Optimization of the spark plasma sintering processing parameters of ECR-glass/TiO2/PI nanocomposite using Taguchi design of experiment

Abstract

This research evaluates the influence of process parameters of the spark plasma sintering (SPS) technique on the densification and hardness properties of ECR/TiO₂/PI nanocomposite. Taguchi’s design of experiment was employed for designing the sintering process, while analysis of variance (ANOVA) was adopted to evaluate the contribution of the factor variables to the response variable of hardness and density. 10 wt% ECR-glass and 4 wt% TiO₂ were used as reinforcements in the polyimide matrix at varying pressure and temperature for the physical experiment. The sintered samples were examined using a scanning electron microscope, nanoindentation tests, and an Archimedes-based density tester. The optimization was performed on total 9 numbers of runs of experiments. The most desirable SPS processing parameters were recorded at 320 °C and a pressure of 30 MPa. Under this processing condition, a density of 1.49 g/cm³ (relative density of 98.7%), Vickers hardness, and nanoindentation hardness value of 33.46 HV and 361.30 MPa, respectively, were obtained. This research work suggests a facile way to produce high-performance PI nanocomposite for various engineering applications, such as mechanical load-bearing and insulation applications.