Improvement in Tribological Performance of Ni-P-TiO2 Composite Coatings Using Taguchi Technique with Grey Relational Analysis

Tribological performance of Ni-P-TiO2 composite coatings is improved by varying the tribological test parameters such as normal load, wear track diameter, and duration of test aiming at minimum wear and friction of the coating. Taguchi technique with grey relational analysis is employed for optimization of multiresponse problem using orthogonal array (OA). Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is used to find out the significant effect of test parameters and their interactions on friction and wear behavior of the coating. ANOVA results reveal that normal load and time (test duration) have the most significant effect in controlling wear and friction of the coating. Interaction between normal load and wear track diameter has some significant effect. Scanning electron microscopy of worn surface shows abrasive wear to be predominant. The surface morphology, composition, and phase structure analysis are done with the help of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, respectively.