Influence of Friction Stir Welding Parameters on Sliding Wear Behavior of AA6061/0-10 wt.% ZrB2 in-situ Composite Butt Joints

Over the last decade attempts have been made to fabricate aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) reinforced with several ceramic particles. Aluminum reinforced with ZrB2 particles is one such AMC. The successful application of new kind of AMCs lies in the development of secondary processes such as machining and joining. Friction stir welding (FSW) is a relatively new solid state welding which overcomes all the setbacks of fusion welding of AMCs. An attempt has been made to friction stir weld AA6061/ 0-10 wt. % ZrB2 in-situ composites and to develop empirical relationships to predict the sliding wear behavior of butt joints. Four factors, five levels central composite rotatable design has been used to minimize the number of experiments. The factors considered are tool rotational speed, welding speed, axial force and weight percentage of ZrB2. The effect of these factors on wear rate (W) and wear resistance (R) of the welded joints is analyzed and the predicted trends are discussed.