Erosion Resistance Enhancement in Epoxy Composites by Recycled Rubber: Effect of Rubber Type

ABSTRACT Epoxy‐based materials have low erosion resistance due to their brittle nature, and toughness modification stands out for enhancing it. At this stage, the use of waste rubber as a reinforcement component in the composite system is of interest due to its role in providing toughness and making recycling possible. This study aims to improve erosion resistance through recycled rubber reinforcement while also determining the effect of the rubber phase. For this purpose, waste rubber particles with different types and characteristics were evaluated. The rubber particles were characterized using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and rubber process analyzer (RPA). Rubber/epoxy composites were produced by the open‐mold method. Erosion tests were performed and erosion rates were measured. Neat epoxy exhibited the lowest erosion resistance, and all recycled rubber particle reinforcements increased it. The reductions in erosion rate were 5.3%–46.8%, depending on the waste composition. Natural rubber‐based waste particles with a relatively high modulus demonstrated superior performance among all. The morphological observations further supported the enhanced erosion resistance observed in the rubber/epoxy composites. It has been concluded that the appropriate selection of recycled rubber particles provides a significant contribution to the overall performance of epoxy along with to environmental sustainability.