Optimization of dry sliding wear parameters through RSM approach of fine-grained 7075 Al alloy developed by MAC

Abstract

This study examines the influence of multi-axial Compression (MAC) on the wear attributes of 7075 Al alloy and optimize the dry sliding wear parameters using the response surface methodology (RSM). Optical microscopy images were used to detect microstructural changes in the 7075 Al alloy after MAC processing. The Face Centered Central Composite Design (FCCD) method was made up of three factors, each with three levels. To investigate the impact of various factors and how they interact with one another on wear, surface plots, contour plots, and mean effects plots were developed. The coefficient of regression R2 was 0.9621, demonstrating the constructed model’s acceptable accuracy. After six passes, average grain size was observed to reduce by up to 2.3 µm. The alloy processed by MAC is harder and stronger than the zero MAC pass alloy. The mechanical properties of Al alloy enhance with increased MAC pass. In this study, the Vickers micro-hardness, X-ray diffraction analysis, optical microstructural, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis (EDS), tensile test, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were performed on broken tensile specimens and worn surface of the wear pin.