Application of Hybrid AHP-TOPSIS Technique in Analyzing Material Performance of Silicon Carbide Ceramic Particulate Reinforced AA2024 Alloy Composite

Abstract

In this research work, the performance determining criteria’s (PDC) measures like mechanical, tribological and thermo-mechanical etc. of AA2024-SiC alloy composite (i.e. ASC-0; ASC-2; ASC-4; ASC-6) are analysed using hybrid Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preferences by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) technique (a Multi-Criteria-Decision-Making (MCDM) technique; computationally simple and easy to understand) in-order-to rank the composites formulations. The order of different PDCs as per AHP is: Coefficient-of-friction > Specific wear rate\u2009>\u2009Tensile strength ~ Cost > Hardness > Impact strength > Elongation ~ Flexural strength > Voids content ~ Actual density\u2009>\u2009Fracture toughness > Storage modulus > Thermal conductivity ~ Thermo-gravimetric analysis > Tan δ. The ranking order as per TOPSIS is: ASC-6\u2009>\u2009ASC-4\u2009>\u2009ASC-2\u2009>\u2009ASC-0. The sensitivity analysis study reveals robust ranking-order or priority-order of PDCs as obtained by AHP analysis, when the weights changes from ±30%. The obtained results are in tune with the ranking of the formulations on subjective ground. This proves that MCDM techniques like Hybrid AHP-TOPSIS aids in taking skillful decision by ranking the formulations based on performance measures.