Optimization of Wear Behavior of Magnesium Alloy AZ91 Hybrid Composites Using Taguchi Experimental Design

In the present paper, the statistical investigation on wear behavior of magnesium alloy (AZ91) hybrid metal matrix composites using Taguchi technique has been reported. The composites were reinforced with SiC and graphite particles of average size 37 μm. The specimens were processed by stir casting route. Dry sliding wear of the hybrid composites were tested on a pin-on-disk tribometer under dry conditions at different normal loads (20, 40, and 60 N), sliding speeds (1.047, 1.57, and 2.09 m/s), and composition (1, 2, and 3 wt pct of each of SiC and graphite). The design of experiments approach using Taguchi technique was employed to statistically analyze the wear behavior of hybrid composites. Signal-to-noise ratio and analysis of variance were used to investigate the influence of the parameters on the wear rate.