Fatigue and wear performance of autoclave-processed and vacuum-infused carbon fibre reinforced polymer gears

Bergant, Zoran (author), Šturm, Roman (author), Zorko, Damijan (author), Černe, Borut (author)

This study focuses on investigating the fatigue and wear behaviour of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) gears, which have shown promising potential as lightweight and high-performance alternatives to conventional gears. The gears were fabricated via an autoclave process using an 8-layer composite made of T300 plain weave carbon fabric and ET445 resin and were tested in pair with a 42CrMo4 steel pinion and under nominal tooth bending stress ranging from 60 to 150 MPa. In-situ temperature monitoring was performed, using an infrared camera, and wear rates were regularly assessed. The result of the wear test indicates adhesive wear and three-body abrasion wear mechanisms between the CFRP gears and the steel counterpart. A finite element analysis was performed to examine the in-mesh contact and root stress behaviour of both new and worn gears at various loads and a specified running time. The results point to a substantial divergence from ideal meshing and stress conditions as the wear level is increased. The fatigue results indicated that the CFRP gears exhibited superior performance compared to conventional plastic and composite short-fibrous polymer gears. The described composite gear material was additionally compared with two other composite configurations, including an autoclave-cured T700S plain weave prepreg with DT120 toughened resin and a vacuum-impregnated T300 spread plain weave carbon fabric with LG 900 UV resin. The study found that the use of the T700S-DT120 resulted in additional improvements.

• Language: English
• Keywords: carbon fibre reinforced polymer, gears, fatigue, wear, finite element analysis, autoclave, vacuum infusion
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FS - Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: 24 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 15, iss. 7, art. 1767
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-145152
• UDC: 621.83:620.178.3
• ISSN on article: 2073-4360
• DOI: 10.3390/polym15071767
• COBISS.SI-ID: 148318211
• Publication date in RUL: 11.04.2023

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Polymers
• Shortened title: Polymers
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 2073-4360
• COBISS.SI-ID: 517951257

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: kompoziti iz ogljikovih vlaken, zobniki, utrujanje, obraba, analiza po metodi končnih elementov, avtoklav, vakuumska infuzija