Assessment of Tribological Behaviour of Flax/Bagasse Composites Using GRA Based Statistical Studies

A combined Taguchi-grey Relational Analysis (GRA) has been used to improve the wear resistance of Flax, Bagasse and Epoxy F-B-E composites that have been treated with NaOH. The study investigates Dry sliding wear behaviour using Taguchi's L27 orthogonal array experimental design in compliance with ASTM G99 standards. Additionally, this study assesses the influence of independent variables such as usual load (2N,3N,4N), Sliding velocity (1m/s,2m/s,3m/s) and proportion of fibers (F75-B25, F50-B50, F25-B75) on the wear behaviour of epoxy resin reinforced with flax and bagasse powder composites, adopting a statistical methodology. Composite samples were made by hand layup technique using an epoxy resin mixed with flax fiber and bagasse powder. Dry sliding wear tests were done in a pin-on-disc setup, with adherence to Taguchi’s experimental design L27. This means scheming the “Signal-to-noise” (S/N) ratio and performing analysis of variances (ANOVA) to identify the optimal factors to minimize the wear rate to 98.30%. A better wear resistance rating was obtained from a composite material created by epoxy reinforced with 25% flax and 75% bagasse. Regression analysis's multi-response rate was 98.57%. The results showed that A1 (Load), B1 (Sliding Velocity), and C3 (Fibre Content Percentage) produced the best outcomes for wear rate and co-efficient of friction. The observed composite specimens were the primary variable influencing the wear rate, with sliding velocity and normal load also being major factors. ANOVA on the grey relational grade (GRG) showed that sliding velocity was the most important factor affecting how well the F-B-E composites resist wear.