Optimal material selection for high temperature tribological application: an integrated multi criteria decision study

High temperature tribological automotive components are crucial parts of automotive to perform the required function. Aluminum alloys are known for their high strength-to-weight ratio, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. This alloys have proved their worth in automotive application. Owing to the incorporation of different reinforcements in aluminum alloys, it allows to develop novel composites with desirable properties. However, the selection of suitable aluminum alloy for high temperature tribological application is crucial. This research article focused on selecting the most optimal material for usage in high temperature tribological applications. This study employed advanced multi-criteria decision making methodologies, specifically weights of criteria are calculated using entropy method and ranking of aluminum alloys have been done using technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and combined compromise solution (CoCoSo) method to investigate the complex process of material selection. By taking into account key criteria such as thermal degradation (TD), hardness (H), ultimate tensile strength (UTS), density (D), thermal conductivity (TC), melting point (MP), wear rate (WR), and corrosion resistance (CR), and three alternatives. The research aims to address the fundamental problems associated with material selection in the production of high temperature tribological automotive component. The study’s findings highlight that among the three variants of 6xxx aluminum alloys (AA6061, AA6082, and AA6005) under examination, AA6082 emerges as the most optimal choice. The alternatives rank determined by the TOPSIS and CoCoSo methods, are identical when weighted using the entropy method. These findings provide valuable insights to manufacturers, equipping them with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions geared towards enhancing the performance and reliability of their high temperature tribological application of components.