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Friction Stir Processing of Al-TiB2 In Situ Composite: Effect on Particle Distribution, Microstructure and Properties

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Abstract

Aluminum-based in situ composites suffer from the age-old issue of particle segregation along the grain boundaries after casting. In the present study, friction stir processing (FSP) was employed as a secondary process to improve the distribution of in situ formed TiB2 particles in Al-based composite. All the agglomerates of TiB2 were broken, and uniform distribution of particles was achieved after double-pass FSP. Also, FSP removed the casting defects and caused significant grain refinement of the Al matrix. The microstructure was characterized by equiaxed fine grains with average size of 3 µm and narrow grain size distribution. The microstructural refinements and homogenization after FSP not only enhanced the strength but also improved the ductility of the as-cast composite.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the faculty at Materials Joining Laboratory, Dept. of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT Madras, for providing access to NRB supported FSP facility.

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  1. Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600 036, India

    Devinder Yadav & Ranjit Bauri

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  1. Devinder Yadav
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  2. Ranjit Bauri
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Correspondence to Devinder Yadav.

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Yadav, D., Bauri, R. Friction Stir Processing of Al-TiB2 In Situ Composite: Effect on Particle Distribution, Microstructure and Properties. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 24, 1116–1124 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-015-1404-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-015-1404-6

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