A composite was fabricated from agricultural waste and industrial waste, namely rice husk (RH) and carbon
fiber (CF) ends. A mixture of powdered RH and chopped CFs was molded into a slab by means of hot
pressing without the use of any binders, after which some samples were subjected to a post-heating process.
The physical properties of bulk density, Shore hardness, bending strength, and compressive strength
of composites produced at different heating temperatures and various CF fractions were subsequently
evaluated. The coefficient of kinetic friction and specific wear rate at the surfaces of these composites
in contact with a SUS304 stainless steel ball were also ascertained. Unfilled (CF-free) composites heated
to 1000 ◦C displayed the greatest mechanical strength and optimal sliding properties, superior to the CF
filled samples, resulting from the densification of the molded lignocellulosic elements in RH. However,
this densification was accompanied by a large thermal shrinkage, causing a large molding error. The composite
that contained 20% (by mass) CF and which was not subjected to a post-heating process turned
out to be subject to only a minor molding error (∼1%), but was characterized by satisfactory mechanical
and sliding properties: bulk density 1.19 g/cm3, Shore hardness 76.1 HS, bending strength 41.2 MPa, compressive
strength 150.2 MPa, kinetic friction coefficient 0.19, and specific wear rate of 2.6
×
10−9mm2/N.
Filling CFs into composites that were then treated with a post-heating process at 800–1200 ◦C reduced
their mechanical and sliding properties, which is associated with a difference in the thermo-mechanical
properties between CFs and the RH matrix.