Processing and Testing of Aluminum based Hybrid Surface Composites by Friction Stir Processing

Abstract

Abstract The ever increasing service necessities in industries like automobile and aerospace demands the engineers to use the aluminium based composites which are reinforced by either single or mixture of ceramic particles. When hybrid reinforcements are used, the resulting composites are having superior mechanical properties. In the present experimental work, the Al 5083 was reinforced by Titanium oxide and aluminium oxide to the depth of 2mm and processed by solid state friction stir processing technique. To prepare the surface composites, three non-consumable rotating tools were used with different tool pin profile such as square, straight cylinder and taper cylinder. The other parameters like tool rotational speed, tool traverse speed, number of passes were maintained uniform. Totally three workpieces were processed in order to inspect the ultimate tensile strength, yield strength and micro hardness. The test results shown that the square tool pin has delivered the highest strength and hardness than the other tool pin profile. The micro hardness test results showed that the hardness of the reinforced zone is higher than unreinforced region.