Application of the Taguchi and ANOVA methods to optimize high-energy ball milling parameters for dislocation density of TiO2 powder

Due to its particular properties, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been widely used in industry. In this study, the high-energy ball milling (HEBM) parameters, including milling time (MT), ball-to-powder weight ratio (BPWR), and milling speed (MS), have been optimized using the Taguchi method. TiO2 dislocation density (DD) was used to estimate the effect of the HEBM. The experiment was applied using the 𝐿16(43) orthogonal array (OA). The as-received and milled powders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The DD, determined by the Williamson-Hall (W-H) method in XRD patterns, varied between 0.02⋅ 10−2 − 8.26 ⋅ 10−2 lines/nm2 depending on the HEBM conditions. The optimum milling parameter combination was determined by analysis of signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio. Based on the S/N ratio analysis, optimal HEBM conditions were found at MT 50h, MS 600rpm, BPWR 50:1. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to find the significance and percentage of contribution of each milling parameter. Statistical analysis by S/N and ANOVA established that the MT was the most effective parameter, followed by MS and BPWR. The results of the parameter optimization experiments were validated by a confirmation test with a 90% confidence level.