Parametric Optimization and Ranking Analysis of AA2024−Al2O3/AlN Alloy Composites Fabricated Via Stir Casting Route Under Dry Sliding Wear Investigation.

In this investigation, aluminum alloy (AA2024) composite reinforced with ceramic particulates, namely alumina (Al2O3) and aluminum nitride (AlN), were designed and fabricated through a semi-automatic stir casting route. The ceramics are added complementary (0–4 wt% @ step of 1%), resulting in five composite specimens, namely ON04, ON13, ON22, ON31, and ON40. The composite specimens are then analyzed for their densities, mechanical, and tribological behavior (steady-state sliding wear analysis), adopting ASTM standards. The Taguchi design of experiment technique was adopted for planning test preliminaries and input sliding wear operating parameters (like sliding velocity, sliding distance, normal load, composition, and environment temperature) optimization using ANOVA. Worn surface morphology studies were reported using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) along with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) to understand prevalent wear mechanisms in real time. Additionally, a decision-making technique such as the preference selection index (PSI) system was used to analyze the alloy composites ranking. The theoretical densities vary 2.784–2.798 g/cc, while actual densities vary 2.539–2.546 g/cc, and voids fraction vary within the 0.5–9.3 % range. The hardness varies 71.6–85.4 HRB, impact strength varies 54–170 J, and tensile strength varies 190–265 MPa. The ranking orders of the significance of input operating factors are environment temperature > normal load > sliding velocity > reinforcement content > sliding distance. It has been found that the alloy composite sample ON22 with an equal presence of both ceramics exhibits overall optimum mechanical properties as well as superior steady-state behavior, which was consistent with the results of the PSI ranking method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]