Development of Empirical Relationships for Prediction of Wear Properties of AA6092/B4C Aluminum Matrix Composites Produced Using Friction Stir Welding

Abstract

Aluminum Metal matrix composites (AMMCs) have gained significant attention in the automotive and aerospace industries due to their outstanding mechanical properties, combined with their lightweight and fuel-efficient characteristics. AMMCs have also garnered significant attention from researchers due to their potential to minimize the wear of counter face materials. This study investigates the dry sliding wear behavior of aluminum-based hybrid MMCs using an experimental approach. Friction Stir Welding (FSW) has emerged as a promising solid-state technique for welding AMMCs. The FSW experiments were designed using a Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) with four factors and five levels. Empirical models were developed to predict the influence of FSW process parameters including tool rotational speed (TRS), Welding Speed (WS), Axial Load (AL), and the percentage of Boron Carbide (B4C) reinforcement on key properties such as wear rate and wear resistance of the AMMCs. The developed regression model was developed to minimize the wear rate using response surface methodology (RSM) method and predicted wear rate is found to be 154.21 x 10-5 mm3/m. The maximum percentage errors for predicting optimal Wear Rate, and Wear Resistance (WR) were + 5.39%, and + 2.65%, respectively. The wear resistance of the AMMCs was also improved by following Friction Stir Welding (FSW).