Improvement of Fatigue Properties in a Cast Aluminum Alloy by Roller Burnishing and Friction Stir Processing

Abstract

Roller burnishing (RB) and friction stir processing (FSP) were applied to a cast aluminum alloy, AC4CH-T6 (equivalent to A356-T6), to improve the fatigue properties. In roller burnished specimens, Vickers hardness was increased until the depth of 60μm compared with that of the as-cast specimens, resulting in work-hardening by RB. The compressive residual stress on the surface of the roller burnished specimens was also increased from 35MPa to 132MPa. In order to investigate the effect of RB on the fatigue properties, rotary bending fatigue tests have been performed using the roller burnished and the as-cast specimens. The roller burnished specimens exhibited higher fatigue strength than the untreated specimens. It is due to the increase in hardness and compressive residual stress by RB. In addition, plane bending fatigue tests have been performed using the friction stir processed and untreated specimens. Fatigue strengths of the friction stir processed specimens were highly improved compared with untreated specimens as the results of the elimination of casting defects by FSP. However, the crack growth rates of the friction stir processed specimens were faster than those of untreated specimens. It is due to the softening of the material by heat input during the FSP.