Experimental Investigation of the Friction Stir Weldability of AA8006 with Zirconia Particle Reinforcement and Optimized Process Parameters

Abstract

A lightweight, highly corrosive resistant, and high-strength wrought alloy in the alumi-num family is the Aluminium 8006 alloy. The AA8006 alloy can be formed, welded, and adhesively bonded. However, the recommended welding methods such as laser, TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas welding), and ultrasonic are more costly. This investigation aims to reduce the cost of welding with-out compromising joint quality by means of friction stir welding. The aluminum alloy-friendly re-inforcement agent zirconia is utilized as particles during the weld to improve the performance of the newly identified material AA8006 alloy in friction stir welding (FSW). The objectives of this research are to identify the level of process parameters for the friction stir welding of AA8006 to reduce the variability by the trial-and-error experimental method, thereby reducing the number of samples needing to be characterized to optimize the process parameters. To enhance the quality of the weld, the friction stir processing concept will be adapted with zirconia reinforcement during welding. The friction stir-processed samples were investigated regarding their mechanical proper-ties such as tensile strength and Vickers microhardness. The welded samples were included in the corrosion testing to ensure that no foreign corrosive elements were included during the welding. The quality of the weld was investigated in terms of its surface morphology, including aspects such as the dispersion of reinforced particles on the welded area, the incorporation of foreign elements during the weld, micro defects or damage, and other notable changes through scanning electron microscopy analysis. The process of 3D profilometry was employed to perform optical microscopy investigation on the specimens inspected to ensure their surface quality and finish. Based on the outcomes, the optimal process parameters are suggested. Future directions for further investigation are highlighted.

Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, and Corrosion Behavior of Boron Carbide Reinforced Aluminum Alloy (Al-Fe-Si-Zn-Cu) Matrix Composites Produced via Powder Metallurgy Route

“…As indicated by this examination, the most elevated compressive strength was noticed for the specimen compacted at 500 MPa, and sintered at 575 °C for 3 h. The enhancement in the compressive strength may be accredited to the shifting of load from matrix to the hard reinforcement [47,48]. The increasing strength of these composites as the B4C wt.% rises could be ascribed to the dispersal strengthening effect [49]. The maximum plastic deformation and strain hardening acquaint with powder amid compaction at maximum pressure to produce good results, leading to maximum compressive strength.…”

Parameter Study on Friction Surfacing of AISI316Ti Stainless Steel over EN8 Carbon Steel and Its Effect on Coating Dimensions and Bond Strength

“…However, the weight losses detected are very low and are between 6 and 9 mg. Hence, this proved the steel’s corrosion resistivity and demonstrated strong resistance [ 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ].…”

Influence of Heat Treatment and Reinforcements on Tensile Characteristics of Aluminium AA 5083/Silicon Carbide/Fly Ash Composites

“…A tangent sigmoid transfer feature operates in the hidden layer [54][55][56]. A linear transfer function and the 'Levenberg-Marquardt' learning algorithm are used in the output layer [57,58]. In Table 8, the correlation coefficient of ANN models is shown for testing, training, and validation data.…”