Optimization of wear behaviour using Taguchi and ANN of fabricated aluminium matrix nanocomposites by two-step stir casting

Abstract

Among the composites, the metal matrix composites have involved considerable attention because they provide a wide range of properties and microstructures. Wear is one of the important phenomena that takes place in MMCs interface. The reinforcement enhances the performance of the matrix significantly. In this paper, A356/SiCn nanocomposites (AMNCs) are fabricated by two-step stir casting. The SiCn is mechanically alloyed with aluminum powder to improve their wettability in the AMNCs. SiCn is incorporated by changing weight percentage. The stirring process is employed to disperse SiCn in the molten matrix. Then the composites are poured into a metallic die. Microstructural study of the worn surface is performed by SEM. Taguchi and ANN are used to optimize and analyze the controlling factors. Based on the current study, it is found that reinforcement is the most influencing factor followed by the load which affects the wear loss. ANN results show better predictability with an R-squared value of 99.23% than Taguchi approach with an R-squared value of even 81.99 %. Hence, ANN is also used to explore the behavior of each factor. The percentage contribution of SiCn is the highest (60.15%) followed by sliding distance (35.33%). SEM analysis reveals that the presence of SiCn and oxide layers are the responsible factors for increasing wear resistance. Further the present work can significantly provide a guide to save time using Taguchi and ANN for wear test and for the industrial preparation of AMNCs with a uniform reinforcement distribution by two-step stir casting.