Fabrication of AA6061/Al2O3 nano ceramic particle reinforced composite coating by using friction stir processing

Nano ceramic particle reinforced composite coatings were created by incorporating Al2O3 ceramic particles into the surface of AA6061-T6 alloy plate with multiple pass friction stir processing (FSP). Optical microscopy and Micro-Vickers hardness tests were employed to investigate the influence of axial force and the number of FSP pass on the distribution of the ceramic particles and the hardness of the generated nano ceramic particle reinforced composite coating. Results show that the composite coating is as deep as the length of the pin probe. No distinct interface was developed between the coating and the base metal. The composite region becomes greater as the axial force and the number of FSP pass increased. At the same time, the distribution of the ceramic particles became more homogeneous. Nano particles in the coating have no significant effect on the macro-hardness of AA6061-T6 aluminum alloy even in the composite zone due to the softening of matrix material resulted from overaging. Spindle torque of the tool increased with increasing axial force, while it became less variable and smaller in subsequent pass compared to that in the first pass.