An Experimental Investigation of Al–Zn–Cu Alloy on Hardness, Microstructure and Wear Parameter Optimization Using Design of Experiments

Al–25Zn–3Cu ternary alloy was prepared using stir casting. The hardness and microstructure of as-cast and homogenized specimen were studied. From the microstructure examination results, it is clear that the as-cast dendritic structure was eliminated after homogenization. Adhesive wear test was carried out using pin-on-disc wear tester as per L₉ orthogonal array. Load, velocity and sliding distance were the control parameters taken for the experiments. Then, signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio analysis was done by considering “smaller-the-better” as the goal of experiment. Using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), the critical parameters, which affect the response were obtained and results were comparable with the S/N analysis. Also, confirmation experiments were carried out to validate the developed linear regression equation. Finally, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis were used to detect the wear mechanisms in the worn out samples.