Microstructural and sensor data analysis of friction stir processing in fabricating Al6061 surface composites

Abstract Aluminium alloys, having high strength, ductility, and toughness, are useful structural materials. Composites of these with ceramic reinforcements improve the hardness and wear-resistance, making them suitable for use in the aerospace and automobile industries. Since surface properties play a crucial role for most applications, the manufacturing of surface composites of aluminum alloys is recommended. For this purpose, friction stir processing (FSP) is being utilized nowadays. It refines the microstructure with a homogeneous dispersion of reinforcements into the matrix and improves physical characteristics like surface hardness, wear resistance, strength, etc, while retaining the original characteristics of remaining volume. The study aims to investigate and compare the temperature and vibration sensor data while manufacturing Al6061 surface hybrid composites by using FSP tools with different geometries. The FSP method is utilised for the fabrication of the composites with the copper and graphite powders mixture (1:1), reinforced into the matrix surface by using two H13 tools with two different pin profiles - threaded cylindrical and plain cylindrical. Holes of different diameters and depths are drilled on the Al6061 matrix for reinforcement addition. This FSP process is investigated using a thermal gun and a Cross-Domain Development kit for temperature and vibration measurement. The variation in the vibration signals occurring on the composite workpiece during the entire process with the temperature measurements at equal intervals, is obtained. It is found that both the temperature and vibration amplitudes (400 °C and 1111Hz) are lower in the composites fabricated by FSP tool with threaded pin profile than that by FSP tool with plain pin profile (455 °C and 1305 Hz). Also, the processed samples are investigated for the microstructure by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope and Energy-Dispersive x-ray Spectroscopy tests. It is found that the reinforcements are dispersed more uniformly and much reduced in size (0.5482 μ m) when prepared by the FSP tool with threaded cylindrical pin, while these particles are heterogeneously dispersed and less reduced in size (1.11 μ m) when processes by the FSP tool with plain cylindrical pin. This research can be used to further monitor and control properties like temperature, vibration, force, current, etc, to obtain a uniform reinforcement dispersion with improved mechanical properties during the surface composite preparation by FSP.