Erosion Response of Thixoformed A356-5TiB(2) in situ Composite Using Taguchi's Experimental Design

Abstract

The present article describes the application of Taguchi's experimental design methodology to investigate the erosion wear behavior of in situ-formed A356-5TiB(2) composite subjected to thixoforming. The effects of process parameters-such as impact velocity, erodent temperature, erodent size, standoff distance, and impingement angle-on the erosion rate have been analyzed. The results indicated that impact velocity is the most significant factor and accounts for 42.31% of the total effect on the erosion rate of the thixoformed A356-5TiB(2) composite. It is found that material loss during erosive wear is primarily due to microploughing (i. e., abrasive type) and microfracture (i. e., impact type). The erosion rate of thixoformed A356-5TiB(2) in situ composite was found to be 48.82 mg/kg, which is nearly 44% lower than that of as-cast alloy.