EVALUATION OF METALLURGICAL CHARACTERIZATION AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF AA7075/ZrB2 IN SITU AMCs AFTER FRICTION STIR PROCESSING

Many researchers have attempted to join Aluminum Matrix Composites (AMCs) using traditional fusion welding processes resulting in the formation of porosity, segregation, coarse microstructure, brittle intermetallic compounds and corrosion of ceramic particles. Friction Stir Processing (FSP) is the latest solid-state technique to achieve the homogeneous dispersion of reinforcement particles in the friction stir processed zone of AMCs [M. Shamanian, E. Bahrami, H. Edris and M. R. Nasresfahani, Surf. Rev. Lett. 25 (2018) 1950010]. The most widely used reinforcing material since the inception of FSP is inorganic (metallic) powders such as silicon carbide, titanium alloy, graphene, iron, stainless steel, nitrides and oxides, and fewer works have been reported on organic powders (i.e. bioprocessing using agro-waste powders) such as fly ash, palm kernel shell ash, coconut shell ash and rice husk ash [O. M. Ikumapayi, E. T. Akinlabi, S. K. Pal and J. D. Majumdar, Procedia Manuf. 35 (2019) 935]. In this work, the effect of FSP on the changes in metallurgical characterization and mechanical properties of AA7075/(3, 6 and 9) vol.% ZrB2 in situ AMCs was observed. After performing FSP, the AMCs were characterized using Scanning Electron Microscope and the mechanical properties such as Ultimate Tensile Strength and microhardness on the processed zone of the AMCs were calculated. The effect of FSP on AA7075/ (3, 6 and 9) vol.% ZrB2 in situ AMCs was investigated. The fracture morphologies on the processed surface of the AMCs were evaluated.