Evaluation on Powder Metallurgy Process Parameters of Ball-Milled AA8079-B4C Nanostructured Composites via Taguchi Grey Relational Analysis

Abstract

This work made an attempt to optimize the powder metallurgy (PM) process parameters of ball-milled AA8079-B4C composites via Taguchi grey relational analysis to attain better mechanical properties. The process parameters are reinforcement weight percentage, compaction pressure, sintering temperature, and sintering time, and the output responses are micro Vickers hardness and compressive strength. The different reinforcement weight percentages are AA8079-x wt.%B4C (X=5, 10, and 15 wt.%). The nanograin-refined green compacts were made at various compaction pressure 200 MPa, 300 MPa, and 400 MPa. The various sintering temperatures are 375°C, 475°C, and 575°C at different sintering times 1 h, 2 h, and 3 h. Taguchi L27 orthogonal array was utilized to examine the powder metallurgy process parameters. It could be understood from the results that higher reinforcement weight percentage, compaction pressure, and sintering temperature were determined as appropriate parameters to obtain maximum hardness and compressive strength.