Tribological performance of termite soil and coir reinforced epoxy composites under pin on disc wear conditions

Abstract

This study investigates the tribological performance of epoxy-based composites reinforced with coir fiber and termite soil using a pin-on-disc tribometer under controlled conditions. Two formulations were evaluated: Sample A (coir/epoxy), tested at a rotational speed of 239 rpm, and Sample B (termite soil–coir/epoxy), tested at 273 rpm. Experiments were conducted under normal loads of 5 and 10 N, a sliding velocity of 1 m s⁻¹, and a total sliding distance of 1800 m. At 5 N, Sample A exhibited progressive wear from 0.768 μm to 13.121 μm, whereas Sample B showed higher initial wear but a slower wear progression, reaching 41.963 μm. Under 10 N, Sample A experienced severe wear, increasing from 182.673 μm to 293.421 μm, indicating limited load-bearing capability. In contrast, Sample B demonstrated improved wear resistance, with wear increasing only from 0.942 μm to 2.844 μm. The coefficient of friction of Sample A decreased markedly with increasing load, while Sample B maintained relatively stable frictional behavior under both loading conditions. The enhanced tribological performance of Sample B is attributed to the synergistic effect of termite soil particles, which improve load transfer, interfacial bonding, and surface stability during sliding. These findings demonstrate that termite soil is an effective and environmentally sustainable reinforcement for epoxy composites, offering improved wear resistance and supporting the development of durable, resource-efficient engineering materials aligned with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 9, 12, and 13 through the utilization of renewable and naturally sourced reinforcements.