Implementation of Taguchi design for erosion of fiber-reinforced polyester composite systems with SiC filler

With the increased use of fiber/filler-reinforced polymer composites in erosive work environments, it has become extremely important to investigate their erosion characteristics intensively. This article describes the development of a multi-component composite system consisting of thermoplastic polyester resin reinforced with E-glass fiber and SiC particles, and studies its erosion behavior under different operating conditions. A room temperature erosion test facility and Taguchi's orthogonal arrays are used for experimentation. It identifies significant control factors influencing the erosion wear and also outlines significant interaction effects. Finally, optimal factor settings for minimum wear rate have been determined using a genetic algorithm.