Nowadays metal matrix composite materials are preferable in automotive and aerospace industries due to their mechanical properties and essentially attractive strength to weight ratios. However, their availability in use is limited because of their manufacturing method difficulty and process extravagancy. The aim of this research was to fabricate metal matrix hybrid composite through a novel approach thermo-mechanical method called friction stir consolidation (FSC) process. XRD result witnessed the presence of SiC, ZrO2, and AZ61 alloy phases. Different compositions of AZ61, SiC, and ZrO2 powder were taken into consideration and the progression of the FSC process were examined through properties of compressive strength, hardness, density, and porosity. For instance, the compressive yield strength of composition 85%Vol. of AZ61, 10%Vol. of ZrO2, and 5%Vol. of SiC accounts 164.2 MPa with an acceptable 2.2451 g/cm3 and 0.593% density and porosity respectively. However, when the strength to weight ratio was taken into consideration, 95%Vol. of AZ61, 2.5%Vol. of ZrO2, and 2.5%Vol. of SiC composition attained highest strength to weight ratio value. Additionally, the compressive yield strength value increased directly proportional with the ZrO2 volumetric composition. Likewise, the fractured surface of sample acquired highest strength to weight ratio was examined through SEM Fractography analysis.

The purpose of this paper is to develop AA5052 aluminum alloy solid disc from machining wastes via friction stir consolidation (FSC) process & optimize its parameters: die rotational speed, pre-compact aspect ratio and processing time. At first, the required dedicated tooling is designed and built. Then, solid discs are fabricated from AA5052 aluminum alloy chips using FSC process. Taguchi L9 orthogonal array is used to analyze and optimize the process. Experimental parameters and their levels considered are rotational speed (315, 400 and 500 rpm), pre-compact aspect ratio (25.4/7, 25.4/5 and 25.4/3) and processing time (30, 45 and 60 sec). Using standard tests, compressive strength, hardness and microstructure of the consolidated solid disc are evaluated. The results reveal that solid discs are successfully fabricated using FSC using dedicated tooling, and rotational speed (500 rpm), pre-compact aspect ratio (25.4/3) and processing time (60 sec) are optimal processing conditions. Microstructure examination of the solid disc shows finer and fully recrystallized grains in axial cross section orientation. Moreover, the results show compressive strength and hardness of the solid disc are comparable to that of forged or cast disc and suitable for most engineering structural applications.

Friction stir consolidation (FSC) is a promising manufacturing process for metal matrix hybrid composites (MMHC) with excellent mechanical properties. The originality of this study involves the exploration of the fabrication technique (FSC), the selection of materials and the optimization of wear behavior via a systematic investigation of the process parameters. The aim of this study was to optimize and investigate the wear behavior of MMHCs fabricated using FSC. The optimum sample was nominated for thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and wear morphology analysis using SEM imaging. Material compositions of 7.5%wt of SiC, 7.5%wt of ZrO2 and 85%wt of AZ61 were considered for the experimental investigation. The RSM Box–Behnken design followed by a genetic algorithm (GA) was implemented to optimize the process parameters of sliding distance, speed and load at 350 m, 500 m and 650 m; 220 rpm, 240 rpm and 260 rpm; and 20 N, 30 N and 40 N, respectively. The RSM Box–Behnken result showed that the minimum wear rate of 0.008 mg/m was obtained at 350 m, 20 N and 240 rpm, whereas GA predicted the optimum parametric setup at 350 m, 20 N and 220 rpm. Additionally, TGA showed the material’s thermal stability from 375 °C to 480 °C. Generally, MMHCs exhibited a promising wear performance, proving the effectiveness of the FSC.