Microstructure analysis and enhancement of ductility in aluminium alloy composite aa6082 by metallic particles reinforcement through friction stir processing

Abstract

Composite materials are attracted by many research scholars due to its wide applications in aerospace, automobile and other industrial sectors. Aluminium metal matrix composites are extensively popular due to its high strength, low density. Reinforcement of various ceramic particles in Aluminum metal matrix suffers a loss in ductility. There is a solution to improve ductility in aluminium metal matrix composite by reinforcing hard metallic particles. In this research aluminium alloy 6082 is used as metal matrix. Stainless Steel (SS) particles were reinforced to prepare AA6082 with 0, 6, 12 and 18 percentage of volume fractions through an advanced fabrication method Friction Stir Processing (FSP).Molybdenum (Mo) particles were used as another potential reinforcement material in the same metal matrix AA6082 with volume fractions of 0, 6, 12 and 18 percentages through an effective fabrication method Friction Stir Processing (FSP). A comparison of reinforcement materials of 316L SS and Mo particles were studied.No interfacial reaction was observed in the reinforcement of Mo particles in AA6082.The composite contained a homogenous distribution of the reinforced Mo particles. The distribution was uniform throughout the stir zone. Composite grains were greatly refined as a result of dynamic recrystallization and zener pinning effect. By seeing the results of the tensile test, it is revealed that reinforcement of Mo particles increased the strength of the prepared composite and the ductility. The particularly deep dimples on the fractured surfaces of the composite were due to appreciable increase of ductility.SS particles were successfully reinforced in the aluminum alloy metal matrix without any harmful interfacial reaction. newline