Research Article

Experimental Investigation and Taguchi Optimization of the Tribological Properties of Boron Carbide Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites

Volume: 11 Number: BORON 2025 September 8, 2026
TR EN

Experimental Investigation and Taguchi Optimization of the Tribological Properties of Boron Carbide Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites

Abstract

In this study, the tribological performance of A7075 aluminum matrix composites reinforced with 5% B4C was investigated using the dry pin-on-disk method in accordance with the ASTM G99 standard. The effect of three different loads (10, 20, 30 N) and three different sliding speeds (1, 1.5, 2 m/s) on wear behavior was evaluated at a constant friction distance of 2500 m. Taguchi S/N ratio analysis was used to determine the relative effects of the parameters and the optimal conditions. The analysis results revealed that the most effective factor on both mass loss and friction coefficient was the applied load, while the effect of sliding speed remained secondary. The test results showed that the increasing load increased mass loss in accordance with Archard's Law but significantly reduced the average coefficient of friction (COF). This decrease in COF has been attributed to the protective tribo-film formed by the effects of increased load and surface temperature. This film reduced metallic contact and lowered friction by creating a solid lubricant effect. However, the fluctuations observed in the COF curves indicate that this film is not fully stable and continuously forms and breaks down during wear. The effect of sliding speed was not linear; specifically, under high load (30 N) and medium speed (1.5 m/s) conditions, the mass loss decreased compared to low speed (1 m/s) (39 mg vs. 33 mg), indicating that the protective layer became more effective under certain conditions. According to the optimization results, the most suitable values were determined to be 10 N for minimum wear and 30 N for minimum friction coefficient. The prediction accuracy of the developed statistical models was found to be high for COF (82.97%) and relatively low for mass loss (35.19%). This indicates that mass loss is strongly influenced by complex, nonlinear mechanisms such as tribo-film formation and thermal softening.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

Necmettin Erbakan University

Project Number

24YDR19001

Ethical Statement

No experiments involving humans or animals were conducted in this study. The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of scientific research and publication ethics. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest related to this study.

Thanks

This study was carried out with the financial and technical support provided by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Necmettin Erbakan University under the project number 24YDR19001. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Necmettin Erbakan University.

References

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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Materials Engineering (Other)

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

September 8, 2026

Submission Date

December 18, 2025

Acceptance Date

April 3, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 11 Number: BORON 2025

APA
Yılmaz, M., & Ekrem, M. (2026). Experimental Investigation and Taguchi Optimization of the Tribological Properties of Boron Carbide Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites. Journal of Boron, 11(BORON 2025), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.30728/boron.1843956
AMA
1.Yılmaz M, Ekrem M. Experimental Investigation and Taguchi Optimization of the Tribological Properties of Boron Carbide Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites. Journal of Boron. 2026;11(BORON 2025):1-11. doi:10.30728/boron.1843956
Chicago
Yılmaz, Musa, and Mürsel Ekrem. 2026. “Experimental Investigation and Taguchi Optimization of the Tribological Properties of Boron Carbide Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites”. Journal of Boron 11 (BORON 2025): 1-11. https://doi.org/10.30728/boron.1843956.
EndNote
Yılmaz M, Ekrem M (September 1, 2026) Experimental Investigation and Taguchi Optimization of the Tribological Properties of Boron Carbide Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites. Journal of Boron 11 BORON 2025 1–11.
IEEE
[1]M. Yılmaz and M. Ekrem, “Experimental Investigation and Taguchi Optimization of the Tribological Properties of Boron Carbide Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites”, Journal of Boron, vol. 11, no. BORON 2025, pp. 1–11, Sept. 2026, doi: 10.30728/boron.1843956.
ISNAD
Yılmaz, Musa - Ekrem, Mürsel. “Experimental Investigation and Taguchi Optimization of the Tribological Properties of Boron Carbide Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites”. Journal of Boron 11/BORON 2025 (September 1, 2026): 1-11. https://doi.org/10.30728/boron.1843956.
JAMA
1.Yılmaz M, Ekrem M. Experimental Investigation and Taguchi Optimization of the Tribological Properties of Boron Carbide Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites. Journal of Boron. 2026;11:1–11.
MLA
Yılmaz, Musa, and Mürsel Ekrem. “Experimental Investigation and Taguchi Optimization of the Tribological Properties of Boron Carbide Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites”. Journal of Boron, vol. 11, no. BORON 2025, Sept. 2026, pp. 1-11, doi:10.30728/boron.1843956.
Vancouver
1.Musa Yılmaz, Mürsel Ekrem. Experimental Investigation and Taguchi Optimization of the Tribological Properties of Boron Carbide Reinforced Aluminum Matrix Composites. Journal of Boron. 2026 Sep. 1;11(BORON 2025):1-11. doi:10.30728/boron.1843956