Abstract:Taguchi technique was used to predict the influence of processing parameters on the erosive wear behavior Al7034-T6 composite reinforced with SiC and Al2O3 particles in different mass fractions. These hybrid metal matrix composites (HMMCs) were fabricated by using a simple technique called stir casting technique. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to study the surface morphology of the composite and its evolution according to processing time. The design of experiment (DOE) based on Taguchi’s L16 orthogonal array was used to identify various erosion trials. The most influencing parameter affecting the wear rate was identified. The results indicate that erosion wear rate of this hybrid composite is greatly influenced more by filler content and impact velocity respectively compared to other factors. This also shows the significant wear resistance with the increase in the filler contents of SiC and Al2O3 particles, respectively.

Key words: hybrid metal matrix composite; erosive wear; stir casting; SiC; Al2O3; Taguchi design