Mechanical and metallurgical studies of multi-walled carbon nanotube–reinforced aluminium metal matrix surface composite by friction stir processing

Abstract

Aluminum alloys play a major role in the aircraft, shipbuilding, and automotive industries because of their superior strength-to-weight ratio. The aluminum alloy 5083 0 has been used in the shipbuilding industry due to its corrosion resistance properties wants is a nanoparticle that has unique properties based on its structure . Moreover, the presence of carbon results in a very high wear resistance. Its high tensile strength along with its good electrical properties makes it a desirable reinforcement for aluminum alloys. Friction stir processing is a solidstate processing technology that has acquired significant attention in recent years because of the solid-state processing wherein the mixing of materials takes place in the plastic state. This removes the disadvantages of liquid-state processing such as casting, which occurs in high temperatures and leads to various defects, in turn reducing the strength of the composites. These were the motivation behind the current study. In the present study, MWCNTs were reinforced in the magnesium-based aluminum alloy 5083 0. This study exploits the presence of carbon as a self-lubricating feature.