Investigation of wear behavior in Ni-Ti-SiC composites fabricated via microwave sintering

The combination of nickel (Ni) and titanium alloy (Ti) with silicon carbide (SiC) reinforcement offers promising avenues for research and applications due to their exceptional resistance to heat, oxidation, and corrosion properties. These studies investigate the influence of silicon carbide (SiC) on Ni-Ti matrix materials, focusing on Ni-Ti-SiC composites fabricated through the microwave sintering method. The microstructure analysis reveals uniform dispersion of Ni and Ti, indicating desirable properties. This study utilized the Taguchi methodology to optimize the wear rate of Ni-TiSiC composites by examining sliding distance, load, and sliding velocity as essential variables. The experimental findings showed a minimum wear rate of 0.014 mg/m under certain conditions and a maximum of 0.052 mg/m under other conditions. The optimal wear rate was determined using the signal-to-noise ratio (SN ratio) at a sliding distance of 1500 m, load of 20N, and sliding velocity of 1 m/s. Sliding distance was found to be the most significant factor affecting wear rate (55%), followed by load (32%) and sliding velocity (7.3%) according to the variance analysis. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis showed increased wear grooves and a smoother surface in the specimen with the lower wear rate. Atomic force microscopy was used to analyze the worn surfaces, revealing detailed 3D image patterns. Surface parameters showed significant variations between surfaces with higher and lower wear rates. Surfaces with lower wear rates exhibited minimum average roughness (6.69 nm) and maximum peak-to-valley roughness (88.65 nm). (author)