Experimental Analysis of Machinability of ZrB2-B4C Using WEDM along with Phase Determination and Mechanical Properties

In this experimental study, the influence of wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) process parameters—pulse-on time (Ton), pulse-off time (Toff), peak current (IP), and servo voltage (SV) —on the surface roughness and machining speed of the zirconium diboride-boron carbide (ZrB₂-B₄C-5%) composite was analyzed. The analysis was conducted using the response surface methodology (RSM), revealing an optimal machining speed of 5.2 mm/min at a duty factor (DF) of 0.35 and a minimum surface roughness of 1.680 μm at DF-0.2. The fabricated composite exhibited a bulk density of 5.76 ± 0.2 g/cm3. Furthermore, the material was characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. The processed ZrB₂-B₄C-5% composite demonstrated an average hardness of 1532 ± 10 HV.