Experimental optimization of dry sliding wear behavior of in situ AlB2/Al composite based on Taguchi's method

A wear rate prediction model for aluminum based composites reinforced with 10 and 30 wt.% in situ aluminum diboride (AlB2) flakes was developed using Taguchi's method by considering the parameters of sliding velocity, normal load, sliding distance and reinforcement ratio. Having produced the in situ reinforced bulk of composite, the final shape of the test samples was given through squeeze casting method. The wear behavior of the specimen was investigated using pin-on-disk rig where the samples sliding against a steel disk under different conditions. The orthogonal array, signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to study the optimal testing parameters on composite samples. The experimental results demonstrate that the normal load and reinforcement ratio were the major parameters influencing the specific wear rate for all samples, followed by sliding velocity. The sliding distance, however, was found to have a negligible effect on the specific wear rate. Moreover, the optimal combination of the testing parameters has been predicted. The predicted specific wear rates for all the test samples were found to lie close to that of the experimentally observed ones. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.