Studies on the mechanical and metallurgical properties of zro2gnp and b4cgnp reinforced AA6061 friction stir processed surface composites

Abstract

The need for materials with excellent performance at low cost has led researchers worldwide to shift their focus from monolithic materials to composite materials. Among the composite materials, aluminium-based composites continue to be the most promising option for further investigation to make engineering components feasible. Aluminium-based materials have made significant strides in the automotive, aerospace, and structural industries. However, despite their widespread applications, the surface deficiencies of aluminium alloys due to excessive thermal expansion and inadequate wear resistance restrict their use in mechanical and wear-related applications. Designing aluminium-based materials that exhibit excellent wear resistance, hardness and retain ductility and thermal properties presents a formidable challenge. Surface composites retain the properties of base materials and enhance surface characteristics. They are one of the potential candidates for applications that involve surface interactions. Friction stir processing (FSP) is one of the solid-state surface modification approaches for producing composite surface layers. The process can significantly alter the tribological, mechanical, and metallurgical properties of the processed materials by transforming the heterogeneous microstructure into more homogeneous and refined forms. Keeping all this in mind, this research work focuses on reinforcing ceramic materials onto the surface of aluminium-based alloy by FSP for enhancing the mechanical and tribological properties. newline