Comparison studies on mechanical and wear behavior of fabricated aluminum surface nano composites by fusion and solid state processing

By way of increasing the wear resistance, the service life of the industrial components can be enhanced. Nowadays fabrication of surface composites plays a vital role in improving wear resistance. This study attempts to fabricate such surface composites by way of incorporating nano particles of Boron carbide into the Aluminum 5083 alloy by Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) arc process (liquid state) and friction stir (solid state) process. Microstructural studies were carried out on the processed region to analyze the dispersion of reinforcement particles. Hardness survey and dry sliding wear tests at different sliding loads (30 N, 60 N &120 N) were carried out to investigate the effect of reinforcing particles. The hardness and wear resistance of the fabricated surface composite by both the processes are found to be higher than the base material. Friction stir processed surface composites are possessing higher hardness and wear resistance than that of TIG arc processed composites. The worn out surfaces of the composites and wear debris were analyzed through SEM studies to understand the wear mechanisms.