped. For this reason, the recycling rates of thermosets are quite limited. In this study, the use of thermoset wastes as reinforcement elements in epoxy matrix was investigated. For this purpose, thermoset wastes with tensile strengths of 120 MPa and 85 MPa were pulverized and added into the matrix at rates of 3%, 6% and 9%. As a result, it was found that the best abrasion performance was achieved with 6% reinforcement in both thermoset reinforcements. According to the surface roughness measurement results, it was determined that the surface roughness values of all samples were in the range of 2,00 to 2,50 µm and that the surface roughness values decreased in reinforced samples compared to unreinforced samples. According to the hardness measurements, it was observed that the samples, especially those containing 9 grams of 120 MPa strength additive, had the highest hardness values in vacuum and non-vacuum conditions.