Performance Evaluation of Biocomposite Gears Under Fatigue and Wear: Steel Drive Gear Versus Biocomposite Drive Gear and Biocomposite Drive Gear Versus Biocomposite Gear

Modern trends in using materials for drive applications encourage new research and solutions based on green materials. To expand the use of these materials in specific industrial environments, it is essential to understand their properties, which are determined through basic laboratory tests that simulate the product's real operation. Evaluating the performance of these materials on test specimens and real parts, such as gears, will enable precise optimization for specific applications. This paper presents systematic fatigue and wear characterization of high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) reinforced with 30% birch natural wood fibers for selected gear pair cases. The results showed that using the material in combination with a drive steel gear is more desirable than using the same material in a gear pair. The calculated wear coefficient of the biobased composite is comparable to numerical values of wear coefficients for engineering polymer materials.