Microstructure and mechanical properties of magnesium alloy reinforced with TiB2 and B4C processed through friction stir processing

Abstract

Due to its light weight, particulate magnesium metal matrix composites have become a popular choice for industrial applications in the fabrication of vehicles. There were a few practical challenges with creating magnesium-based alloy composites, such as flammability and significant shrinkage. Despite the real time fabrication limitations, researchers are being attracted in magnesium metal matrix composites that are reinforced with particulate reinforcements due their high strength to weight ratio. Friction Stir Processing is one of the most widely used processes used to produce Magnesium metal matrix composites. Because of low process temperature, it is mostly impervious to chemical reactions that are caused during conventional manufacturing processes. The present research work emphasis on the development of AZ31alloy composite by friction stir processing reinforced with TiB2 and B4C particulate reinforcements. The effect of added reinforcement in mechanical properties like tensile strength, hardness, and wear performance were observed. The addition of TiB2 helps in improving the ultimate tensile strength of the magnesium MMC. SEM observations have shown that the number of passes increased it refined the grain size. Particle sizes were also seen to be reduced in size as the increment in passes. The variation in the tensile strength was not impressive; on the other hand, the hardness of FSPed samples has increased in comparison to the base material. Samples have shown improvement in resistance to the wear rate as an increase in traverse speed and it was seen to increase that resistance to wear was increased as the passes were incremented.