Graphene-modified layer is obtained on 5083 aluminum alloy sheet material via friction stir processing. A special groove is cut in the aluminum plate and filled with graphene. The processing is carried out using an innovative technology with an appropriate tool. The temperature at a chosen point in the heat affected zone is measured in real-time by a remote-control system. Test specimens were prepared from the processed plates and metallographic analysis was carried out. The microhardness of the modified layer is measured perpendicular to the direction of processing and in depth. An increase in microhardness relative to that of the base material is found.

The composites based on aluminum alloys obtained by friction stir processing (FSP) combine the advantages of lightweight aluminum composites with the well-refined structure obtained by deformation in plastic state. When reinforcing elements in the form of powders or nanoplates are introduced in the process, of mixing they are evenly distributed in the processes zone, which acquires a fine-grained structure. The study examines specific results in the use of various tools and materials, as well as some basic parameters of the process in terms of surface smoothness, defects and some performance characteristics of the tested samples, such as strength, ductility, hardness and corrosion resistance.

Friction Stir Processing (FSP) is a method for solid-state processing, in which a rotating tool is moved onto the material surface to modify the microstructure and thus obtain improved properties of the material surface. We study the effects of FSP on aluminium alloy A6061-T651 using a tool made at the Institute of Metal Science, Equipment, and Technologies with Centre for Hydro- and Aerodynamics (IMSETCHA) of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. The tool has a threaded pin with three flutes and a concave shoulder. Optimal process parameters should always be chosen for the treatment of new materials and when a new instrument is used in order to achieve target properties of processed zone. The appropriate properties, like strength, hardness, corrosion resistance, etc. require process parameters that are correctly configured. The most influential parameters on friction stir processing are direction of rotation of the tool, rotation speed, and traverse speed of the processing. In this paper, we investigate the properties of the processed zone for a total of 16 regimes: 4 rotation speeds (900, 1100, 1300, 1500 rpm) and 4 traverse speeds (15, 30, 45, 60 mm/min) using counterclockwise rotation, comparing the results with a previous study using clockwise rotation. Metallographic inquiry, hardness and tribological tests are used to estimate the stirred zone quality.