Influence of the Friction Stir Process on the Corrosion Resistance, Machining, and Mechanical Properties of Al6101-SiC Composite

Abstract

In this study, friction stir processing (FSP) was used to create new surface properties of the Al 6101-SiC composite, and different types of friction stir process tools are used like cylindrical with thread and conical with thread. The SEM and EDAX analyses made it evident that texture appeared in FSPed Al6101 both with and without SiC. Due to the refined grain structure and the inclusion of SiC in the composite, both FSPed samples’ hardness and tensile strength were found to be higher than those of the base alloy. In contrast to FSPed and base material, the composite had a lower percentage of elongation. Drilling experiments led to machining research that showed FSPed Al6101 to have larger cutting forces than the base and composite materials. These findings revealed that SiC served as reinforcement in the material, increasing hardness and cutting forces during drilling. Electrochemical tests on the corrosion behavior showed that the composite had less corrosion resistance than the FSPed alloy but had slightly better corrosion resistance than the base material. Al6101-SiC composites were found to have superior mechanical characteristics and greater machinability. However, when creating an Al6101-SiC composite via FSP, it is crucial to consider corrosion resistance degradation.