Metallurgical, mechanical and tribological behavior of Reinforced magnesium-based composite developed Via Friction stir processing

Reinforced magnesium metal matrix nanocomposites (MMMNCs) have piqued the interest of scientific community in recent years. Friction stir processing (FSP) is a known process to achieve the highest level of secondary phase nanocomposites distribution in the base monolithic matrix. In this study, an attempt has been made to synthesize magnesium base AZ61A/n-TiC nanocomposites using FSP and the influence of tool rotational speed on the metallurgical, mechanical, and tribological behavior of the developed composites has been studied. Microstructural examination shows that as tool rotational speed increases, high plastic deformation occurs and heat is generated along with the concomitant shattering impact of rotation, which consequently develops larger grains in the stir zone. However, this also provides thrusts resulting in uniform distribution of the nanoparticles in the base matrix. Microhardness and ultimate tensile strength of the developed nanocomposite were found to be significantly improved when contrasted with the base metal. Lower wear rate was observed for the composite developed at 800 rpm along with the abrasive type of wear mechanism.