Final Report

Performance Analysis Of Epoxy Resin Based Composite Leaf Spring With E-Glass Fiber
CONTENTS
SR. No. Description
INTRODUCTION 1.1 Overview of composites 1.2 Merits & Demerits of Composite 1.3. Scope of the project
Page No.
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LITERATURE SURVEY 2.1 Objectives of the Present Work MATERIALS AND METHODS 3.1. Introduction 3.2. Characterization of the Composites 3.3. Processing of the Composites
RESULTS & ANALYSIS 4.1 Result & Discussion 4.2. Design Parameter for Composite Leaf Spring 4.3. Design of experiments
CONCLUSIONS 6.1. Scope for Future Work REFERENCES
ABSTRACT LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

FEM FEA GFRP Finite Element Method Finite Element Analysis Glass Fiber Reinforced Polymer
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E G e P M
Modulus of Elasticity Modulus of Rigidity Stress Poissons Ration Strain Applied load Material
CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 General
In order to conserve natural resources and economize energy, weight reduction has been the main focus of automobile manufacturers in the present scenario. Weight reduction can be achieved primarily by the introduction of better material, design optimization and better
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manufacturing processes. The suspension leaf spring is one of the potential items for weight reduction in automobiles as it accounts for 10% - 20% of the unsprung weight. This achieves the vehicle with more fuel efficiency and improved riding qualities. The introduction of composite materials was made it possible to reduce the weight of leaf spring without any reduction on load carrying capacity and stiffness. Since, the composite materials have more elastic strain energy storage capacity and high strength to weight ratio as compared with those of steel, multi-leaf steel springs are being replaced by mono-leaf composite springs. The composite material offer opportunities for substantial weight saving but not always be cost-effective over their steel counterparts. Fiber-reinforced polymers have been vigorously developed for many applications, mainly because of the potential for weight savings. Other advantages of using fiber-reinforced polymers instead of steel are: (a) the possibility of reducing noise, vibrations and ride harshness due to their high damping factors; (b) the absence of corrosion problems, which means lower maintenance costs; and (c) lower tooling costs, which has favorable impact on the manufacturing costs [1]. Springs are crucial suspension elements in cars, necessary to minimize the vertical vibrations, impacts and bumps due to road regularities[2]. The functions of the suspension springs for an automobile are to maintain a good control stability and to improve riding comfort due to composite design and manufacturing, complications arise; for example, the change from relatively isotropic-homogeneous steel alloys to anisotropic in homogeneous fiber reinforcement plastic has not yet been achieved [3 & 4]. The behavior of steel leaf spring is non linear, relatively high weight, and change in solid axle angle due to weight transfer specially during cornering of vehicle, that will lead to over steer and directional instability under such situation it is very difficult for driver to control vehicle, these are some defect of metallic leaf spring so considering automobile development and importance of relative aspect such as fuel consumption, weight, riding quality, and handling, so development of new material is necessary in the automobile industry. Recently, graphite and carbon fiber demonstrate its superiority over other composite material however due to cost and availability limitation the present work restricted to leaf spring made up of glass fiber and Epoxy resin. Many papers were devoted to find spring geometry. The recently vehicle such as Ford, and Volvo buses are using leaf spring made up of carbon fiber as it gives good advantage but
costly. So in this select glass fiber and general purpose resin for spring material on the basis of cost factor and strength.
1.1. Overview of composites

Composite materials (or composites for short) are engineering materials made from two or more constituent materials that remain separate and distinct on a macroscopic level while forming a single component. There are two categories of constituent materials: matrix and reinforcement. At least one portion of each type is required. The matrix material surrounds and supports the reinforcement materials by maintaining their relative positions. The reinforcements impart their special mechanical and physical properties to enhance the matrix properties. The primary functions of the matrix are to transfer stresses between the reinforcing fibers/particles and to protect them from mechanical and/or environmental damage whereas the presence of fibers/particles in a composite improves its mechanical properties such as strength, stiffness etc. A composite is therefore a synergistic combination of two or more micro-constituents that differ in physical form and chemical composition and which are insoluble in each other. The objective is to take advantage of the superior properties of both materials without compromising on the weakness of either. The synergism produces material properties unavailable from the individual constituent materials. Due to the wide variety of matrix and reinforcement materials available, the design potentials are incredible. Composite materials have successfully substituted the traditional materials in several light weight and high strength applications. The reasons why composites are selected for such applications are mainly their high strength-toweight ratio, high tensile strength at elevated temperatures, high creep resistance and high toughness. Typically, in a composite, the reinforcing materials are strong with low densities while the matrix is usually a ductile or tough material. If the composite is designed and fabricated correctly it combines the strength of the reinforcement with the toughness of the matrix to achieve a combination of desirable properties not available in any single 3 conventional material. The strength of the composites depends primarily on the amount, arrangement and type of fiber and /or particle reinforcement in the resin. They are: a) Metal Matrix Composites (MMC) b) Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMC) c) Polymer Matrix Composites (PMC)
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a) Metal Matrix Composites Metal Matrix Composites have many advantages over monolithic metals like higher specific modulus, higher specific strength, better properties at elevated temperatures, and lower coefficient of thermal expansion. Because of these attributes metal matrix composites are under consideration for wide range of applications viz. combustion chamber nozzle (in rocket, space shuttle), housings, tubing, cables, heat exchangers, structural members etc. b) Ceramic matrix Composites One of the main objectives in producing ceramic matrix composites is to increase the toughness. Naturally it is hoped and indeed often found that there is a concomitant improvement in strength and stiffness of ceramic matrix composites. c) Polymer Matrix Composites Most commonly used matrix materials are polymeric. The reason for this are twofold. In general the mechanical properties of polymers are inadequate for many structural purposes. In particular their strength and stiffness are low compared to metals and ceramics. These difficulties are overcome by reinforcing other materials with polymers. Secondly the processing of polymer matrix composites need not involve high pressure and doesnt require high temperature. Also equipments required for manufacturing polymer matrix composites are simpler. For this reason polymer matrix composites developed rapidly and soon became popular for structural applications. Composites are used because overall properties of the composites are superior to those of the individual components for example polymer/ceramic. Composites have a greater modulus than the polymer component but are not as brittle as ceramics. Two types of polymer composites are: Fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) Particle reinforced polymer (PRP) Fiber Reinforced Polymer Common fiber reinforced composites are composed of fibers and a matrix. Fibers are the reinforcement and the main source of strength while matrix glues all the fibers together in shape and transfers stresses between the reinforcing fibers. The fibers carry the loads along their longitudinal directions. Sometimes, filler might be added to smooth the manufacturing process, impact special properties to the composites, and reduce the product cost. Common fiber reinforcing agents include asbestos, carbon / graphite fibers,
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beryllium, beryllium carbide, beryllium oxide, molybdenum, aluminium oxide, glass fibers, polyamide, natural fibers etc. Similarly common matrix materials include epoxy, phenolic, polyester, polyurethane, polyetherethrketone (PEEK), vinyl ester etc. Among these resin materials, PEEK is most widely used. Epoxy, which has higher adhesion and less shrinkage than PEEK, comes in second for its high cost. Particle Reinforced Polymer Particles used for reinforcing include ceramics and glasses such as small mineral particles, metal particles such as aluminium and amorphous materials, including polymers and carbon black. Particles are used to increase the modules of the matrix and to decrease the ductility of the matrix. Particles are also used to reduce the cost of the composites. Reinforcements and matrices can be common, inexpensive materials and are easily processed. Some of the useful properties of ceramics and glasses include high melting temp., low density, high strength, stiffness; wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. Many ceramics are good electrical and thermal insulators. Some ceramics have special properties; some ceramics are magnetic materials; some are piezoelectric materials; and a few special ceramics are even superconductors at very low temperatures. Ceramics and glasses have one major drawback: they are brittle. An example of particle reinforced composites is an automobile tire, which has carbon black particles in a matrix of poly-isobutylene elastomeric polymer. Polymer composite materials have generated wide interest in various engineering fields, particularly in aerospace applications. Research is underway worldwide to develop newer composites with varied combinations of fibers and fillers so as to make them useable under different operational conditions. Against this backdrop, the present work has been taken up to develop a series of PEEK based composites with glass fiber reinforcement and with ceramic fillers and to study their response to solid particle erosion. The composite materials have got a widely applications in all cutting-edge ranges of advanced materials as aeronautics, automotives, boats, sports parts and medical devices. As a general definition, the composite material has more versions, and ones of them can be as a material composed by the combination of two or more materials: a reinforcing element and a compatible resin binder (matrix) to obtain specific characteristics and properties. The roles of matrix in composite materials are to give shape to the composite part, protect the reinforcements to the environment, transfer loads to reinforcements and toughness of
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material, together with reinforcements. The aims of reinforcements in composites are to get strength, stiffness and other mechanical properties, dominate other properties as coefficient of thermal extension, conductivity and thermal transport. 1.2. Merits & Demerits of Composites Advantages of composites over their conventional counterparts are the ability to meet diverse design requirements with significant weight savings as well as strength-to-weight ratio. Some advantages of composite materials over conventional are as follows:
Tensile strength of composites is four to six times greater than that of steel. Improved torsional stiffness and impact properties. Lower embedded energy compared to other structural metallic materials like steel, aluminum etc. Composites are less noisy while in operation and provide lower vibration transmission than metals. Composites are more versatile than metals and can be tailored to meet performance needs and complex design requirements. Long life offer excellent fatigue, impact, environmental resistance and reduce maintenance. Composites enjoy reduced life cycle cost compared to metals. Composites exhibit excellent corrosion resistance and fire retardancy. Improved appearance with smooth surfaces and readily incorporable integral decorative melamine are other characteristics of composites. Composite parts can eliminate joints / fasteners, providing part simplification and integrated design compared to conventional metallic parts. Broadly, composite materials can be classified into three groups on the basis of matrix material.
Such as Demerits of composites are the followings: Cost of materials Long development time Low ductility Temperature limits
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Solvent or moister attack Hidden damages and damage susceptibility
1.2.3 E-Glass/Epoxy Data Sheet

Key Characteristics Specific Gravity Rockwell Hardness (.50) Tensile Strength (.125) LW CW Compressive Strength, Flatwise (.50) Flexural Strength (.062) LW CW --ASTM D-638 ASTM D-695 ASTM D-790 Test Method Units - English (SI) lb./in. (g/cc) M Scale psi (MPa) psi (MPa) psi (MPa) Typical Values 0.064 (1.77) 99 43,000 (296) 39,000 (269) 44,000 (303) 66,000 (455) 60,000 (413) 3,400 (23,442) 3,300 (22,753) 19,000 (130) 9.5 7.5 960 1,000 66 65
Flexural Modulus (.062) LW CW Shear Strength, Perpendicular (.062) IZOD Impact Strength LW CW Dielectric Strength (.062) Condition A D-48/50 Breakdown Voltage (.062) Condition A D-48/50
ASTM D-790 ASTM D-732 ASTM D-256 ASTM D-149 ASTM D-149
ksi (MPa) psi (MPa) ft.-lbs./in. Notched V/mil kV
1.3 Composites Applications The advanced composite materials can be used for applications demand high strength, high stiffness, or low thermal conductivity, which substituted many aerospace , aircrafts, automotives, marines, constructions parts by metal with these composites . Advanced composites contained materials such as carbon/graphite, boron or aramid fibers in an organic resin matrix used by aerospaces industries. The special properties of these materials, examples lightweight, stiffness and strong materials are used from aircraft structures to automotive and trucks parts, from spacecraft to printed circuit boards, sports equipment, such as: the gamut for boat hulls and hokey shine guards, advanced composite hinge for retractable arm of space shuttle. Carbon/graphite-reinforced composites are used in many applications, which required thermal stability, high temperature strength, good ablation characteristics and insulating capability.
Graphite fibers are used in place where required greater strength and higher thermal conductivity, have six times the tensile strength of carbon fibers. Carbon fibers are used in rocket nozzle thoughts and ablation chambers, because of them physically stability and elevated temperature. In generally, the composite materials can change with success the metal parts in diverse application, for example will be analysis the altering of slide bearing of bimetallic material from machine tools with bearing of composites, by used the finite element analysis (FEA). 1.4. Scope of the project 1. The basic aim of the present work is to develop and characterize a new class of composites material with a polymer called epoxy-Resin as the matrix and glass fiber as the reinforcing material. 2. Their physical and mechanical characterization is done. 3. Vibrational behavior of this new class of composites is investigated in this project work. Deflection is performed on the composites material for leaf spring application. 4. This work is expected to introduce a new class of functional polymer composites suitable for tribological & suspension applications. 1.3.1 Historical background
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE SURVEY

This chapter outlines some of the recent reports published in literature on composites with special emphasis on erosion wear behavior of glass fiber reinforced polymer composites.
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Polymers have generated wide interest in various engineering fields including tribological applications, in view of their good strength and low density as compared to monolithic metal alloys. Being lightweight they are the most suitable materials for weight sensitive uses, but their high cost sometimes becomes the limiting factor for commercial applications. Use of low cost, easily available fillers is therefore useful to bring down the cost of component. Study of the effect of such filler addition is necessary to ensure that the mechanical properties of the composites are not affected adversely by such addition. Available references suggest a large number of materials to be used as fillers in polymers [5]. The purpose of use of fillers can therefore be divided into two basic categories; first, to improve the mechanical, thermal or tribological properties and second, to reduce the cost of the component. There have been various reports on use of materials such as minerals and inorganic oxides, such as alumina and silica mixed into widely employed thermoplastic polymers like polypropylene [6,7] and polyethylene [8,9]. But very few attempts have indeed been made to utilize cheap materials like industrial wastes in preparing particle-reinforced polymer composites. A key feature of particulate reinforced polymer composites that makes them so promising as engineering materials is the opportunity to tailor the materials properties through the control of filler content and matrix combinations and the selection of processing techniques. A judicious selection of matrix and the reinforcing solid particulate phase can lead to a composite with a combination of strength and modulus comparable to or even better than those of conventional metallic materials [10]. Hard particulate fillers consisting of ceramic or metal particles and fiber fillers made of glass are being used these days to dramatically improve the wear resistance of composites, even up to 9 three orders of magnitude [11]. The improved performance of polymers and their composites in automobile applications by the addition of particulate fillers has shown a great promise and so has lately been a subject of considerable interest. Various kinds of polymers and polymer matrix composites reinforced with metal particles have a wide range of industrial applications such as heaters, electrodes [12], composites with thermal durability at high temperature [13] etc. These engineering composites are desired due to their low density, high corrosion resistance, ease of fabrication, and low cost [14, 15]. Similarly, ceramic filled polymer composites have been the subject of extensive research in last two decades. According to Roberts and M. INST B.E.(1954), there is no exaggeration to say that springs are the life blood of modern civilized life, for without springs the great development
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which has taken place in engineering and mechanical science would have been impossible. Simple everyday actions, such as the latching or locking of a door, or turning on an electric light, are controlled by springs. Springs are essential for working of clocks, watches, gramophone, wireless, the intricate mechanism of automatic telephone, and the gigantic printing presses and weaving looms. Modern travel would be impossible without springs, many thousands of different types being used in bicycles, motor cycles, cars and aircraft. Springs are unlike other machine/structure components in that they undergo significant deformation when loaded; their compliance enables them to store readily recoverable mechanical energy. It is well known that springs, in general, are designed to absorb and store energy and then release it. Hence, the strain energy of the material and the shape become a major factor in designing the springs (Al-Qureshi, 2001). In a vehicle suspension, when the wheel meets an obstacle, the springing allows movement of the wheel over the obstacle and thereafter returns the wheel to its normal position (i.e. to be resilient). The elliptic composite springs described by Mallick (1987) represents the first step in introducing fiber reinforced composite elliptic springs for automotive applications. Mechanical performance and failure modes of composite elliptic spring elements under static load conditions were also reported. Key design parameters, such as spring rate and failure load were measured as a function of spring thickness. Nowadays, the industrial vehicles have to reduce their tare weight and to improve safety as well as life expectancy; one solution to this is the replacement of steel springs with composite. As stated by Sardou and Djomseu (2000), there are three ways to introduce composite on vehicle suspension. The first is to take away a metal leaf spring and put in place a composite leaf spring. Second is to design a composite axle doing anti roll as well as spring and guidance task. The last one is to design a metal suspension and to use composite spring only for its vehicle properties. First
and second solutions design the composite to carry a complex job of wheel control and suspension spring. The task is rather complex for composite and end up with a relatively small benefit in weight and cost, on top of that suspension quality is relatively poor. However, in the field of vehicle suspension, the industry looks for a cost effective composite spring with minimum mass capable of resisting corrosion and possessing a high degree of durability. Therefore, the automobile industry has shown increased interest in the replacement of steel springs with composite springs especially glass fibre composites rather than others such as carbon fiber due to the cost factor.
Testing of Steel and Composite Mono Leaf Spring [23]

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The steel and composite leaf springs are tested in the Leaf spring test rig. The experimental set up is shown in Figs.2 (a) and (c). The leaf springs are tested following standard procedures recommended by SAE. The spring to be tested is examined for any defects like cracks, surface abnormalities, etc. The spring is loaded from zero to the prescribed maximum deflection and back to zero. The load is applied at the centre of spring; the vertical deflection of the spring centre is recorded in the load interval of 50N.
Fig.2.4 (a) Static test of steel leaf spring
Fig. 2.4 (b) Static test of composite leaf spring.
The optimum values for the design variables, constraints and leaf spring weight obtained through the GA process. The obtained GA results were compared with experimental data. Results comparison of load, deflection and stresses are shown in Table 2. These optimum values obtained through the GA is shown in Table 3 and illustrated in Fig. 3 to 7.
Table 2.7 Comparison results of load, deflection and stresses
The weight of the composite leaf spring can be reduced by 53.5% from 38.8 N to 18.04 N by applying the GA optimization technique. Composite mono leaf spring reduces the weight by 85% for E-Glass/Epoxy over conventional leaf spring. The reduction of 93%weight is achieved by replacing conventional steel spring with an optimally designed composite mono-leaf spring.
From the results, it is observed that the composite leaf spring is lighter and more economical than the conventional steel spring with similar design specifications
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The study demonstrated that composites can be used for leaf springs for light weight vehicles and meet the requirements, together with substantial weight savings As stated by Sardou and Djomseu (2000), there are three ways to introduce composite on
vehicle suspension. The first is to take away a metal leaf spring and put in place a composite leaf spring. Second is to design a composite axle doing anti roll as well as spring and guidance task. The last one is to design a metal suspension and to use composite spring only for its vehicle
properties. First and second solutions design the composite to carry a complex job of wheel control and suspension spring. The task is rather complex for composite and end up with a relatively small benefit in weight and cost, on top of that suspension quality is relatively poor. However, in the field of vehicle suspension, the industry looks for a cost effective composite spring with minimum mass capable of resisting corrosion and possessing a high degree of durability. Therefore, the automobile industry has shown increased interest in the replacement of steel springs with composite springs especially glass fibre composites rather than others such as carbon fiber due to the cost factor.
Accourding To Gulur Siddaramanna Shiva Shankar, Sambagam Vijayarangan Received 20 June 2005; Accepted 07 April 2006 (19)
The development of a composite mono leaf spring having constant cross sectional area, here the stress level at any station in the leaf spring is considered constant due to the parabolic type of the thickness of the spring, has proved to be very effective.
The study demonstrated that composites can be used for leaf springs for light weight vehicles and meet the requirements, together with substantial weight savings. The 3-D modeling of both steel and composite leaf spring is done and analysed using ANSYS. A comparative study has been made between composite and steel leaf spring with respect to weight, cost and strength. The analytical results were compared with FEA and the results show good agreement with test results. From the results, it is observed that the composite leaf spring is lighter and more economical than the conventional steel spring with similar design specifications. Adhesively bonded end joints enhance the performance of composite leaf spring for delamination and stress concentration at the end in compare with bolted joints.
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Composite mono leaf spring reduces the weight by 85 % for E-Glass/Epoxy, 91 % for Graphite/Epoxy, and 90 % for Carbon/Epoxy over conventional leaf spring.
As per M. M. Patunkar & D. R. Dolas Modelling and Analysis of Composite Leaf Spring under the Static Load Condition by using FEA (20) Under the same static load conditions deflection and stresses of steel leaf spring and composite leaf spring are found with the great difference. Deflection of Composite leaf spring is less as compared to steel leaf spring with the same loading condition. Conventional steel leaf spring was found to weigh 23 Kg. whereas E-Glass/Epoxy mono leaf spring weighs only 3.59 Kg. Indicating reductions in weight by 84.40% same level of performance. Conventional Leaf spring show failure at eye end only. At maximum load condition also Composite Leaf Spring shows the minimum deflection as compared to Steel Leaf Spring. Composite leaf spring can be used on smooth roads with very high performance expectations. However on rough road conditions due to lower chipping resistance failure from chipping of composite leaf spring is highly probable. As per J P Hou, J-Y Cherruault, G Jeronimidis and R Mayer (25) A new design of the doubleleaf spring has been presented in this paper. Static tests show that the springs can carry safely the specified 150 kN maximum load. The composite double-leaf spring has similar static stiffnesss to the steel spring that it replaces. A dedicated shaker rig has been used to collect valuable information on the dynamic response of the real system under various load conditions. Results have shown that the system at tare load needs more damping to ensure a smoother ride. Finite element predictions of stiffness, strain, and dynamic responses of the spring agree well with the experimental results. This gives confidence in the use of finite element method for the design of composite springs and for performance predictions. Results from FEA also show that the bottom leaf can maintain the gross vehicle mass in the case where the top leaf fails by delimitation. This mode of failure is a safe one, as the eye end remains intact. Investigation of composite leaf spring in the early failed to yield the production facility because of inconsistent fatigue performance and absence of strong need for mass reduction. Researches in the area of automobile components have been receiving considerable attention now. Particularly the automobile manufacturers and parts makers have been attempting to reduce the weight of the
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vehicles in recent years. Emphasis of vehicles weight reduction in 1978 justified taking a new look at composite springs. The development of a lite flex suspension leaf spring is first achieved. Based on consideration of chipping resistance base part resistance and fatigue resistance, a carbon glass fiber hybrid laminated spring is constructed. A general discussion on analysis and design of constant width, variable thickness, and composite leaf spring is presented. Recent developments have been achieved in the field of materials improvement and quality assured for composite leaf springs based on microstructure mechanism. All these literature report that the cost of composite; leaf spring is higher than that of steel leaf spring. Hence an attempt has been made to fabricate the composite leaf spring with the same cost as that of steel leaf spring. Material properties and design of composite structures are reported in many literatures. Very little information are available in connection with finite element analysis of leaf spring in the literature, than too in 2D analysis of leaf spring. At the same time, the literature available regarding experimental stress analysis more. The experimental procedures are described in national and international standards. Recent emphasis on mass reduction and developments in materials synthesis and processing technology has led to proven production vehicle equipment. A lot of research has been done on natural fiber reinforced polymer composites but research on coconut based polymer composites is very rare. Against this background, the present research work has been undertaken, with an objective to explore the potential of coconut fiber polymer composites and to study the mechanical and wear characterization of different composites. 2.1 Objectives of the Present Work The objectives of the project are outlined below.
Fabrication of glass fibre reinforced epoxy resin based hybrid composite with filler content. Where we change the percentage of glass fiber. Evaluation of mechanical properties (tensile strength, flexural, hardness, impact strength etc.) The present work is to design, fabricate and experimental testing and analysis of composite spring made up of E-glass fiber, epoxy resin & Hardner with constant width and thickness throughout its length.
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CHAPTER-3 . MATERIALS AND METHODS

3.1. Introduction This chapter describes the details of processing of the composites and the experimental procedures followed for their characterization and process evaluation. The raw materials used in this work are 1. E-glass Fiber 2. Dubeckot 520F Epoxy resin 3. Resin hardener 3.2 Material selection Materials constitute nearly 60%-70% of the vehicle cost and contribute to the quality and the performance of the vehicle. Even a small amount in weight reduction of the vehicle, may
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have a wider economic impact. Composite materials are proved as suitable substitutes for steel in connection with weight reduction of the vehicle. Hence, the composite material have been selected for leaf spring design. 3.2.1 Fibres Selection The commonly used fibers are carbon, glass, keviar, etc.. Among these, the glass fiber has been selected based on the cost factor and strength. The types of glass fibers are C-glass,Sglass and E-glass. The C-glass fiber is designed to give improved surface finish.S-glass fiber is design to give very high modular, which is used particularly in aeronautic industries. The E-glass fiber is a high quality glass, which is used as standard reinforcement fiber for all the present systems well complying with mechanical property requirements. Thus, E-glass fiber was found appropriate for this application. 3.2.2 Resins Selection In a FRP leaf spring , the inter laminar shear strengths is controlled by the matrix system used . since these are reinforcement fibers in the thickness direction , fiber do not influence inter laminar shear strength. Therefore, the matrix system should have good inter laminar shear strength characteristics compatibility to the selected reinforcement fiber. Many thermo set resins such as polyester, vinyl ester, azpoxy resin are being used for fiber reinforcement plastics(FRP) fabrication . Among these resin systems, epoxies show better inter laminar shear strength and good mechanical properties. Hence, epoxide is found to be the best resins that would suit this application. different grades of epoxy resins and hardener combinations are classifieds , based on the mechanical properties. Among these grades , the grade of epoxy resin selected is Dobeckot 520 F and the grade of hardener used for this application is 758. Dobeckot 520 F is a solvent less epoxy resin. Which in combination with hardener 758 cures into hard resin . Hardener 758 is a low viscosity polyamine. Dobeckot 520 F , hardener 758 combination is characterized by

Good mechanical and electrical properties Faster curing at room temperature Good chemical resistance properties
3.3 PROPERTIES OF E-GLASS / EPOXY COMPOSITE By considering the property variation in the tapered system improper bonding and improper curing, etc. some constant of property value are reduced from calculated values using
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equations. The material properties for E-glass / Epoxy composite for 60% of fiber volume is given below: 3.3.1 PROPERTIES VALUES Tensile modulus along X direction (Ex),MPa 14000 Tensile modulus along Y direction (Ey),MPa 6030 Tensile modulus along Z direction (Ez),MPa 1530 Tensile strength of the material,MPa 800 Compressive strength of the material,MPa 450 Shear modulus along XY direction(Gxy),MPa 2433 Shear modulus along YZ direction(Gyz),MPa 1600 Shear modulus along ZX direction(Gzx),MPa 2433 Flexural modulus of the material,MPa 40000 Flexural strength of the material,MPa 1000 Poisson ratio along XY direction(NUxy) 0.217 Poisson ratio along YZ direction(NUyz) 0.366 Poisson ratio along ZX direction(NUzx) 0.217 3.4 Characterization of the Composites 3.4.1 Density The theoretical density of composite materials in terms of weight fraction can easily be obtained as for the following equations given by Agarwal and Broutman [26].
Where, W and represent the weight fraction and density respectively. The suffix f, m and ct stand for the fiber, matrix and the composite materials respectively. The composites under this investigation consists of three components namely matrix, fiber and particulate filler. Hence the modified form of the expression for the density of the composite can be written as
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Where, the suffix p indicates the particulate filler materials. The actual density of the composite, however, can be determined experimentally by simple water immersion technique. The volume fraction of voids in the composites is calculated using the following equation:
3.4.2 Micro-hardness measurement Micro-hardness measurement is done using a Leitz micro-hardness tester. A diamond indenter, in the form of a right pyramid with a square base and an angle 1360 between opposite faces, is forced into the material under a load F. The two diagonals X and Y of the indentation left on the surface of the material after removal of the load are measured and their arithmetic mean L is calculated. In the present study, the load considered F = 24.54N and Vickers hardness number is calculated using the following equation.
and
Where F is the applied load (N), L is the diagonal of square impression (mm), X is the horizontal length (mm) and Y is the vertical length (mm). 3.4.3 Tensile and flexural strength The tensile test is generally performed on flat specimens. The commonly used specimens for tensile test are the dog-bone type and the straight side type with 14 end tabs. During the test a uni-axial load is applied through both the ends of the specimen. The ASTM standard test method for tensile properties of fiber resin composites has the designation D 3039-76. The length of the test section should be 200 mm. The tensile test is performed in the universal testing machine (UTM) Instron 1195 and results are analyzed to calculate the tensile strength of composite samples. The short beam shear (SBS) tests are performed on the composite samples at room temperature to evaluate the value of flexural strength (FS). It is a 3-point bend test, which generally promotes failure by inter-laminar shear. The SBS test is conducted as per ASTM standard (D2344- 84) using the same UTM. Span length of 40 mm and the cross head speed of 1
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mm/min are maintained. The flexural strength (F.S.) of any composite specimen is determined using the following equation.
Where, L is the span length of the sample. P is the load applied; b and t are the width and thickness of the specimen respectively. 3.4.4 Physical and mechanical properties The theoretical and measured densities of all composite samples along with the corresponding volume fraction of voids are presented in Table 3. It may be noted that the composite density values calculated theoretically from weight fractions using Eq. (2) are not in agreement with the experimentally determined values. The difference is a measure of voids and pores present in the composites. 3.5 Processing of the Composites E-glass fibers are reinforced with Dubeckot 520F Epoxy resin, chemically belonging to the epoxide family is used as the matrix material. Its common name is Bisphenol A Diglycidyl Ether. The low temperature curing epoxy resin and corresponding hardener are mixed in a ratio of 10:1 by weight as recommended. The epoxy resin and the hardener are supplied by Ciba Geigy India Ltd. E-glass fiber and epoxy resin has modulus of 72.5 GPa and 3.42GPa respectively and possess density of 2590 kg/m3 and 1100kg/m3 respectively. weight fraction of glass fiber in the composite) is kept at 50% for all the samples. The castings are put under load for about 24 hours for proper curing at room temperature. Specimens of suitable dimension are cut using a diamond cutter for physical characterization and other test. The material used as coarsely woven E-glass fiber having density 400 gsm. and Glass fiber chopped stand mat (175-450 gsm) which gives maximum tensile strength, toughness and low cost. The resin selection was main factor because it influences the economy of leaf spring for reducing prize,. The resin used as Dobeckot 520 F. The hardener 758 is used with this resin. (general purpose resin) the prepared matrix it consist of 10:1 mass ratio the mass ratio of resin to hardener to fiber were calculated for each weight percentage composite based on size of mold, desired thickness of composite and density of fiber and epoxy. Each. % wt prepared in separate jar. In order to facilitate wetting of fibers and epoxy resin with pot life of 2 h is selected.
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3.4 Composite fabrication Preparation of mould:- Material used as Plywood. The mold was fabricated as per desired dimension. Arc length = 1160mm. length of mould= 1010mm, width= 45mm, arc height at axle=120 mm. The constant cross section design which ensures the fiber pass continuously without interruption along length direction, which is advantageous to fiber reinforced structure. The glass fiber were cut to desired length, so that they can be deposited on mold layer- by layer during fabrication of composite leaf spring. Apply the wax/gel.. Prepare the solution of resin & Place the first layer of glass fiber chopped mat on mould followed by epoxy resin solution over mat. Wait for 5-10 min. Repeat the procedure till the desired thickness was obtained. The duration of the process may take up to 25- 30 min. And finally remove the leaf spring from mould.
Fig. 3.1: Prepared specimen of composite leaf spring
Fig. 3.2: Graph Load vs Deflection
Testing of composite & steel leaf spring are takes place on UTM . Various specification of UTM are as follows:- Make:- Heico New Delhi Model No.:- HL 9C:10 Capacity:- 20 ton Least weight- 10 kg. Maximum weight- 5 ton Dial gauge least count:-0.01mm
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CHAPTER-4
EXPERIMENTAL METHODOLOGY
4.1 EXPERIMENTAL SETUP Move the plunger up to desired height so that we can fix the fixture and leaf spring for test. Fix the position of fixture. On the fixture place the specimen. Set the universal testing machine. Apply the loads in steps of 20 kg gradually. Note down the deflection readings.
Table-4.1 Deflection between composite and steel leaf spring Leaf Spring STEEL Experimental 94 Analytical 89.17 [FEA] -
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Performance Analysis Of Epoxy Resin Based Composite Leaf Spring With E-Glass Fiber COMPOSITE 95 104.85 96.962
4.4 Stress analysis by using Ansys 10.0 Software The element SHELL 99, SOLID 46 are the best suited for modeling of composite material. SHELL 99 is an 8 node, 3D shell element with six degree of freedom at each node. The advantage of SOLID 46 is that we can stack several elements to model more than 250 layers. Here selected element was SOLID 46.
Table 4.2 Stress analysis of composite and steel leaf spring Leaf Spring STEEL COMPOSITE Experimental 220.18 220.18 Analytical 220.18 220.18 [FEA] 247.172
4.5 Performing a Static Analysis The procedure for a static analysis consists of these tasks: 1. Build the Model 2. Define Parameters The parameters for building the composite leaf spring are as followsYoung's modulus is 11.9 GPa (EXX) value is 11900 MPa, Poison ratio is 0.217 XY(PRXY) value is 0.217 Length of cantilever beam =505mm, Width of cantilever beam.= 45mm, Height of cantilever beam. = 30mm 3. Stacking Sequence of Layers. The stacking sequence of layer are shown fig having unidirectional fibre with stacking angle of zero.
Table.4.3 Weight Comparison Leaf Sprig Type Weight Steel 13.4 (with eye) Composite 2.365 (without eye)
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Fig. 4.1: Finite element model of composite leaf spring.
Fig. 4.2: Mesh model of composite leaf spring
Fig. 4.3: Stacking sequences of layers.
Fig. 4.4: Mesh model with application of load
Fig. 4.5: Deflection along y-direction
Fig. 4.6: Deflection along x-direction
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Fig. 4.7: Deflection along z-direction
Fig. 4.8: Stresses along x-direction
CHAPTER-5 Result & Discussion 5.1 Background

Result & Discussion The performance of existing steel leaf spring was compared with the fabricated composite leaf spring. Testing has been done for unidirectional E-Glass/Epoxy mono composite leaf spring. Since the composite leaf spring is able to withstand the static load, it is concluded that there is no objection from strength point of view also, in the process of replacing the conventional leaf spring by composite leaf spring. Since, the composite spring is designed for
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same stiffness as that of steel leaf spring, both the springs are considered to be almost equal in vehicle stability. The major disadvantages of composite leaf spring are sometimes breaking of fibers. When composite leaf spring hit by stone then there is chances of breaking of fibers. This may result in a loss of capability to flexural stiffness. But this depends on the condition of the road. In normal road condition, this type of problem will not occur.
5.10 Summary:-
CHAPTER 6
CONCLUSIONS
This analytical and experimental investigation into the erosion behavior of E glass-epoxy Resin hybrid composites leads to the following conclusions:
1. This work shows that successful fabrication of a glass fiber reinforced epoxy composites
with and without filler by simple hand lay-up technique.

2. These composites using Filler have adequate potential for tribological and Automobile
applications. 1. The composite leaf spring is designed according to constant cross-section area method.
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2. The 3-D model of the composite leaf spring is analyzed using Ansys 10.0 Software. 3. Static test has been conducted to predict the stress and displacement at different locations for various load value. 4. The results of the Analysis by ansys software are verified with the test results. 5. A comparative study has been made between composite and steel leaf springs with respect to weight, riding quality, cost and strength. 6.1. Scope for Future Work
1. This study leaves wide scope for future investigations. It can be extended to newer
composites using other reinforcing phases and the resulting experimental findings can be similarly analyzed.
2. Stress evaluation of E glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin composite has been a much less
studied area. There is a very wide scope for future scholars to explore this area of research. Many other aspects of this problem like effect of fiber orientation, loading pattern, weight fraction of ceramic fillers on wear response of such composites require further investigation.
REFERENCES
1. Beardmore,P.(1986). Composite structure for automobiles. Composite Structure,5(3), Pg. no.163-176 2. Rajendran,I.,&Vijayarangan,S.(2001). Optimal design of a composite leaf spring using genetic algorithms. Computer & Structure, 79 (11) , Pg. no. 1121-1129 3. Mallick PK. Composite engineering handbook. New York: Marcel Dekker; 1997. 4. Sardou A, Patricia D. Light and low cost composite compression C springs for vehicle suspension. SAE 2000:2000-012000-0100. 5. Katz H.S., Mileski J.V. Handbook of Fillers for Plastics, (1987), November 30, A Von Nostrand Reihold book.
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6. Mareri P. Bastide S. Binda N.; Crespy A. Mechanical Behaviour of Polypropylene Composites Containing Fine Mineral Filler: Effect of Filler Surface Treatment, Composites Science and Technology, 58(6), (1998) Pg. no. 747-752. 7. Jrvel, P. A. and Jrvel, P. K. Multi-component compounding of polypropylene, Journal of Materials Science, 31(14), (1996), Pg. no. 3853-3859. 8. Rusu, M, Sofian, N, Rusu,D. Mechanical and thermal properties of zinc powder filled high density polyethylene composites,Polymer testing, 20(44),(2001) Pg. no.409-417. 9. Stefan Barta , Jozef Bielek, Peter Dieska, Study of thermo physical and mechanical properties of particulate composite polyethylene-CaCO3, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 64(8) , (1997), Pg. no. 1525 1530. 10. Jang, B. Z. Advanced Polymer composites: principles and applications. ASM International, (1994). 11. Gregory, S. W, Freudenberg K. D, Bhimaraj, P and Schadler, L.S.. A study on the friction and wear behavior of PTFE filled with alumina nanoparticles, Wear, 254, (2003): Pg. no. 573 580. 12. Jung-il, K., Kang, P.H and Nho, Y.C.. Positive temperature coefficient behavior of polymer composites having a high melting temperature, J Appl Poly Sci., 92, (2004): Pg. no. 394401. 13. Nikkeshi, S, Kudo, M and Masuko, T. Dynamic viscoelastic properties and thermal properties of powder-epoxy resin composites, J Appl Poly Sci, 69, (1998):2593- Pg. no.8. 14. Zhu, K and Schmauder, S. Prediction of the failure properties of short fiber reinforced composites with metal and polymer matrix, Compute Mater Sci. 28, (2003): Pg. no.7438.34 15. Tavman, I H. Thermal and mechanical properties of copper powder filled poly (ethylene) composites, Powder Technol, 91,(1997): Pg. no. 6367. 16. Al-Quershi HA. Automobile leaf springs from composite materials. J Mater Process Technology 2001; 108: Pg. no. 5861 17. Shokrieh M, Rezaei D. Analysis and optimization of composite leaf spring. Composite Structure 2003; 60:Pg. no.317325. 18. Senthil kumar and Vijayarangan, Analytical and Experimental studies on Fatigue life Prediction of steel leaf soringand composite leaf multi leaf spring for Light passanger veicles using life data analysis ISSN 1392 1320 material science Vol. 13 No.2 2007.
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19. Shiva Shankar and Vijayarangan Mono Composite Leaf Spring for Light Weight Vehicle Design, End Joint, Analysis and Testing ISSN 1392 Material Science Vol. 12, No.3, 2006. 20. Niklas Philipson and Modelan AB Leaf spring modelling ideon Science Park SE-22370 Lund, Sweden 21. Zhian Yang and et al Cyclic Creep and Cyclic Deformation of High-Strength Spring Steels and the Evaluation of the Sag Effect:Part I. Cyclic Plastic Deformation Behavior Material and Material Transaction A Vol 32A, July 2001-Pg. No.1697 22. Muhammad Ashiqur Rahman Inelastic deformations of stainless steel leaf springsexperiment and nonlinear analysis Meccanica Springer Science Business Media B.V. 2009 23. G.S.Shivashankar1, S.Vijayarangan2, D.Rajiv3, R.Pradeep3 Genetic Algorithm Based Optimal Design of Mono Composite Leaf Spring and Testing PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore-641004, India e-mail: rajiv_damodar@rediffmail.com 24. Rajendran, I., Vijayarangan, S. Design and Analysis of a Composite Leaf Spring Journal of Institute of Engineers India 82 2002: pp. 180 187. 25. J P Hou, J-Y Cherruault, G Jeronimidis and R Mayer The Journal of Strain Analysis for Engineering Design 2005 40: 497 26. ANSYS Inc: ANSYS Users Manual, Rev. 1995, 5.2-Vol. I IV, Houston, PA.
APPENDIX A
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Performance Analysis Of Epoxy Resin Based Composite Leaf Spring With E-Glass Fiber

CONCLUSIONS 6.1. Scope for Future Work REFERENCES

ABSTRACT LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

1.1. Overview of composites

Solvent or moister attack Hidden damages and damage susceptibility

1.2.3 E-Glass/Epoxy Data Sheet

ksi (MPa) psi (MPa) ft.-lbs./in. Notched V/mil kV

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE SURVEY

Testing of Steel and Composite Mono Leaf Spring [23]

Fig.2.4 (a) Static test of steel leaf spring

Fig. 2.4 (b) Static test of composite leaf spring.

CHAPTER-3 . MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fig. 3.1: Prepared specimen of composite leaf spring

Fig. 3.2: Graph Load vs Deflection

Fig. 4.1: Finite element model of composite leaf spring.

Fig. 4.2: Mesh model of composite leaf spring

Fig. 4.3: Stacking sequences of layers.

Fig. 4.4: Mesh model with application of load

Fig. 4.5: Deflection along y-direction

Fig. 4.6: Deflection along x-direction

Fig. 4.7: Deflection along z-direction

Fig. 4.8: Stresses along x-direction

CHAPTER-5 Result & Discussion 5.1 Background

with and without filler by simple hand lay-up technique.

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