Effect of friction stir welding on microstructure, mechanical and wear properties of AA6061/ZrB2 in situ cast composites

Inadequate development of fabrication methods restricts the applications of new families of aluminum matrix composites (AMCs). Friction stir welding (FSW) is a potential candidate to join AMCs without any defects associated with conventional fusion welding processes. The primary objective of the present work is to apply FSW process to join AA6061/(0, 5 and 10 wt.%) ZrB2 in situ cast composites and evaluate the joint properties. The composites were prepared by reacting inorganic salts K2ZrF6 and KBF4 with molten aluminum and joined using a FSW machine at a tool rotational speed of 1150 rpm, welding speed of 50 mm/min and axial force of 6 kN. The joints showed the presence of various zones such as weld zone (WZ), thermomechanically affected zone (TMAZ) and heat affected zone (HAZ). The weld zone was characterized with a homogenous distribution of ZrB2 particles. The stirring action of the tool resulted in fragmentation of several clusters present in the parent composite. The weld zone exhibited higher hardness than that of the parent composite. The tensile strength of welded joints was comparable to that of parent composites. The wear resistance of the composites improved subsequent to FSW.