Effect of Processing Parameters on Friction Stir Welded Aluminum Matrix Composites Wear Behavior

In the present work, the aluminum matrix composites reinforced with both SiC and graphite particles are joined using a friction stir welding (FSW) process. The wear characteristics of the welded joints were investigated at constant load of 50 N and a rotational speed of 1,000 rpm using a pin-on-disk wear testing apparatus. This study focuses on the influences of the FSW processing parameters (tool geometry, rotational speed, and welding speed) on the wear characteristics of the welded joint of the considered hybrid aluminum matrix composite under dry sliding conditions. The experimental results indicate that the wear resistance of the joint increases at high welding speeds (>45 mm/min) and/or low value of rotational speeds. Different tool pin profiles (square, octagonal, and hexagonal) are developed to perform the welding process, and the effects of the tool pin profile on the weldments were studied. It is found that joints welded with square pin profile have better wear resistance compared to the other p...