An Experimental Investigation for Multi-Response Optimization of Friction Stir Process Parameters During Fabrication of AA6061/B4Cp Composites

Abstract

In this work, friction stir processing (FSP) has been employed to fabricate metal matrix composites by incorporating B4C reinforcement particles into the aluminum AA6061 matrix. Taguchi experimental design, consisting of three factors and three levels, is used for minimizing the number of experiments. The factors considered are tool rotational speed, traverse feed and tool tilt angle. Desirability function analysis was employed to optimize the FSP parameters for simultaneous improvement of tensile strength and microhardness of the composites. The optimal parameters were found, and it was confirmed by experimental results. The composites fabricated using optimal process parameters exhibit a higher tensile strength (174 MPa) and microhardness (183 Hv). The tensile strength and microhardness values observed have been correlated with microstructural studies. Scanning electron micrograph revealed defect-free fabricated composites and uniform distribution of reinforcement particles in the stir zone.