Hindawi

Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

Volume 2022, Article ID 4511140, 13 pages
https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/4511140

Research Article
Experimental Analysis and Optimization of Tribological
Properties of Self-Lubricating Aluminum Hybrid Nanocomposites
Using the Taguchi Approach

Vinoth Kumar Selvaraj,1 S. Jeyanthi,1 Raja Thiyagarajan,1 M. Senthil Kumar,1 L. Yuvaraj,2

P. Ravindran,3 D. M. Niveditha,1 and Yigezu Bantirga Gebremichael 4
1
School of Mechanical Engineering, Vellore Institute of Technology, Chennai 600127, Tamilnadu, India
2
Department of Automobile Engineering, Acharya Institute of Technology, Bangalore 560107, Karnataka, India
3
Department of Mechanical Engineering, St. Mother Theresa Engineering College, Vagaikulam, Thoothukudi, Tamilnadu, India
4
School of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering, Kombolcha Institute of Technology, Wollo University, Kombolcha, Ethiopia

Correspondence should be addressed to Yigezu Bantirga Gebremichael; yigezu@kiot.edu.et

Received 6 July 2022; Accepted 8 September 2022; Published 4 October 2022

Academic Editor: K. Raja

Copyright © 2022 Vinoth Kumar Selvaraj et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is
properly cited.

In recent times, tribological properties are gaining and grabbing great attention in metal matrix composites. They can provide
significant benefits such as a lower coefficient of friction, wear resistance, high strength, and stiffness. Considering all these
parameters, this research article mainly focuses on developing an aluminum hybrid nanocomposite material fabricated by powder
metallurgy. Then, the results were examined using a pin-on-disk apparatus. Further optimization techniques such as the Taguchi
approach under Design of Experiments have been adopted to obtain a minimal outcome of various assumed parameters such as
A. percentage weight fraction of graphite content (Gr), B. the sliding distance, C. the sliding speed, and D. the stress applied. In
addition, we have chosen parameters such as friction and wear loss for optimizing the outcome, including the main effect plots for
the S-N ratio and the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) approach. Based on the experimental results, we have noticed that friction
and wear loss coefficient increase with increased applied load and sliding distance. Also, it was noted that there was a slight
decrease in the coefficient of friction and wear loss when an increment was made in the graphite content, respectively. It was
perceived that the sample containing 10% of graphite (Gr) could create a self-lubricating effect that significantly reduced wear loss
and the coefficient of friction. Finally, by considering all these achieved results, aluminum nanocomposites can be employed in
automobile, defense, and aerospace applications as they can reduce the weight of the components with improved wear behavior
and more thermal stability.

1. Introduction Practical aluminum-based exhibits not only have high

mechanical and wear properties but are capable of achieving
Recent research has reported that metal matrix composites self-lubricating properties.
with aluminum have exhibited low density and the ability to Because the metal matrix is one of the traditional
strengthen the material by precipitation, corrosion resis- composites with various nanofillers, aluminum matrix alloys
tivity, thermal stability, and high electrical conductivity for can significantly improve both mechanical and mechanical
potential tribological applications in the automotive and self-lubrication properties [8, 9]. Aluminum with silicon
aerospace industries [1, 2]. It was found that inserting ce- carbide composites reinforced with graphite nanofillers was
ramic particles such as graphite, silicon carbide, aluminum used to create a combination of Al-SiC-Gr hybrid com-
oxide, and titanium carbide improved the noticeable tri- posites [10]. Furthermore, due to their exceptional features,
bological and mechanical properties of AMMCs [3–7]. the market for hybrid composites has grown dramatically in
2 Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

the last five years. Furthermore, it was found that the cre- Table 1: Specifications of nano-fillers used in the base material.
ation of nano-crystalline hybrid AMMCs has a much higher Nanofillers Density (g/cm3) Melting point Grain size (nm)
strength than microcrystalline composites [11]. Numerous
Silicon carbide 3.22 2730 100
reports and experimental studies have been conducted on Graphite 2.26 3600 40–50
aluminum nanoparticles’ dry condition wear behavior. It has
been reported that the combination of aluminum and silicon
carbide reduces the coefficient of friction; the addition of mentioned earlier, Taguchi’s experimental approach and
10% silicon carbide and 6% graphite increased the bulk ANOVA are adopted to evaluate the obtained results and
mechanical characteristics [12]. It has resulted from the determine the effect of the percentage of various compo-
combined action of an aluminum matrix combined with nents on the fabricated composite material. At the same
graphite and ceramics, resulting in noticeable good wear time, microstructure of the fractured surfaces and analysis of
characteristics [13]. The influence of silicon carbide content worn surfaces of the pin was studied using SEM. It is
on Al6061 was studied using silicon carbide and graphite characterized to understand the better wear mechanism and
hybrid composite processing, compact behavior, and analyze the topography of the fractured surfaces.
properties using in-situ powder metallurgy (IPM) tech-
nology [14]. Most of the work was focused on and carried 2. Materials and Methodology
out on experimental work. Also, few mathematical models
were based on factorial or Taguchi approaches [15, 16]. 2.1. Materials Required for the Fabrication of Aluminum
This has resulted from using liquid metallurgy to in- Hybrid Nanocomposites. The nanocomposites were syn-
vestigate the effect of sliding speed on the dry condition of thesized using the powder metallurgy approach. In this
wear behavior of hybrid metal matrix composites. Fur- present research work, aluminum alloy 2024 is used as the
thermore, many investigations were conducted using silicon base material, and the chemical composition of aluminum
carbide/Gr aluminum composite, including squeeze casting matrix AA 2024 is (Cu-4%, Mg-1.7 to 1.8%, Fe-0.5%, Mn-
and stir-casting [17]. The homogenous reinforcing distri- 0.23 to 0.25%, Si-0.3 to 0.5%, Cr-0.25%, and Zn-0.2%, and
bution is a benefit of powder metallurgy. The structural, balance is aluminum). The main reason for choosing alu-
mechanical, and high wear resistance properties are all minum alloy as a matrix material is that it is considered
improved by this homogenous distribution. According to excellent for corrosion resistance, strength, and damage
literature sources, the number of investigations into the tolerance at high and low temperatures. In addition to these,
tribological behavior of hybrid composites is quite restricted. four different hybrid nanocomposites were created, in-
The majority of the published research studies, on the other cluding AA2024, AA2024 with 5% silicon carbide, AA2024
hand, concentrated on the consequences and effects of with 5% SiC and 5% Gr, and AA2024 with 5% SiC and 10%
several constraints on sliding wear and coefficient of friction Gr, respectively. Specifications for silicon carbide and
and their behavior towards hybrid composites [18]. From graphite are listed in Table 1. At the same time, the me-
the extensive literature survey, very minimal experimental chanical properties of the fabricated hybrid nanocomposites
work was carried out in the study, mainly focused on are listed in Table 2.
characteristics and parameters that influence the tribological
behavior of nanohybrid composites. Most of the reported
works were targeted at micron-size particle-reinforced 2.2. Preparation of Hybrid Nanocomposites. A mixture of Al
aluminum composites [19, 20]. The novelty of this present 2024, SiC, and Gr powders were ground in a planetary ball
investigation is to explore the optimized wear behavior of the mill to create a hybrid Al nanocomposite. All four different
nano-SiC and Gr-reinforced aluminum matrix composites types of powder mixes were put through a high-energy
using Taguchi design. The automobile wear components are planetary ball milling process using vials and tungsten balls.
the targeted applications for the developed aluminum matrix The mechanical alloying procedure was carried out at
composites. 300 rpm in a toluene medium to prevent oxidation or
The primary objective of this research article is to utilize powder adhering to the vial wall. The powder was ground for
powder metallurgy to fabricate a nanohybrid aluminum up to 2 h using tungsten balls with a 10 mm diameter and a
metal matrix composite and practice the Taguchi approach 10:1 ball-to-powder weight ratio. It is manually applied
under Design of Experiments to analyze the optimal out- earlier to each trial. The literature review reported that the
comes of the coefficient of friction and wear loss [21]. By combination of powders was hard-pressed in a uniaxial press
expanding the usage of fractional factorial design to include where pressure is maintained at 700 MPa for generating
orthogonal arrays, Taguchi’s experimental design, response green compacts. It was also reported that sintering of the
surface methodology, and others can further simplify the compacts was conducted for 60 min at a controlled tem-
trials [22–26]. Based on the results, this method offers a perature of 530°C [27]. In addition, all of the sintered
quick and flexible way to improve the outcome’s perfor- composites were subjected to a solution treatment in a
mance, cost-effectiveness, and quality. Also, the current furnace at a temperature of 540°C for roughly 120 min,
research attempts to investigate and optimize various pa- followed by a 72-hour water quenching process. Wear
rameters such as graphite reinforcement, the load applied, specimens are fabricated, ensuring that the diameter is 8 mm
sliding distance, and sliding speed on the wear behavior of with a height of 30 mm. Meanwhile, the specimen edges are
aluminum hybrid nanocomposites. Apart from the factors polished with various grades of emery paper. According to
Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 3

Table 2: Mechanical properties of the fabricated aluminum with silicon carbide and graphite nanocomposites.
Experimental density (g/ Predicted density (g/ Porosity
S. no. Chemical mixture (wt. %)
cm3) cm3) (%)
1 Aluminum alloy (AA) 2024 2.857 2.912 1.888
2 AA2024/5% silicon carbide nanocomposite 2.902 2.941 1.326
AA2024/5% silicon carbide/5% graphite hybrid
3 2.864 2.924 2.051
nanocomposite
AA2024/5% silicon carbide/10% graphite hybrid
4 2.841 2.908 2.303
nanocomposite

parameter yields. Compared to the traditional experimental

study method, this strategy significantly reduces the number
Applied Load of trial runs of experiments needed to design the response
functions. According to conventional experimentation, it is
also impossible to analyze all components and determine
their separate impacts in a single experiment. The Taguchi
LVDT for wear technique has been adopted to overcome these drawbacks by
measurement Stationary Pin considering all these factors. This Taguchi technique has
been developed exclusively for minimizing processes that
can optimize and find the best combinations of elements for
specific outcomes. Each variety of trials was repeated or
performed twice to achieve more optimized results. The
Rotating Disc
signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) is calculated from the experi-
mental data, and graphs are plotted accordingly. Various S/
N ratios are possible depending on the type of experiments
Figure 1: Components of the pin-on-disk test apparatus (Ducom, carried out. The S/N ratios are divided into three categories.
model no: ED-201). They are smaller, considered the better one, whereas
nominal is deemed the best ratio, respectively. For the
minimal values of the coefficient of friction and wear loss,
Archimedes’ principle, the actual density of the fabricated better characteristics are achieved in the S/N balance. The S/
samples was measured using a high-accuracy weighing N ratio is considered using a logarithmic transformation of
balance with a reading of 0.0001 mg. Besides, porosity is also the loss function as represented in the following equation:
determined by comparing the theoretical and actual density
obtained from each sample. S 1
� 10Log 􏼐􏽘 y2 􏼑, (1)
N n
2.3. Wear Test. The sliding wear characteristics were carried where n = no. of observations and y = observed data.
out using pin-on-disc equipment from Ducom, model No. From Table 3, we can identify the three levels for the four
201, according to the ASTM G99-05 standard. EN31 steel process parameters as (factors), which include (1) the weight
was used for the counter disc, as shown in Figure 1. Before percentage of graphite, (2) the applied load, (3) sliding
experimenting, all the pins and disc surfaces on the distance, and (4) sliding speed. Table 4 represents a con-
equipment were thoroughly cleaned with acetone. The tests ventional Taguchi experimental plan with notation L27 (313).
were performed with loads ranging from 10 to 20 N. Also, Table 5 describes the various conditions under which the
sliding distances ranged from 500 to 2500 m with speeds of trials were conducted. Minitab user manual software was
1-2 m/s. After each trial, organic solvents such as acetone used to create the mean-response plots, and ANOVA
were used to clean the specimens and the counter face disc, analysis was adopted to determine the % of influence in
which helped eliminate residues and impurities. The weight testing constraints [28].
of the pins was evaluated before and after testing to de-
termine the total wear loss. After six repetitions, the results 3. Results and Discussions
of each test were noted and averaged at the end.
3.1. Physical Measurements. According to Archimedes’s
principle, the physical measurement (density) of newly
2.4. Sequential Steps to Perform Design of Experiments. In this produced aluminum-based nanocomposites increased and
research work, the experiment follows a three-level design reduced negligibly with the insertion of silicon carbide and
based on the Design of Experiments (DOE) method. Fac- graphite nanosize fillers into the AA 2024 as matrix material.
torial, Taguchi, RSM, and mixture are some of the different The results also demonstrated that the experimental and
DOE techniques. A sophisticated design of experiments’ tool predicted values were very similar. Figure 2 displays the
is included in this Taguchi approach, which provides smart, density of hybrid nanocomposites as a function of grain
efficient, high-quality systems for determining optimal content. This suggests that the experimental methods
4 Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

Table 3: Input variables and levels for nanocomposites.

Input variables Units Level (I) Level (II) Level (III)
A: Graphite nanofillers Wt. % 0 5 10
B: Applied load N 10 15 20
C: Sliding distance m 500 1500 2500
D: Sliding speed m/s 1 1.5 2

Table 4: Orthogonal array L27 (313) of the Taguchi approach.

L27 (313) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2
3 1 1 1 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
4 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 3 3 3
5 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 1 1 1
6 1 2 2 2 3 3 3 1 1 1 2 2 2
7 1 3 3 3 1 1 1 3 3 3 2 2 2
8 1 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 3 3 3
9 1 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1
10 2 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3
11 2 1 2 3 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1
12 2 1 2 3 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2
13 2 2 3 1 1 2 3 2 3 1 3 1 2
14 2 2 3 1 2 3 1 3 1 2 1 2 3
15 2 2 3 1 3 1 2 1 2 3 2 3 1
16 2 3 1 2 1 2 3 3 2 1 2 3 1
17 2 3 1 2 2 3 1 1 2 3 3 1 2
18 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 2 3 1 1 2 3
19 3 1 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 2
20 3 1 3 2 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 1 3
21 3 1 3 2 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 2 1
22 3 2 1 3 1 3 2 2 1 3 3 2 1
23 3 2 1 3 2 1 3 3 2 1 1 3 2
24 3 2 1 3 3 2 1 1 3 2 2 1 3
25 3 3 2 1 1 3 2 3 2 1 2 1 3
26 3 3 2 1 2 1 3 1 3 2 3 2 1
27 3 3 2 1 3 2 1 2 1 3 1 3 2

utilized in this study can develop near-dense materials. The chosen. It contains 27 rows, 13 columns, and four wear
experimental and predicted densities obtained from each parameters, namely (i) graphite (Gr) nanofillers, (ii) applied
sample were used to calculate the porosity of the materials. load, (iii) sliding distance, and (iv) sliding speed. In addition
The lowest porosity samples (1.326 percent) were obtained, to these, the second column was labeled as graphite (Gr)
indicating that near-dense materials were received and that reinforcement (A), the third column as load (B), the fourth
the alloying ingredient and reinforcement were successfully as sliding distance (C), the fifth as sliding speed (D), and the
absorbed into the matrix. Figure 3 shows that as the weight remaining columns were labeled as interactions. Further, the
percentage of graphite fillers increased, the porosity of the trials were conducted utilizing the orthogonal array with
composites deteriorated. varying degrees of freedom in each row. Finally, an Analysis
of Variance was used to compare the results obtained from
the wear test.
3.2. Plan of Experiments. The orthogonal array is purely
anticipated and based on the elementary limits of the degree
of freedom, which is meant to be larger or equal to the 3.3. Analysis of Variance and Their Respective Effects over
number of parameters that are considered in wear ac- Factors. It is practical to understand the impact of various
cordingly, according to research and literature reviews on factors on the input parameters of graphite wt. % as rein-
the orthogonal array [29]. It represents various factors and forcement fillers, applied load, sliding distance, and sliding
levels and their importance. The experiment comprises 27 speed and their respective relations to the model analysis of
experiments (one for each row of the L27 orthogonal array), the variance table to find the order of significance. Initially, a
which involve parameters allocated to each column. To survey was conducted with a 95 percent level of significance.
perform an orthogonal array for our experiment, L27 was The results evaluated from the analysis of variance of hybrid
Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 5

Table 5: Experimental design using L27 (313) orthogonal array.

(213) L27 A B C D Wear loss (g) Signal-to-noise ratio (dB) Coefficient of friction Signal-to-noise ratio (dB)
1 0 10 500 1.0 0.0035 49.118 0.149 17.289
2 0 10 1500 1.5 0.0106 38.493 0.162 16.171
3 0 10 2500 2.0 0.0203 33.850 0.177 15.801
4 0 15 500 1.5 0.0069 43.223 0.189 15.353
5 0 15 1500 2.0 0.0164 33.703 0.201 14.712
6 0 15 2500 1.0 0.0268 31.437 0.157 16.782
7 0 20 500 2.0 0.0082 41.723 0.214 14.322
8 0 20 1500 1.0 0.0159 36.756 0.187 15.366
9 0 20 2500 1.5 0.0351 29.093 0.199 14.921
10 5 10 500 1.5 0.0039 48.178 0.157 17.086
11 5 10 1500 2.0 0.0091 40.819 0.166 16.459
12 5 10 2500 1.0 0.0147 36.653 0.140 17.921
13 5 15 500 2.0 0.0041 47.744 0.155 16.359
14 5 15 1500 1.0 0.0101 39.913 0.149 17.623
15 5 15 2500 1.5 0.0230 32.765 0.151 17.292
16 5 20 500 1.0 0.0058 44.731 0.195 15.091
17 5 20 1500 1.5 0.0161 35.863 0.208 14.358
18 5 20 2500 2.0 0.0312 30.116 0.211 14.257
19 10 10 500 2.0 0.0027 51.372 0.169 16.346
20 10 10 1500 1.0 0.0059 44.583 0.161 16.157
21 10 10 2500 1.5 0.0125 39.061 0.173 16.089
22 10 15 500 1.0 0.0037 48.636 0.184 15.467
23 10 15 1500 1.5 0.0098 41.175 0.189 15.761
24 10 15 2500 2.0 0.0182 34.798 0.191 15.368
25 10 20 500 1.5 0.0049 46.196 0.195 15.288
26 10 20 1500 2.0 0.0132 38.588 0.217 14.931
27 10 20 2500 1.0 0.0245 32.216 0.231 13.657

2.910 2.985 coefficient of friction. The contribution coefficient of friction

is less significant for the load (p � 60.23 percent), sliding
Experimental density (g/cm3)

2.895 2.970 distance (p � 3.25 percent), and sliding speed (p � 8.63

Predicted density (g/cm3)

percent). The interaction AxC (p � 2.53 percent) has a

2.880 2.955 relatively minor effect on the friction coefficient, but the
remaining interactions have no effect. As a result, sliding
2.940 distance is the most important testing parameter for re-
2.865
ducing wear loss. However, the most important factor
2.925 influencing the coefficient of friction has been discovered to
2.850 be graphite reinforcement.
2.910
2.835
AA 2024 0 5 10 3.4. Impact of Testing Parameters over Wear Loss. The in-
Gr (Wt.%) fluence of various tests and their respective interactions are
Experimental density (g/cm3) plotted on wear loss of the nanocomposites, and their sig-
Predicted density (g/cm3) nificant effects are plotted for the S/N ratio graph, as shown
in Figure 4. It is predicted that there will be no significant
Figure 2: Experimental and predicted density of fabricated effect if the constraint line of the main effect plot is sig-
nanocomposites.
nificantly closer to the horizontal line. Furthermore, the
parameters that will have the most significant impact on the
nanocomposites with wear and coefficient of friction used in cable are heavily skewed. The figure shows that the sliding
this study are tabulated, respectively. Table 6 shows that the distance is the most critical parameter, whereas other pa-
sliding distance (p � 72.09) significantly impacts wear loss. rameters such as graphite (Gr), applied load, and sliding
In addition to this, the graphite content (p � 9.53), load speed had less impact on the wear loss. From all these
(p � 13.95), and sliding velocity (p � 0.49) of all these pa- statements, we can say that when the contact time increases,
rameters have a minor impact on the wear loss. In contrast, the sliding distance also increases, resulting in a massive area
interactions did not show any significant effect. of contact, which affects the formation of wear debris [30].
Similarly, from Table 7, it shows that the graphite Wear loss appears to rise as the applied stress and sliding
content (p � 11.12 percent) significantly impacts the distance increase, indicating that more materials are being
6 Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

2.5

2.0

Porosity (%)
1.5

1.0
AA 2024 0 5 10
Gr (wt%)

Porosity (%)
Figure 3: Attained porosity results for fabricated nanocomposites.

removed from the surface. Furthermore, when the sliding This phenomenon is observed until the graphite weight
speed was increased, wear loss gradually decreased, resulting percent reaches 10% [31]. This is because the aluminum
in the formation of a rich graphite layer on the fractured matrix contains graphite, which functions as a superb lu-
surface. This phenomenon reduces the wear effect by cre- bricant by spreading over the entire topography and pro-
ating more contact areas. The composite with 10% graphite ducing a thick layer of lubricating coating on the surface,
content reported superior wear resistance at higher loads which eventually reduces friction by limiting contact on the
compared to other conditions. sliding surface. When the percentage of graphite on the
surface is greater than 10%, the friction increases due to the
oxide layer’s fracture within the surface, weakening the
3.5. Impact of Testing Parameters on the Coefficient of Friction.
fractured surfaces. The cohesion of sliding surfaces generates
The consequences of testing parameters and the interaction
abrasion because it causes interaction between the specimen
plot on the coefficient of friction and their respective effect
and the counter, which eventually increases the coefficient of
plot for the S/N ratio are shown in Figures 5 and 6. Because
friction [32].
parameter A has achieved the highest inclination, the grain
reinforcement has a similar effect on the composite coeffi-
cient of friction, while sliding speed, distance, and load have
3.6. Linear Regression Models. General linear regressions
just attained a lesser impact when compared to others. On
were used to determine the interactions between the com-
the other hand, the coefficient of friction is nearly invariant
ponents (A) graphite weight percentage, (B) load, (C) sliding
with the sliding distance for entirely fabricated composites.
distance, (D) sliding speed, and the measured constraints.
The main reason behind this is that the proportion of
The following regression equations were eventually applied
graphite in all the samples is considered more stable. The
to wear and the coefficient of friction in the following
coefficient of friction in all the composites increases sig-
equations:
nificantly when the weight percentage of graphite increases.

1. Wearloss(g) � −0.0008704 + 0.000136389A + 2.77778e − 7B + 2.05e − 6C

(2)
+ 0.00134444D − 1.23333e − 5A ∗ B − 3.283333e − 7A ∗ C + 5.75e − 7B ∗ C,

2. Co − efficientoffriction � 0.0899537 − 0.00066666A + 0.003B + 1.73889e

(3)
− 5C0.0016666D − 0.00016A ∗ B + 1.33333e − 7A ∗ C − 4.66667e − 7B ∗ C.

The wear loss and coefficient of friction qualities of the residuals used to check the model’s validity as described by
manufactured samples were further evaluated within the equations (2) and (3). The actual impacts are detected using
range of variables before testing, replacing the computed the standard probability plot, whereas the points are very
values of the relevant variables with those from equations (2) close to the average probability line in the central limit
and (3). Figure 7 shows a standard probability plot of the theorem. The researcher [22] reveals that the model
Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 7

Table 6: ANOVA for wear loss, using adjusted SS for tests.

Degrees of freedom Sum of squares Adjusted sum of squares Adjusted mean of squares P Percentage of
Source F-value
(DOF) (SS) (ASS) (AMS) value contribution
A 2 0.0001320 0.0001320 0.0000660 117.85 0.002 9.53
B 2 0.0002888 0.0002888 0.0001444 261.45 0.001 13.95
C 2 0.0014915 0.0014915 0.0007458 1387.12 0.000 72.09
D 2 0.0000103 0.0000103 0.0000052 9.65 0.013 0.49
A∗ B 4 0.0000060 0.0000060 0.0000015 1.81 0.125 0.29
A∗ C 4 0.0000334 0.0000334 0.0000083 0.45 0.003 1.64
B∗ C 4 0.0001037 0.0001037 0.0000259 0.75 0.025 1.86
Error 6 0.0000032 0.0000032 0.0000005 0.15
Total 26 0.0020689 100
S � 0.000731817 R-Sq � 99.84% R-Sq (adj) � 99.33%.

Table 7: ANOVA for the friction coefficient, using adjusted SS for tests.
Degrees of freedom Sum of squares Adjusted sum of squares Adjusted mean of squares F- P Percentage of
Source
(DOF) (SS) (ASS) (AMS) value value contribution
A 2 0.0037443 0.0037443 0.0018721 7.95 0.001 11.12
B 2 0.0012574 0.0012574 0.0006287 36.41 0.002 60.23
C 2 0.0022005 0.0022005 0.0011003 0.55 0.000 3.25
D 2 0.0000130 0.0000130 0.0000065 4.56 0.813 8.63
A∗ B 4 0.0004846 0.0004846 0.0001211 2.01 0.064 6.98
A∗ C 4 0.0001015 0.0001015 0.0000254 0.84 0.547 2.53
B∗ C 4 0.0001650 0.0001650 0.0000413 1.37 0.349 4.03
Error 6 0.0001813 0.0001813 0.0000302 3.23
Total 26 0.0081476 100
S � 0.00549747 R-Sq � 97.77% R-Sq (adj) � 90.36%.

Main Effects Plot for SN ratios Main Effects Plot for SN ratios
Data Means Data Means

48 Gr Re inforcement Load Gr Reinforcement Load

18.5
44 18.0
40 17.5
Mean of SN ratios

Mean of SN ratios

36 17.0
32 16.5
0 5 10 10 15 20 0 5 10 10 15 20
Sliding distance Sliding speed Sliding distance Sliding speed
48 18.5
44 18.0
40 17.5
36 17.0
32 16.5
500 1500 2500 1.0 1.5 2.0 500 1500 2500 1.0 1.5 2.0
Signal-to-noise: Smaller is better Signal-to-noise: Smaller is better

(a) (b)

Figure 4: Main effects plot. (a) Wear loss of aluminum with a mixture of SiC and Gr hybrid nanocomposites. (b) Coefficient of friction with
a blend of SiC and Gr hybrid nanocomposites.

developed for estimating both friction and wear loss of coefficient of friction and wear loss characteristics are rep-
aluminum hybrid composites is represented in (2) and (3). resented in Table 8. The response table gives the results of all
the metric averages mentioned above at each factor level.
3.7. Examining and Assessing the Outcome of the Experiments Also, this table provides all the ranks of the impacts based on
Using the Taguchi Approach. Generally, in the Taguchi ap- the delta statistics, which compares the degree of effects to
proach, we use the S/N ratio as a critical and significant which they are closely related [33]. The delta statistics equal
component for interpreting experimental data. According to each factor’s highest average minus the lowest standard. Based
this Taguchi approach technique, the signal-to-noise ratio on the results, the highest delta value earns rank one, whereas
must have the highest value as the study determines optimal the second-highest delta value receives rank two. The eval-
testing circumstances. The S/N ratio response tables for the uated coefficient of friction and wear resistance values were
8 Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

Interaction Plot for Wear Loss

Data Means
10 15 20 1.0 1.5 2.0
0.03

0.02
Gr reinforcement
0.01

0.03

0.02
Load
0.01

0.03

0.02
Sliding distance
0.01

0.03

0.02
Sliding speed
0.01

0 5 10 500 1500 2500

Gr reinforcement Load Sliding distance Sliding speed

0 10 500 1.0
5 15 1500 1.5
10 20 2500 2.0
Figure 5: Interaction plots for wear loss.

10 wt. % graphite reinforcement with 10 N applied load with uneven, and with deep grooves. A small degree of graphitic
500 m sliding distance and 1 m/s sliding velocity. film layer may be seen in worn topography. The very thick
layer of the graphite film may be seen. It implies that only
minor plastic deformation occurs throughout the sliding
3.8. Confirmation Experiment. Taguchi proposes to be a
phase. The aluminum matrix, the graphite-containing
confirmation test to compare the results with the investi-
samples, produces a solid lubrication effect and improves
gational data. The results are confirmed based on the results
hardness, minimizing wear loss as sliding distance increases
drawn from the study by executing a confirmation test. After
[33].
identifying the optimum and suitable conditions, a confir-
mation test was carried out, utilizing an amalgamation of the
most satisfactory levels and comparing the results with the
3.10. Analysis of Worn Surfaces of Pin Using SEM. The main
expected results. The wear loss in Table 9 is compared with
wear mechanisms responsible for wear loss during dry
the actual wear loss observed when ideal testing conditions
sliding tests of nanocomposites have been identified using
are used. Both estimates are in good agreement. When
SEM morphology investigations. The wear morphology of
perfect testing conditions are used, the S/N ratio increases by
the AA2024 alloy’s worn surface, as shown in Figure 9(a),
8 dB and 4.7876 dB. It implies that the model utilized in this
clearly shows the presence of deep permanent grooves
research can be adopted and can effectively predict the
parallel to the sliding direction, as well as microcracks and
behavior of wear and coefficient of friction.
certain damaged regions. This could be the cause of the
AA2024 alloy’s increased wear loss. It is also worth noting
3.9. Analysis of the Fractured Surface of Counter Disc that there are not many microcracks. On the surface of the
Topography. Analyzing the damaged topography of the AA 2024–5 wt. percent SiC nanocomposite, oxide layers
counter disc, one can reveal the wear mechanisms that have were discovered (Figure 9(b)). The presence of parallel and
occurred. Figure 8 represents the optical micrographs of the continuous scratches on the worn surface suggests that
fractured disc surface against the composite pins. While abrasive wear is the primary wear mechanism at work. This
sliding against this counterpart pin, they are irregular, is due to the hard particles from the counter surface or
Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 9

Interaction Plot for Coefficient of friction

Data Means
10 15 20 1.0 1.5 2.0

0.200
Gr reinforcement
0.175

0.150

0.200
Load
0.175

0.150

0.200
Sliding distance
0.175

0.150

0.200
Sliding speed
0.175

0.150
0 5 10 500 1500 2500

Gr reinforcement Load Sliding distance Sliding speed

0 10 500 1.0
5 15 1500 1.5
10 20 2500 2.0
Figure 6: Interaction plots for the coefficient of friction (µ).

Normal Probability Plot Normal Probability Plot

(response is Wear loss) (response is Co efficient of friction)
99
95
90 95
90
80 80
70 70
Percent

Percent

60 60
50
50 40
40 30
30 20
20 10
5
10
1
-0.002 -0.001 0.000 0.001 0.002 -0.012 -0.006 0.000 0.006 0.012
Residual Residual

(a) (b)

Figure 7: Standard probability plot. (a) Wear loss. (b) Coefficient of friction.

material in between the contact surfaces penetrating into the AA2024/5 wt. percent SiC/5 wt. percent Gr and AA2024/5
softer matrix during sliding, which contributes significantly wt. percent SiC/10 wt. percent Gr (Figures 9(c) and 9(d))
to wear. Furthermore, the inclusion of hard SiC particles revealed the presence of finer grooves parallel to the sliding
toughens the aluminum matrix, resulting in less wear. The direction and severe plastic deformation at the edges of the
presence of hard SiC particles in the matrix prevents the grooves (MML).
slider from cutting into the composite surface, minimizing The presence of graphite in the composites causes the
delamination. In comparison to the pure matrix alloy and creation of MML (tribolayer) between the sliding surfaces,
AA2024/5 wt percent SiC and smooth mechanically mixed giving the surface a smooth appearance. The wear mor-
layer, the worn morphology of hybrid nanocomposites phology of the AA 2024/5 wt. percent SiC/5 wt. percent Gr
10 Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

Table 8: Response table for S/N ratios: smaller is better.

Response to wear Response to the coefficient of friction
Levels
A B C D A B C D
1 38.71 41.46 46.77 40.34 16.68 17.89 18.30 17.50
2 39.64 39.38 38.88 39.23 17.41 17.82 17.52 17.53
3 41.51 37.03 33.22 39.30 18.56 16.94 16.83 17.62
Delta 3.80 5.43 13.55 1.11 1.86 0.95 1.46 0.13
Rank 3 2 1 4 1 3 2 4

nanocomposite is shown in Figure 9(c). Due to hand, is coated with a rather smooth MML coating, and the

Table 9: Evaluation of best outcomes of confirmation tests.

Combination of parameters Prediction
Levels Investigation of experimentations
A2B3C3D2 A3B1C1D1
Wear (g) 0.02877 0.00096 0.0015
S/N ratio (dB) 29.7326 52.1907 52.6524
Improvement of S/N ratio: 22.9198
A1B3C3D3 A3B1C1D1
Coefficient of friction (µ) 0.1687 0.1044 0.1152
SN ratio (dB) 15.3819 19.6292 20.1695
Improvement of S/N ratio: 4.7876

(a) (b)

100 μm 100 μm

(c) (d)

100 μm 100 μm

Figure 8: Optical micrographs of fractured topography of disc mated with (a) AA 2024 (b) AA 2024/5% SiC (c) AA2024/5% SiC/5% Gr (d)
AA2024/5% SiC/10% Gr nanocomposite with an applied load of 15 N and at a constant speed of 1.5 m/s.

microploughing and smearing, the composite’s surface is grooves are finer than the worn surfaces of the other
characterized by fine grooves. Furthermore, due to plastic nanocomposites.
deformation and the low fracture toughness of the graphite The wear behavior of nanocomposites is influenced by
included in the composite, some tear edges are prone to the graphite-enriched mechanically mixed layer that forms
detachment. The worn surface of the AA 2024-5 wt. percent immediately beneath the contacting surface. This MML
SiC-10 wt. percent Gr composite with various wear pa- prevents the pin from making direct contact with the
rameters is shown in Figure 9(d). The surface morphology of counter face. As a result, abrasive wear is significantly re-
AA 2024-5 wt. percent SiC-10 wt. percent Gr, on the other duced in the AA 2024–5 wt. percent SiC–10 wt. percent Gr
Advances in Materials Science and Engineering 11

(a) (b)
Ploughing

Fracture of
oxide particle

Crack
Micro pits

(c) (d)
Debris

Delamination layer

Grooves are mostly

restricted
representing high
wear resistance
Fracture of
oxide particle
Lubricant Film

Figure 9: SEM morphologies of the worn surface of (a) AA 2024 (b) AA 2024–5 wt. % SiC (c) AA 2024–5 wt. % SiC–5 wt. % Gr (d) AA
2024–5 wt. % SiC–10 wt. % Gr composite at an applied load of 20 N and a constant speed of 2 m/s.

nanocomposites. Furthermore, delamination and oxidative graphite weight percentage in the sample (6.38
wear are the most common mechanisms for material loss percent) are the most significant parameters
during sliding. impacting the sliding wear of the fabricated com-
posites within the selected range of experiments.
4. Conclusions (Based on their contribution percentages).
(4) Analysis of Variance also reveals that the elements
This current investigation is mainly carried out to explain
that most influence the friction behavior of com-
the experimental methodology and utilization of optimi-
posites within the chosen range of trials are the
zation techniques such as the Taguchi approach to examine
applied load (15.43%), sliding distance (27.00%),
the various parameters which affect the wear behavior of
sliding speed (0.16%), graphite content in the
hybrid metal matrix composites. Based on the experimental
composite (45.95%), and the load (7.73%) (based on
results, the following conclusions were made:
their contribution percentages).
(1) Taguchi’s approach of using an orthogonal array and (5) Adding graphite to the aluminum alloy matrix as a
ANOVA were adopted to evaluate the experimental subordinate reinforcement improves the material’s
results. ANOVA is used to assess the degree of the wear resistance while lowering the porosity and
best testing parameters for wear behavior. density of hybrid nanocomposites. Friction coeffi-
(2) According to the design technique ANOVA, cients and wear resistance were excellent in com-
A3B1C1D1 is considered the best combination of posites containing 10% graphite.
parameters (lowest level of load, sliding distance, (6) At a 95% confidence level, there was an excel-
speed, and highest level of graphite reinforcement). lent match between anticipated and actual wear
The factor of graphite nanofillers has the highest resistance. Furthermore, studies were confirmed
contribution to controlling friction. The character- to ensure that the best testing parameters were
istic of sliding distance has the maximum influence used.
on controlling the wear behavior of hybrid
nanocomposites.
(3) The wear loss and coefficient of friction polynomial Data Availability
models match the experimental values according to
the ANOVA results. This demonstrates that the The data used to support the findings of this study are in-
sliding distance (72.09 percent), sliding speed (0.49 cluded within the article. Further data or information is
percent), the load applied (13.95 percent), and available from the corresponding author upon request.
12 Advances in Materials Science and Engineering

Conflicts of Interest behavior of Al-SiC(n) hybrid composites with carbon addi-

tion,” Composites Part B: Engineering, vol. 108, pp. 291–300,
The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest 2017.
regarding the publication of this paper. [13] S. Basavarajappa, G. Chandramohan, K. Mukund, M. Ashwin,
and M. Prabu, “Dry sliding wear behavior of Al 2219/SiCp-Gr
hybrid metal matrix composites,” Journal of Materials Engi-
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[14] B. N. Sarada, P. S. Murthy, and G. Ugrasen, “Hardness and
The authors are thankful to the Vellore Institute of Tech- wear characteristics of hybrid aluminium metal matrix
nology, Chennai, for providing technical support in com- composites produced by stir casting technique,” Materials
pleting this research work. The authors appreciate the Today Proceedings, vol. 2, no. 4-5, pp. 2878–2885, 2015.
support from Wollo University, Ethiopia, for the research [15] A. Gupta, Renu, S. Ranjan Kumar, C. Goswami, and T. Singh,
and preparation of this manuscript. “Wear behavior of Al6061 nanocomposite reinforced with
nanozirconia,” Materials Today Proceedings, vol. 48,
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