Fabrication and characterization of friction stir processed Al 6061 reinforced with TiB₂-Al₂O₃

Abstract

Purpose

The objective of the paper is to evaluate the fabrication process and to study the influence of process parameters of friction stir processing of 6061-TiB₂-Al₂O₃ Aluminum alloy surface composite on microhardness tensile strength, and microstructure.

Design/methodology/approach

Friction stir processing method is used for attaining the desired mechanical properties, and selectively processed reinforcements to fabricate the samples. The Taguchi technique was used to optimize rotational speed, travel speed and volume percentage of reinforcement particles to enhance the mechanical properties of 6061-TiB₂-Al₂O₃ Aluminum alloy composite.

Findings

The fabrication of surface composites through FSP allows new inventions in terms of material with enhanced surface layers without changing the base metal.

Practical implications

To examine the behavior of the surface of the composites in the different zones, the practical implication consists of the use of different characterization techniques like optical microscopy and scanning microscopy for microstructural behavior and the measurement of hardness and tensile tests for mechanical behavior.

Originality/value

The research work consists of tool design and process parameters, which can affect the final product (microstructural changes), and the performance of the modified surface layer behavior was studied and presented.

Citation

Rao, C.M. and Rao, K.M. (2021), "Fabrication and characterization of friction stir processed Al 6061 reinforced with TiB₂-Al₂O₃", International Journal of Structural Integrity, Vol. 12 No. 3, pp. 378-387. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSI-03-2020-0026