Analysis of wear parameters for AA6063–TiC composites using Taguchi technique

The wear behaviour of the AA6063 matrix composite reinforced with different weight percentages of titanium carbide (TiC) particles by the in situ reaction route was studied. The hardness and wear rate of the composite samples were analysed using a hardness tester and a pin-on-disc wear tester. The dry sliding wear behaviour of the composites was investigated based on the Taguchi L16 orthogonal array experimental design. The significance of reinforcement, load and sliding distance on wear rate was explored. Load and sliding velocity were identified as the highly significant parameters on the wear rate using the analysis of variance. Worn surfaces of the composites were analysed using scanning electron microscopy, and all the surface morphology images were reported.