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Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jmrt

Original Article

Optimization of dry sliding wear behavior of


aluminium-based hybrid MMC's using
experimental and DOE methods

Abdul Aabid a,*, Mohammed Ali Murtuza b,**, Sher Afghan Khan c,
Muneer Baig a
a
Engineering Management Department, College of Engineering, Prince Sultan University, PO BOX 66833, Riyadh,
11586, Saudi Arabia
b
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University BDT College of Engineering, Davanagere, Karnataka, 577004,
India
c
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia, 53100,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

article info abstract

Article history: Due to its exceptional mechanical characteristics combined with lightweight and fuel-
Received 14 June 2021 efficient materials, metal matrix composites (MMCs) have largely been developed for the
Accepted 1 December 2021 automotive and aerospace industries. In this paper, an attempt was made to investigate
Available online 10 December 2021 the dry sliding wear behavior of aluminium-based hybrid MMC's through the experimental
approach. The experiments were performed for three types of filler materials: Boron car-
Keywords: bide (B4C), Molybdenum Di-sulphide (MoS2), and graphite (Gr) particulates of 50 mm were
Hybrid MMC'S reinforced into aluminium-2219 matrix using stir casting technique. On the other hand,
Aluminum alloys data computing is a trend in mechanical engineering and is increasing drastically in recent
Dry sliding years. It has proved one of the most cost-efficient methods to identify the optimum results
Wear with a limited number of experiments. Hence, this research was carried, with an emphasis
on optimization, utilizing the design of experiments (DOE) technique with specified pa-
rameters. For DOE, additional experiments were conducted based on full factorial design
and then different analyses were performed such as ANOVA, regressions equation, and
confirmation tests to examine the effect of parameters on the wear behavior of composites.
Besides, the influence of wear parameters such as applied load (L), sliding speed (S), and
sliding distance (S-D) on the wear loss were investigated. The current investigation realized
that B4C particles in the matrix increases the wear resistance of MMC when compared to
other selected materials of this study.
© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC
BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

* Corresponding author.
** Corresponding author.
E-mail addresses: aaabid@psu.edu.sa (A. Aabid), alinvicta83@gmail.com (M.A. Murtuza).
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2021.12.005
2238-7854/© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
744 j o u r n a l o f m a t e r i a l s r e s e a r c h a n d t e c h n o l o g y 2 0 2 2 ; 1 6 : 7 4 3 e7 6 3

increases with the increase in the volume fraction of particles


1. Introduction during high and low-stress abrasive wear conditions [24] was
studied. Similarly, the alumina and zircon sand particles that
Aluminium-based composites have become more popular as a have been carried out with microstructures of the composites
result of their high modulus and unique strength. They can in as-cast conditions show a uniform distribution of particles
withstand high temperatures, have a low thermal expansion and reveal better bonding in zircon particles reinforced com-
coefficient, are extremely wear-resistant, and have a high posite [25]. In summary, a number of studies have been re-
damping ability [1e3]. Metal matrix composites (MMC's) are a ported with an experimental approach on dry sliding wear
group of materials with a huge prospect due to their unique behaviour of alloys of hybrid MMC's such as AL 6082 rein-
properties. The discontinuous reinforced metal matrix com- forced with red mud particles [26], with lithium and silicon
posites (DRMMC's) or whiskers reinforced aluminium metal nitride [4], graphite/fly ash reinforced aluminium (Al6Mg) [27],
matrix composites (AMMC's) have one of the most varied dry sliding-friction and wear behaviour of hot-extruded
reinforcement offerings among MMC's and their low hardness Al6061/Si3N4/Cf [20], the high-temperature wear behaviour
and weak wear resistance are the main obstacles for their of Al2219/n-B4C/MoS2 [5], aged and non-aged SiC-reinforced
high-performance in tribological applications [4,5]. The MMC's AlSi7Mg2 [28]. Also, the effect of substituting SiC in varying
has optimum properties and enhanced performance from proportions for TiC in Al-5052/TiC/SiC [29], and mechanical/
materials depend on a reasonable selection of the reinforcing machining characteristics of Al2219/n-B4C/MoS2 [30]. The ex-
phase and the processing technique/parameters [6]. Even periments were conducted, and investigations were made
though MMC's have a wide range of applications, their with optical microscope [15], SEM [28,31e34], XRD [31,35,36],
machinability remains a concern. Because of the abrasive and other methods [9,22,37,38].
nature of ceramic particles, Paulo Davim published research More recently, the design of experiments (DOE) method
on drilling that indicated that feed rate is the most important has been used in many research fields, and it has been re-
component in surface smoothness. They discovered that feed ported in relation to the current study on the composition of
rate, rather than cutting speed, caused poor surface quality materials to assess the dry sliding wear behavior of the
[7]. On the other hand, the stir casting technique is the most developed composites using the LM4-Ta/NbC composite [39].
cost-effective way of processing MMC's [8,9]. The researchers Similarly, wear behaviour analysis on aluminium alloy 7050
have used an ultrasonic-assisted stir casting procedure to with reinforced SiC through the same approach was identified
fabricate nanocomposites to properly blend nanoparticles in [8]. In both studies [8,39], the Taguchi method was used for
aluminium [10]. optimum results and found an energy-saving and cost-
This literature review presents the data available on the effective approach. In addition to Taguchi, the fuzzy logic
effect of various reinforcement types, their size and volume was also utilized for the dry sliding wear performance of
fraction, ageing behaviour with Al-based MMC's. Matrices can Al7075/SiC composites [40]. According to fuzzy logic, different
be selected from several aluminium alloys, and many rein- types of steps include fuzzification, fuzzy interface, and
forcement types such as Sic [11e13], B4C [14e16], Al2O3 [17,18], defuzzification of crisp results [41]. Fuzzifier utilized the
Gr, etc., which are available in different sizes, morphologies, membership function to fuzzify the input grey relational co-
and volume fractions. These reinforcements can be combined efficient [42]. With the option of DOE analysis, the Vickers
with different matrices, resulting in large composite system- hardness, wear behaviour of wear data for pure Al and
sdvarious processing methods, such as powder metallurgy, AleAl2O3eTiO2 hybrid MMC's was investigated and extracted
stir-casting [19], squeeze casting, hot extrusion, etc. Com- ANOVA method for determination of each parameters
posite structures have consistently demonstrated savings of contribution [43]. The response surface analysis (RSM) and
at least 20% over metal counterparts, as well as lower opera- ANOVA were considered for the optimum results [44] to
tional and maintenance costs [20]. optimize the wear performance of SiC-Gr reinforced al hybrid
Wear is a common phenomenon of any relative motion in MMC's, and a similar concept was used to investigate the dry
all elements, such as reciprocating and rotating piston mo- sliding wear behavior of Al7075/Gr/nano TiO2 MMC's [45]. All
tions, cylinder bores, connecting rods, brake rotors, etc. of this research used the DOE method to improve outcomes
Therefore, wear is a crucial element to consider when devel- and find the best solution with the least cost and energy. As a
oping these types of components to ensure better and consequence, their small influence on current research on dry
consistent performance in any tribological application [21,22]. sliding wear behavior of any combination of materials may be
Compared to their corresponding monolithic alloys, it is now employed, and the best findings can be established. For linear
well known that the MMC's have superior wear properties and and non-linear data, the optimization approach requires an
high basic strength and rigidity. In such cases, a comparative input variable and a design. Hence, certain practical data as
study of graphite-reinforced lead-free copper alloy and leaded input variables, as well as appropriate parameters and facto-
copper alloy wear behaviours has been found [23]. The abra- rial design, are required. Besides, the DOE approach is also
sive wear resistance of the particle reinforced MMC's found in many engineering applications [46e51] and it will use

Table 1 e Chemical composition limits of Al-2219.


Weight % Al Si Fe Cu Mn Mg Zn Ti Others
2219 Bal 0.20 Max 0.30 Max 5.80e6.80 0.20e0.40 0.02 Max 0.1 Max 0.02e0.1 0.050e0.15
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material and the studies about these materials with properties


Table 2 e Physical properties of Al-2219.
has been mentioned in the below subsections.
Density Hardness Tensile Melting
(Vickers) Strength Point 2.1. Matrix material
2.84 g/cc 130 HV 290 MPa 543-643  C
Pure aluminium metal is too soft and selecting the right alloy
for a given application entails considerations of its tensile
to optimize the suitable parameters and their combination for strength, density, ductility, formability, workability, weld-
valuable outcomes for any problems. ability, and corrosion resistance. Aluminium alloys are in
From the above literature, it has been found that their which aluminium is the predominant metal. The typical
scope for further development of the MMC's for enhanced alloying elements are copper, magnesium, manganese, sili-
mechanical and tribological properties with experimental and con, and zinc. Alloys composed mostly of two lightweight
DOE approach. Hence, the objective of the present study has metals, such as aluminium and magnesium, have been crucial
been carried out to assess Aluminum alloy 2219-B4C-Gr-MoS2 in aerospace manufacturing. Aluminum-magnesium alloys
composite wear behavior under controlled laboratory condi- are lighter than other aluminium alloys and much less flam-
tions. Experiments are conducted using a pin on the disc test mable than alloys containing a very high magnesium per-
rig following G99 ASTM standards. A comprehensive repre- centage. Aluminium alloys 2219 is an age-hard enable copper-
sentation of wear under different working conditions and containing alloy of aluminium and it is noted for applications
parameters has been carried out under the conventional at elevated temperatures. It is used in the original Space
method. Confirmation is done with the DOE approach via Shuttle Standard Weight external tank and is commonly used
separate analysis. The liquid stir casting technique is used to to manufacture structural components used in high-
study the particulates' distribution in the matrix to fabricate temperature applications high strength weldments. Howev-
the hybrid metal matrix composites with different particu- er, keeping in mind all these issues, in the present investiga-
lates, including wear parameters, with different volume tion, the base matrix was selected as Al-2219 alloy and
fractions. The particulate reinforcement on dry sliding wear procured from Fenfee Metallurgical's Bangalore, India in the
behavior and the impact of particulates on MMC's wear form of ingots. The chemical composition and Physical,
behavior was made through experimental and DOE methods. Hardness (Vickers), Tensile strength, and Melting Point of Al-
Additionally, it analyses the surface morphology of the worn- 2219 alloy are given in Table 1, and physical properties are
out surface in the composite material. shown in Table 2.

2.2. Reinforcement materials


2. Materials
The selection of reasonable matrix alloys is determined pri-
In this paper, Aluminum alloy 2219 has been selected as a marily by the intended application of the composite material.
matrix material. AA 2219 (or AA 2xxx series alloys) in general, Conventional light metal alloys are applied as matrix mate-
exhibits very high tensile strength after suitable heat treat- rials, with light metal composite materials that are often
ment and as such these alloys are used in automotive and simple to process. Special alloys can be used in powder met-
aerospace industries. However, these alloys are susceptible to allurgy because of the benefit of quick solidification during
wear when exposed to extreme working conditions. Addi- powder processing. Such structures are free from problems of
tionally, the selected reinforcement materials are Boron Car- segregation that occur in traditional crystallization. The use of
bide (B4C), Graphite (Gr) and Molybdenum disulphide (MoS2) techniques with oversaturated or metastatic structures is also
materials which are known to exhibit higher weareresistant possible.
properties and are usually used as filler materials. Thus, it is Reinforcement increases the strength, stiffness, and tem-
deemed imperative to study the improvement in the perature resistance capacity and lowers the density of MMC's.
weareresistant properties of AA 2219 alloy when incorporated The selection depends on the strengthening and production
with these filler materials. This understanding forms the basis method and the matrix's chemical compatibility to achieve
of this manuscript on selecting the base material and the filler these properties. However, keeping in mind all these issues, the

Table 3 e Physical properties of boron carbide (B4C).


Colour Specific Knoop Moh's Young's Crystalline Melting Bending Compressive
gravity Hardness Hardness modulus structure point strength strength
Black 2.51 g/cc 3000(Kg/mm2) 9.5þ 4500 kg/mm2 Rhombohedral 2450  C 30e50 kg/mm2 200e300 kg/mm2

Table 4 e Physical properties of molybdenum di-sulphide (MoS2).


Molecular formula Molecular weight Appearance Density Melting point Solubility in water Solubility
MoS2 160.6 Black solid 5.06 g/cc 1185  C Insoluble Soluble in mineral acids
746 j o u r n a l o f m a t e r i a l s r e s e a r c h a n d t e c h n o l o g y 2 0 2 2 ; 1 6 : 7 4 3 e7 6 3

Fig. 1 e Preparation of wear test specimen.

Fig. 2 e DUCOM dry sliding wear testing rig G-99.

reinforcement material selected for this study is boron carbide 2.2.2. Molybdenum di-sulphide (MoS2)
B4C, molybdenum disulfide MoS2, and graphite alloy of 50 mm This molybdenum black crystalline sulphide occurs as the
size and procured from Forum enterprises Mumbai, India. mineral molybdenite. It is the primary ore that molybdenum
metal is extracted from. MoS2 is relatively unreactive, with
2.2.1. Boron carbide (B4C) dilute acids and oxygen not being affected. Molybdenum di-
Boron Carbide (B4C) is next to diamond and cubic boron nitride sulfide is like graphite in its look and feel. Indeed, it is gener-
in hardness, and it is a super hard abrasive material. It is ally used as a solid lubricant, like graphite, because of its low
merely outclassed traditional abrasives with their excellent friction properties and robustness. The physical properties of
and cost-effective efficiencies, such as Al2O3 and SiC. In the MoS2 are given in Table 4.
hard metals (carbides) industry, comprehensive applications
are found in the manufacture of equipment and machine 2.2.3. Graphite (Gr)
parts, in the finishing/lapping of various items, in ultrasonic The mineral graphite is an allotrope of carbon which is a good
drilling, in nuclear reactors for neutron absorption as an electrical conductor and a semimetal. It is the most stable
antioxidant in refractories, in welding for the manufacture of form of carbon under standard conditions. Therefore, ther-
hard-facing electrodes as well as in rocket propellants and mochemistry is used as the normal state for defining the heat
armoured frames. However, one of Boron Carbide's flaws is of carbon compounds' formation. There are three principal
that it begins to oxidize at a temperature above 500  C, unlike types of natural graphite, each occurring in different types of
Silicon Carbide, where the formation of an oxide layer of Sil- ore deposits: Crystalline flake graphite, amorphous graphite,
icon dioxide retards high-temperature oxidation. Also, due to and Lump graphite.
the relatively low thermal conductivity of Boron Carbide, it If it is unbroken, the crystalline flake graphite occurs as
displays weak thermal shock resistance. Physical properties isolated, flat, plate-like particles with hexagonal edges, and if
are given in Table 3. it is broken, the edges may be irregular or angular. Amorphous
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Fig. 3 e Pin on disc apparatus used for the dry sliding wear test.

graphite is a fine particle is extracted from coal's thermal kept semi-solidus by gradually lowering the temperature
metamorphism and is sometimes called Meta-anthracite. below the matrix material's liquid state. To eliminate mois-
Excellent flake graphite is rarely called amorphous in the ture and other loose adherent contaminants, a measured
trade. Lump graphite (also called vein graphite) occurs in quantity of reinforced materials (Gr, MoS2, and B4C) is warmed
fissure veins or fractures. It appears as a massive platy inter- to roughly 300  C. For different compositions, these rein-
growth of fibrous or acicular crystalline aggregates and is forcement particles are introduced to semi-liquid Al alloy and
probably hydrothermal in origin. vigorously mixed using a mechanical stirrer. For 5e10 min, the
stirring speed is kept between 200 and 250 rpm. The crucible is
gently raised once the procedure is finished, and the molten
3. Experimental investigation material is dumped into the mound.
The composite was prepared by a liquid metallurgy route, a
3.1. Specimen preparation most commonly used technique. The matrix was superheated
above its melting temperature, and preheated particulates
Aluminium alloy 2219 was chosen as the matrix material in were added to it. Later, the molten metal (Melting temperature
the present study. This monolithic alloy was reinforced with of 800  C achieved using furnace and graphite crucibles) was
Gr 5 wt%, MoS2 5 wt%, and B4C 15 wt% content to synthesize stirred for 10 min, and the stirrer's speed was set at 62.83 m/s.
the hybrid composite through stir casting (liquid metallurgy
route). The size of MoS2, B4C, and graphite particles was 50 mm,
B4C particles with high hardness aid in reducing wear by
increasing the composite's hardness. In contrast, graphite and
MoS2 in nature possess excellent self-lubricating properties.
Al-2219-based composites are made using the stir casting
process. Under normal air conditions, the AA2219 alloy was
melted at a rate of 5  C min1 in a resistance-type electric
furnace (capacity: 5 kg, power rating: 7.5 kW, and heating
element: SiC). A known quantity of Al-2219 alloy is placed in a
graphite crucible and heated to 800  C; the Al 2219 alloy is then

Table 5 e Process parameters (factors) and their levels.


Levels Load, L (N) Sliding Speed, Sliding distance,
S (m/s) S-D (m)
1 20 1.25 400
2 30 2.51 600
3 40 3.76 800
Fig. 4 e Steps followed for optimization.
748 j o u r n a l o f m a t e r i a l s r e s e a r c h a n d t e c h n o l o g y 2 0 2 2 ; 1 6 : 7 4 3 e7 6 3

Table 6 e Results of dry sliding wear tests as per orthogonal array of L27.
Sl. No L (N) S (m/s) S-D (m) Weight loss in Weight loss in Weight loss in Weight loss in
m-gm for Al-2219 m-gm for 5% Gr m-gm for 5% MoS2 m-gm for 15% B4C
1 20 1.25 400 2.3 2.2 2.2 1.4
2 20 1.25 600 2.7 2.6 2.1 1.7
3 20 1.25 800 2.7 3.1 2.4 3.1
4 20 2.51 400 2.9 2.7 4.2 3.3
5 20 2.51 600 3.1 3.6 2.8 3.7
6 20 2.51 800 3.8 3.7 2.9 3.7
7 20 3.76 400 4.4 4 6.2 4.1
8 20 3.76 600 3.9 3.9 4.7 4.1
9 20 3.76 800 4.6 4.1 5.1 4.3
10 30 1.25 400 5.4 4.9 4.1 2.8
11 30 1.25 600 5.4 5.1 2.9 1.8
12 30 1.25 800 2.5 2.3 3.1 1.4
13 30 2.51 400 4.1 3.8 4.7 4.41
14 30 2.51 600 4.7 4.3 3.9 4.2
15 30 2.51 800 5.7 5.1 5.5 6.6
16 30 3.76 400 6.2 5.6 5.2 5.26
17 30 3.76 600 9.1 8.4 5.1 5.4
18 30 3.76 800 9.3 8.9 8.1 5.6
19 40 1.25 400 6.8 7 6.2 4
20 40 1.25 600 7.9 7.6 7.3 7.1
21 40 1.25 800 7.13 7.8 6.4 4.9
22 40 2.51 400 9.6 8.9 9 8.2
23 40 2.51 600 9.1 8.7 8.5 7.8
24 40 2.51 800 8.8 8.9 8.2 9.2
25 40 3.76 400 9.8 9.1 9.2 9.1
26 40 3.76 600 10.4 9.6 9.8 8.9
27 40 3.76 800 10.4 10.1 9.8 9.2

Then the melt was superheated above the temperature of the An LVDT (load cell) on the lever arm monitors the arm's
liquid and solidified to obtain cylindrical specimens in a per- movement and helps assess wear at any given time. The
manent cast-iron mold. Dry Sliding wear test samples were load drives the arm to keep in contact with the disc until the
prepared from as-cast samples and converted to 10 mm contact surface wears off. This arm movement creates a
diameter and 30 mm length pins. Fig. 1 shows the test spec- signal that is utilized to calculate the maximum wear, and
imen and Fig. 2 DUCOM Dry Sliding Wear Testing Rig G-99. The the coefficient of friction is continually monitored as wear
cast bars were machined to prepare the samples for dry happens. After complete washing with acetone solution, the
sliding wear tests. weight loss of each specimen was measured using a single
pan electronic weighing equipment with an accuracy of
3.2. Experimental procedure for dry sliding wear 0.0001 g before and after the experiment. The tensile
strength of 430 MPa, hardness is 65 HRC and surface
A pin on the disc tribometer unit (TR 20LE-PHM-400 model, roughness is 1.6 Ra of the disc. All prepared models of the
DUCOM, India), as shown in Fig. 3 (1. Steel disc, 2. Specimen model were stationary, and a required normal road has
holder, 3. Lever mechanism, 4. Motor, and 5. Deadweight been applied via a lever mechanism. In dry conditions, the
standard), was used to investigate the composite's dry sliding lubricant has not been used as a test case. The present work
wear behavior using ASTM standard G99. Initially cleaned the wear test is conducted in two ways: conventional method
prepared specimen using acetone later weighted to know the and DOE.
preliminary mass using the machine digital electronics bal- The geometrical parameters that were selected for the
ance. The samples were machined into the pin shape. After study were load (L), sliding distance (S-D), and sliding speed (S)
that, the pin (sample) was held in contradiction of rotating EN- with SI units of N, m, and m/s, respectively. The level of pa-
32 steel disc (hardness of 65HRC) by applying load that acts as rameters selected was in terms of three values illustrated in
counterweight and balances the pin. For each set of studies, Table 5. According to Table 5, the experimental tests (were
the track diameter was held constant at 60 mm, and the load, tests) were carried out by changing the geometrical parame-
sliding speed, and sliding distance was changed within the ters at three different levels. The method of weights was used
range shown in Table 2. Finally, wearing specimens of size to calculate the loss of volume due to the wear. From the DOE,
10 mm diameter and 30 mm length was cut from the cast the analysis of variance, regression analysis, and other
samples, machined, and then polished. The cast sample (pin) effective analysis methods was carried out, and wear test
must have a flat contact surface that will come into touch with cases were also performed to investigate composites' wear
the revolving disk. behaviour. Under an image analyzer microscope, damaged
j o u r n a l o f m a t e r i a l s r e s e a r c h a n d t e c h n o l o g y 2 0 2 2 ; 1 6 : 7 4 3 e7 6 3 749

specimens were set to study the wear behavior of AleB4-


CeMoS2-Gr hybrid metal matrix composites prepared by stir
casting. The tests were carried out by varying one of the
following three parameters and keeping the other two con-
stants: Applied load (is 30 N, when constant), Sliding speed (is
62.83 m/s, when steady), and Sliding distance (is 600 m, when
consistent).

4. Design of experiments

In early studies, the design of experiments (DOE) method was


extensively used in manufacturing industries [52e54] to
investigate the factors with reasonable accuracy for achieving
goals. These factors include the parameters and their levels,
and the designer can control them. The elements are varied
with a minimum of two parameters or levels for the designed
factorial. After selecting a factorial design, the experiments
will be conducted as per the parametric combination and
levels noted as orthogonal arrays for a designed factor. Fig. 6 e Effect of sliding speed on weight loss for materials
Following the orthogonal array will result in finding the im- combination 2.
pacts of each essential element. This permits the analysis's
execution, revealing the most useful factors for achieving
response chosen. The current work uses a full factorial design
goals and adjusting to optimize them. Hence, in the present
L27 orthogonal array to investigate the influence of load, sliding
work, this method was applied for the optimization of dry
speed, and sliding distance on the hybrid composites' wear loss.
sliding wear behavior of aluminium-based hybrid metal ma-
trix composites (MMC's) with limited experimental work to
4.1. Plan of experiments
focus more on optimization techniques considering different
analyses to explore the idea of doing further experiments.
Additionally, the experiments were performed as per the full
The Taguchi method significantly reduces the number of
factorial design L27 orthogonal array generated through MIN-
tests needed to model the chosen response. It permits us to
ITAB 18 software to investigate the optimum results. The
establish and understand the influence of the parameters pro-
orthogonal array selection is based on the condition that the
cess on the response selected, and this method uses an
orthogonal array degrees of freedom should be higher than or
orthogonal array (OA) to represent data. A significant step in
at least equal to the test parameters. The parameters selected
Taguchi design is factor selection and several levels assigned to
for the current experimental work have more influence. The
the factors. The classes which are selected must have equal
experiments were conducted consisted of 27 tests (each row in
intervals. The experimental studies' obtained results are then
L27 orthogonal array), and the columns were assigned with
analyzed using the plot and ANOVA process parameters (fac-
tors). Finally, the impact of an individual element on the

Fig. 5 e Effect of applied load on weight loss for materials Fig. 7 e Effect of sliding distance on weight loss for
combination 1. materials combination 3.
750 j o u r n a l o f m a t e r i a l s r e s e a r c h a n d t e c h n o l o g y 2 0 2 2 ; 1 6 : 7 4 3 e7 6 3

parameters. The tests were performed as per the standard of graph (Figs. 5e7) shown below indicates the improvement in
orthogonal array L27. Fig. 4 shows a methodology to perform wear resistance of Al-15% B4C composite.
the analysis with the DOE approach to achieve an optimum
result. 5.1. Conventional method for wear test
The plan of tests was prepared with the aim of relating the
influence of load (L), Sliding Speed (S), Sliding Distance (S-D) The wear tests of Al 2219-B4CeMoS2-Gr hybrid MMC's were
on the dry sliding wear behavior of composite (Table 5). On carried out using the conventional method with varying
conducting the experiments as per the L27 orthogonal array, selected parameters. The results are obtained from the series of
the wear tests for various combinations of parameters were tests done by keeping two parameters out of the four constants.
obtained. The set of parameters with their levels are shown in
Table 6 and experimental outcomes for doing further DOE 5.1.1. Effect of applied load
analysis. The ANOVA, linear regression, Taguchi, and statis- Fig. 5 Shows the effect of applied load on weight loss of hybrid
tical analysis were performed considering the consequences composites reinforced with different weight percentages of
via tables, plots, and prediction results of achieving the goal or Al, Alþ5% MoS2, Alþ5% Gr, Alþ15% B4C for a constant speed of
optimum result. 2.51 m/s and sliding distance of 600 m.
Would determine all the effects such as initial interactions According to Fig. 5 the variation of weight loss with applied
and others, when running an L27 orthogonal array. The pre- load for a fixed sliding speed of 2.51 m/s and sliding distance of
sent work focuses on the key findings for the study of 600 m. Mild wear was observed for a lower range of applied
regression and ANOVA, and the linear model is as follows, load, but as the load increased up to 20 N, the weight loss of
unreinforced alloy and composite increased. As the load
Y ¼ b0 þ b1 X1 þ b2 X2 þ b3 X3 (1) increased beyond 20 N, the wear pattern has changed for the
where Y is the dependent variable or weight loss, b0 ¼ In- reinforced and unreinforced MMC's. In a typical mechanical
tercepts or Reaction variable of weight loss and wear test apparatus, the weight loss in the test sample in-
b1 ; b2 ; and b3 ¼ Linear regression coefficients of load (L), creases with an increase in the applied load. However (From
Sliding Speed (S), Sliding Distance (S-D). It is suggested that if the graph shown in Fig. 5), it is observed that with an increase
the precision of the results is important, an L27 orthogonal in applied load the weight loss in the Alþ5% Gr MMC was not
array is more desirable, and with the use of a full-factorial as significant as the base alloy and other MMC's. This is since
array, all levels of the other parameters are tested with it. the Gr acts as the solid lubricant facilitating reducing friction,
thus reducing wear (weight) loss. This observation indicates
4.1.1. L27 orthogonal array that the Gr filler in MMC improves the wear resistance of the
Generally, for industrial applications, the orthogonal array is base material. Similarly, in MoS2, there is still better wear
selected to analyse the impact of various control variables. It is resistance due to MoS2 acting as an even better solid lubricant.
a type of inquiry where the columns are orthogonal to each Also, it is observed from the figure that the composite with B4C
other for the independent variables. Numerous levels and particulates showed lower weight loss when compared with
factors must be defined to characterize an orthogonal array. the base material and other MMC's. The lower weight loss
The degrees of freedom (DF) were measured at several levels implies better weareresistant properties, and it is attributed
for the three parameters in each of the three classes. As seen to the presence of B4C, which is harder than the base material.
in Table 6, a regular L27 orthogonal array comprising 27 rows The harder B4C particulates minimize the weight loss of the
was selected for conducting tests. The experiments consisted base material and are primarily responsible for better
of 27 tests allocated to column 1 as the load (L), column 2 as weareresistant properties of the composite.
the Sliding Speed (S) and column 3 with the Sliding Distance Furthermore, it is depicted from the graph that the weight
(S-D). The details of parametric arrange with coded and actual loss is similar up to an applied load of 20 N. There is a drastic
parameters can be seen in Table 5. It picked a three-level L27 increase in the wear loss for higher loads for constant sliding
orthogonal array of twenty-seven experimental runs. For the speed and sliding distance. It is observed that the addition of
experiment, the cumulative DF is 27  1 ¼ 26. B4C to the matrix material gives more resistance than other
reinforced composites. After 20 N, the reinforced particulates
get crushed and scratch the counter disc; due to this; the local
5. Results and discussion contact encourages the introduction of oxygen into the sys-
tem and causing oxidation of Al alloy, and during this process,
The experiments were conducted on the pin-on-disc test rig to oxide debris mix with the surface MMC's resulting in the for-
analyze the dry sliding wear behavior of the Al 2219-B4CeMoS2- mation of MMC's layer. When applied load is further
Gr composite. The specimens prepared as per ASTM G99 increased, friction between the materials increases for the
standards are clamped in a specimen holder and held parallel rising temperature, which is enough to lower the MMC layer's
in contact with the counter surface under room temperature. strength and promote extensive material transfer, causing the
For the conventional method chosen four different levels of wear of MMC's to the steel counter face. This effect is seen
each combination. The samples are prepared by three weight after 30 N. Seizure of these MMC's layers was observed to be
percentages from Aluminum 2219, Aluminum 2219-5% Gr, enhanced under load conditions where rich lubricating and
Aluminum 2219-5% MoS2, and Aluminum 2219-15% B4C. The the hard-particulate layer were removed.
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5.1.2. Effect of the sliding speed


Table 8 e ANOVA results for unreinforced composite
Fig. 6 shows the wear loss variation with sliding speed for
Alþ5% Gr.
the unreinforced alloy reinforced with Alþ5% MoS2, Alþ5%
Source D.F Seq SS Variance Test F F P-%
Gr, and Alþ15% B4C particulates. It is observed from the
graph that the wear loss has increased as the sliding speed L (N) 2 129.096 64.548 68.72 5.85a 73.38
S (m/s) 2 25.616 12.808 13.63 5.85a 14.56
increases for Al alloy up to 2 m/s. The trend changed as the
S-D (m) 2 2.409 1.204 1.28
sliding speed increased, indicating more loss as the sliding
Pooled Error 20 18.787 0.939 12.06
rate increased. From the graph, the composite with 5% Gr is Total 26 175.907 79.499 100
found to be less wear loss till the two m/s. The Gr acting as
D.F ¼ Degrees of freedom, SS¼Sum of variance, p-percentage
the solid lubricant further shows that the wear loss has
contribution a ¼ 99% Confidence level.
increased severely. However, the trend for the MoS2 rein-
forced composite is slightly different. It is found that still
there less wear loss initially, and suddenly, there is an in- 5.2. Analysis of variance (ANOVA)
crease in the wear loss. This may be due to the seizure of
the solid lubricant layer formed by the MoS2. Furthermore, The use of ANOVA is to analyses the influence of wear pa-
as the sliding speed increased to 3.9 m/s, there is dimin- rameters such as load, sliding speed, sliding distance, weight
ished wear loss. This may be because the formation of the percentage on wear. From Table 7, it can be observed that the
oxide layer is reached. Whereas in the case of B4C partic- ANOVA analysis exhibits the weight loss at three different
ulate reinforcement, the wear loss is reduced. This is since parameters. Table 7 shows the percentage contribution (P) of
the B4C particulates being harder serve as a protective layer each factor on the total variation indicating their degree of
coming first in contact with the counter surface. But influence on the result. The percentage contribution (P) of
the wear loss has increased gradually with a lower rate of each element on the whole interpretation, indicating their
wear. degree of control on the outcome. Al-2219 alloy was subjected
to wear under different loads, speeds, sliding distances that
5.1.3. Effect of the sliding distance the load (P ¼ 70.09%), Sliding speed (P ¼ 18.68%), and negligible
Fig. 7 shows the effect of sliding distance versus weight loss of contribution of sliding distance on wear loss is observed. The
Al alloy and composites reinforced with 5% MoS2, 5% Gr, and error associated with the ANOVA table is 11.23%. This method
15% B4C particulates (Al þ 5% MoS2, Al þ 5% Gr, Al þ 15% B4C), assigns the fluctuation of means and variance to the experi-
for a constant load of 30 N and sliding speed of 2.51 m/s. It can ment's absolute values. This illustrate evidently that the
be observed from the graph that there is an improvement in applied load has a significant influence on wear loss. Thus, the
wear resistance of the B4C particulate reinforced MMC experimental and DOE results are found to be correct.
(Al þ 15% B4C), as compared to the other two MMC's and base Table 8 for Alþ5% Gr shows that the applied load is
alloy. As aluminium is soft material as compared to compos- (P ¼ 73.38%) is the primary factor followed by Sliding speed
ites, it deforms quickly plastically. When the sliding distance (P ¼ 14.56%) influence on dry sliding wear. However, the effect
increases, the weight loss also gradually increases for both of sliding distance on weight loss is marginal and can be
reinforced and unreinforced material linearly, except for the neglected. The pooled error is 12.06%; this is due to machine
Al-alloy containing B4C particulates. This is because the B4C and operating errors. This shows that as applied load and
hard particulate aspirates contact the counter disc to avoid sliding speed increase, the weight loss also increases in most
direct metal to metal contact. During fabrication, the com- cases. Since the applied load increases, the friction at the
posite specimen induces internal residual stress; this residual material's contact surface and rotating disc increases. But
stress helps to deform quickly from base material; thus, the compared to Al-alloy, the composite material, the weight loss
internal residual stress accomplished with base material rate is less since graphite acts as a solid lubricant. It generates
starts to wear out quickly. At a sliding distance above 500 m, a thin layer of oil that acts as a reinforcing material by
thermal softening of matrix alloy occurs and allows direct resisting direct contact with the base material.
metallic contact, which results in increased wear loss of Table 9 for Alþ5% MoS2 shows that the applied load is
material. (P ¼ 67.18%) is the primary factor followed by sliding speed

Table 7 e ANOVA results for unreinforced composite Al- Table 9 e ANOVA results for unreinforced composite
2219. Alþ5% MoS2.
Source D.F Seq SS Variance Test F F P-% Source D.F Seq SS Variance Test F F P-%
L (N) 2 136.856 68.428 66.59 5.85a 70.09 L (N) 2 106.254 53.127 93.77 5.85a 67.18
S (m/s) 2 36.471 18.236 17.75 5.85a 18.68 S (m/s) 2 39.312 19.656 34.69 5.85a 24.85
S-D (m) 2 1.359 0.679 0.66 S-D (m) 2 1.265 0.633 1.12
Pooled Error 20 20.551 1.028 11.23 Pooled Error 20 11.332 0.567 7.97
Total 26 195.237 88.371 100 Total 26 158.163 73.983 100

D.F ¼ Degrees of freedom, SS¼Sum of variance, p-percentage D.F ¼ Degrees of freedom, SS ¼ Sum of variance, p-percentage
contribution a ¼ 99% Confidence level. contribution a ¼ 99% Confidence level.
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Table 10 e ANOVA results for unreinforced composite


Alþ15% B4C.
Source D.F Seq SS Variance Test F F P-%
L (N) 2 94.177 47.089 66.7 5.85a 59.3
S (m/s) 2 48.852 24.426 34.6 5.85a 30.76
S-D (m) 2 1.663 0.832 1.18
Pooled Error 20 14.12 0.726 9.94
Total 26 158.813 73.073 100

D.F ¼ Degrees of freedom, SS ¼ Sum of variance, p-percentage


contribution a ¼ 99% Confidence level.

(P ¼ 24.85%), which exerts a significant influence on dry


sliding wear. However, the effect of sliding distance on
weight loss is significantly less and may be neglected. The
Fig. 9 e Main effects plot for fitted means of weight loss for
pooled error is 7.97%. This shows that as applied load and
Alþ5%Gr.
sliding speed increase, the weight loss also increases in most
cases. This is because whenever the applied load increases,
the friction at the material's contact surface and rotating disc Therefore, there is marginal variation in aluminum's wear
increases. resistance by adding 5% Gr and 5% MoS2. The addition of B4C to
During solidification time and machining time, internal aluminium exhibited good wear resistance to a weight loss of
residual stresses are induced into a specimen. When the material. This is because hard particle precipitation meets the
sample encounters the rotating disc due to the direct effect, sliding disc, improves wear resistance, and prevents the base
the matrix material vanishes out. The MoS2 layer protects the material from direct contact. When these particulates vanish,
matrix material from direct contact and creates a thin film of there is an increase in the weight loss of the composite.
lubricant, and gives resistance to wear, thus contributing to
lower weight loss. It starts to diminish; then creates a space 5.3. Analysis of plots
for the transformation of the load. Again, the matrix layer
encounters rotating discs and increases weight loss, and this 5.3.1. Main effect plots for weight loss
process progresses. Table 10 shows the ANOVA results for the The effects of various parameters on weight loss were studied.
Alþ15% B4C. Composite subjected to wear under different The main effect plot was generated using MINITAB 18 soft-
loads, sliding speeds, and sliding distance revealed that the ware. Fig. 8 shows the properties of the influence of controlled
applied load is (P ¼ 59.30%) is the primary factor followed by process parameters on weight loss of Al-2219 as the main ef-
Sliding speed (P ¼ 30.76%) exerts a significant influence on dry fects plot. When the output level of each parameter closes the
sliding wear. However, the effect of sliding distance on weight mean line (horizontal center line) then the setting has no
loss is marginal and may be neglected. The pooled error is significant impact. Also, a benchmark for which the line has
9.94%. This demonstrates that applied load has the greatest the highest inclination will significantly affect. As shown in
impact on wear, followed by sliding speed, and sliding dis- Fig. 8 the load's contribution is more and sliding speed having
tance has the least impact on specimen wear, which is often a moderate impact. Nevertheless, the sliding distance is hav-
overlooked. ing a marginal effect compared to the other two parameters
The load is a major contributing factor followed by sliding for wearing the base material specimen. Higher weight loss
speed from ANOVA Tables 7e9 for Al, Alþ5% Gr, and Alþ5% can be observed at 40 N at a sliding speed of 3.76 m/s. The soft
MoS2. Sliding distance is having less effect on weight loss.

Fig. 8 e Main effects plot for fitted means of weight loss for Fig. 10 e Main effects plot for fitted means of weight loss
Al-2219. for Alþ5%MoS2.
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aluminium material wears out quickly by taking higher loads


and gives higher wear loss.
Fig. 9 shows the main effects of weight loss of Alþ5% Gr. In
this plot, the load's contribution is more, and sliding speed
having a moderate impact. However, the sliding distance is
significantly less effective than the other two parameters for
the reinforced material specimen's wear. Higher weight loss
can be observed at 40 N at a sliding speed of 3.76 m/s. The
aluminium reinforced material wears out quickly by taking
higher loads and gives higher wear loss. Whereas the base
matrix material offers less weight loss for the same applied
load, sliding speed, and sliding distance. This is due to rein-
forcement material graphite, which acts as a solid lubricant
and protects the matrix material by forming a thin film and
Fig. 11 e Main effects plot for fitted means of weight loss avoiding higher weight loss.
for Alþ15%B4C. The main effect plot can be seen in Fig. 10 for weight loss of
Alþ5% MoS2. Based on this plot (Fig. 10), the load's contribution

Fig. 12 e Contour plot of weight loss for Al-2219.


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is more, and sliding speed having a moderate impact. In reinforced material specimen. Higher weight loss can be
contrast, the sliding distance has less effect than the other two observed at 40 N at a sliding speed of 3.76 m/s. The aluminium
parameters for wear of the reinforced material specimen. reinforced material wears out by taking higher loads and gives
Higher weight loss can be observed at 40 N at a sliding speed of linear wear loss, whereas compared with the base material
3.76 m/s. The aluminium reinforced material wore out quickly and reinforced material graphite and MoS2. This provides
by taking higher loads and giving higher wear loss. With the higher resistance to wear, which results in less weight loss.
base matrix material and reinforced material, graphite provides This is due to the addition of reinforcement material B4C. This
higher resistance to wear. This results in less weight loss for the hard ceramic material protects the matrix material by pre-
same applied load, sliding speed, and sliding distance. This is cipitation with the sliding disc and avoids direct contact,
due to the addition of reinforcement material MoS2, which acts preventing higher weight loss.
as a solid lubricant and protects the matrix material by forming
a thin film and avoids higher weight loss. 5.3.2. Contour and interactions plot for weight loss
Lastly, Fig. 11 shows the main effects plot for weight loss of Figs. 12e15 shows the contour plot of the weight loss, Fig. 12
Alþ15% B4C. From this plot, it is clear that the load's contri- shows the three variables for Al 2029 that show influence in
bution is more and sliding speed having a moderate effect, increment/decrement of weight loss withhold value (HV) of
while the sliding distance had significantly less effect the excluded parameter. In each combination, the weight loss
compared to the other two parameters for wear of the increases with an increasing level of parameters. Fig. 12(a)

Fig. 13 e Contour plot of weight loss for Alþ5%Gr.


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Fig. 14 e Contour plot of weight loss for Alþ5%MoS2.

shows that the weight loss supplements influence a minimum of materials. Fig. 14(c) shows the variable of sliding distance
sliding speed and load however Fig. 12(b) shows the weight versus sliding speed withhold value of load in which increment
loss increases. It is proved from the figure by the increasing in sliding rate will increase the weight loss. In contrast, sliding
trend of reinforcement with average sliding speed. Fig. 12(c) distance is constant concerning sliding speed. The most
demonstrates the weight loss was reduced by a higher per- exciting results are seen in Fig. 15 (Alþ15%B4C) of weight loss.
centage of reinforcement with a high sliding distance. Fig. 15(a) shows the weight loss increased when both param-
Whereas this is approximately similar for the case of Alþ5%Gr eters increased (sliding speed and load) with reinforcement.
(Fig. 13). However, the sliding distance will not influence more con-
Fig. 14 shows the weight loss is less when the sliding speed cerning applied load (Fig. 15(b)), and this is almost similar when
is less, and load is minimal compared to the other above two sliding distance with sliding speed (Fig. 15(c)).
cases, but the constant load increment in speed will increase In addition, interaction plots were constructed for all
weight loss (Fig. 14(a)). Fig. 14(b) shows the weight loss is possible parameter combinations. In terms of graphical rep-
approximately constant for the lower applied load. In contrast, resentations, the findings show the impact of input parame-
if the sliding distance increases for the continuous load, it will ters in one-way (single) and two-way (double) combinations
increase weight loss, and this may result in the reinforcement on the output response. These interaction plots were obtained
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Fig. 15 e Contour plot of weight loss for Alþ15%B4C.

for four different outputs as indicated in Table 1. These results for the case of L (N) * S-D (m), the weight loss increases due to
revealed the variations of defined input parameters to its the fact the load increase. Moreover, Figs. 17e19 shows that
output response in terms of weight loss at different combi- the phenomena of these results are nearly similar only small
nations of materials (Hybrid MMC's). changes were found in numerical values of each case due to
Fig. 16 depicts the influence of input parameters in change in materials reinforcement. These results show some
different combinations for the output response of Al2219 of the parameter's combination/interactions doesn't influence
material. In these phenomena, it has been found that the the in-weight loss of hybrid MMC's. Meanwhile, it was also
weight loss will vary when the parameter changes either in realized from the interaction plots that the combinations in
terms of their levels or interactions. For example: in a two-way different parameters will influence weight loss.
interaction S-D (m) *L (N), and S-D (m) *S (m/s) the weight loss
varying with nearly constant values when the level of these 5.4. Data distribution through linear regression
parameters will increase. The increment in these interactions equation
is very small and it can be considered as constant variation.
However, for the case of other interactions of a parameter Using the L27 orthogonal array through MINITAB software, a
such as L (N) *S (m/s), and S (m/s) * S-D (m) the weight loss statistical model based on linear regression equations was
increases when the level of these parameters increases. In identified for the present investigation. Based on each
these combinations, sliding speed plays a dominant role in component and material combinations test represented by a
weight loss because the base materials in all MMC's is linear polynomial model (regression equations), and the
aluminium and the aluminium strain rate is sensitive. Also, equations are.
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Fig. 16 e Interaction plot of weight loss for Al-2219.

Fig. 17 e Interaction plot of weight loss for Alþ5%Gr.

Model 1 Model 2

Al 2219 ¼  5:60 þ 0:2752 L ðNÞ þ 1:118 S ðm = sÞ 5% Gr ¼  5:50 þ 0:2656 L ðNÞ þ 0:934 S ðm = sÞ


(2)
þ 0:00095 S  D ðmÞ þ 0:00161 S  D ðmÞ (3)
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Fig. 18 e Interaction plot of weight loss for Alþ5%MoS2.

Model 3 Response material test combination values were deter-


mined from the linear regression Eqs. (2)e(5) for all test
5%MoS2 ¼  4:45 þ 0:2322 L ðNÞ þ 1:173 S ðm = sÞ cases to find the expected outcomes and percentage vari-
þ 0:00014 S  D ðmÞ (4) ance. Fig. 20 (a to d) represents the residual errors with R-
Model 4 square values of each test, and the minimum R-square was
found 81.24% for weight loss in m-gm for 15% B4C. The er-
15% B4 C ¼  5:48 þ 0:2167 L ðNÞ þ 1:230 S ðm = sÞ rors may occur in the measuring procedure like the combi-
þ 0:00151 S  D ðmÞ (5) nation of a mixture of materials with a proper formation,

Fig. 19 e Interaction plot of weight loss for Alþ15%B4C.


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Fig. 20 e Regression prediction plots.

and the operation's accuracy. Similarly, the experiment observed that for all optimization cases investigated in this
depends on the number of mechanical properties as process work, the R-square value variation was lowest for Alþ15%
parameters are conditioned for the operations. From there, B4C composite when compared to the base alloy and the
expected values can be measured, real values subtracted, other composites.
and the effects squared. That will remove the average ab-
solute value from each of the actual values, square the re-
sults, and count them to determine the overall variance.
The following can be expressed for comparison through the
R-square,
 2
RSS X yi  y bi
R2 ¼ 1  ¼1   2 (6)
TSS i yi  y i

RSS is the sum of the square of residuals, TSS is the total


sum of the square, and R2 is the coefficient of determina-
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26
tion. Then Eq. (6) represents that there is divide the second
sum (total variance) by the first sum of errors (explained
variance), deduct the result from one, and will have the R-
square. In the present study value of R-square found 88.30%
for Ai 2029, 87.27% for Alþ5%Gr, Alþ5%MoS2, and 81.24% for
Alþ15% B4C, respectively. It means that our experimental
results with the present parametric combination have
effective performance in reinforcement materials. It is Fig. 21 e Estimate of standard deviation for 27 cases.
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Fig. 22 e Comparison of the linear regression model.

Fig. 23 e Surface Morphology of the tested specimen.

5.5. Confirmation tests all combinations. L (N), S (m/s), and S-D (m) input values are
specified in the respective spectrum of their stages, as seen in
In this current analysis, the developed linear regression model Table 5. The variations, however, are identical to the orthog-
is examined for its practical consequences. Experimental tests onal array L27, which showed the input values of Table 6.
were conducted for this purpose to record the simple effects of Again, linear regression models for both response cases were
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presented. Later calculated the percentage deviation for each


example, and it is found in the range of 23.135% to 0.2832%, 7. Future work
for test 1, 26.235%e0.0184% for test 2, 19.1048%e0.1625% for
test 3, and 23.665% to 0.172% for test 4. Fig. 21 displays the Based on the present investigation with limited experimental
linear regression model of the combination of materials for all findings and testing, this work can be extended to
the studies. The values are dispersed with variations to each further experimental study more than optimization and the
side of the comparison line. current technique focused and achieved optimum results.
The specific point values of all control experiments are Moreover, some major contributions/future work can be made
similar to the reference line of the linear regression model. following.
A linear regression model for materials is also shown,
which has verified better estimation with the control  The study can be done with an in-depth microstructural
management of the average absolute percentage variance investigation on the reinforcement and its amount in the
when equated to the material performance, as seen in Al-2219 matrix for the best wear property.
Fig. 22.  This study is possible to include optical and electron mi-
croscopy to characterize the spatial distribution of rein-
forcement. The presence of casting and interfacial defects
5.6. Surface morphology of tested specimen on the matrix microstructure. The phase changes due to
the reinforcement (compared to the original Al-2219) about
Fig. 23 (a)e(d) shows the composites' worn-out surfaces at mechanical properties.
an applied load of 40 N, sliding speed of 3.76 m/s, and a  By changing the particulates reinforcement size due to
sliding distance of 800 m for all the combinations of mate- limitless combination in materials, it is possible to increase
rial. The images of the worn surfaces are taken from the the percentage of volume fraction for graphite and MoS2 in
image analyzer to study the surface morphology. Worn future reference to investigate wear resistance on the
Out specimens at 40 N are considered for the study as aluminium matrix.
more wear loss is observed at that load. Micrographs
revealed that the Al-alloy specimen showed the deep
grooves formed due to the counter surface along the rota- Declaration of Competing Interest
tion direction. However, the 5% Gr composite showed the
deep groves covered with the Gr particulates forming the The authors declare that they have no known competing
smooth surface. Some delamination of the layer is also financial interests or personal relationships that could have
observed on the edges. appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Further from the image Fig. 23 (c), it can be observed that
there appears to be a still more smooth surface with few
deep grooves, which is due to the MoS2 particulates Acknowledgement
contributing to the solid lubricant layer. As wear propa-
gates, there is a formation burr edge on the specimen sur- This research is supported by the Structures and Materials
face's sides because of adhesive wear, which is seen on the (S&M) Research Lab of Prince Sultan University. Also, the au-
image's edges. Fig 23 (d) shows excellent scratches on the thors would like to acknowledge the support of Prince Sultan
surface than continuous grooves, there are slight traces of University for paying the Article Processing Charges (APC) of
ploughing to be seen in the matrix area, and the hardness of this publication.
the particles was the reason for wear resistance. These fine
grooves are due to B4C particulate piercing out of the matrix
during the wear process.
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