Investigation on the mechanical and corrosive behavior of FSW AA2218/B4C metal matrix composites

• Main Authors: Jayapalan, Senthil, Kumar, Rohan, Karthikeyan, Sivakumar, Chandrasekharan, Thiagarajan, Muthuswamy, Prabhahar, Babu, Surendra
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Boron carbide; Butt joints; Cold rolling; Composite materials; Corrosion currents; Corrosion potential; Corrosion resistance; Corrosion tests; Friction stir welding; Heat treatment; Mechanical properties; Metal matrix composites; Tensile strength; Welded joints; Welding parameters
• ISSN: 0094-243X; 1551-7616
• DOI: 10.1063/5.0194216

This research focuses on metal matrix composites made from AA2218 as the matrix material and Boron Carbide particle reinforcement. FSW joints with a butt joint arrangement were made using a machine that was created and built in the country of origin. The composite material was made utilizing a stir casting technique, and thereafter its mechanical properties were improved with cold rolling and T6 heat treatment. The reason for this is that the ceramic particles were evenly dispersed thanks to the pulses created along the tool pin’s sharp edges. Mechanical, and corrosion analyses all pointed to the rotating speed of the tool as the most significant factor. The tensile strength of the connection established with optimized weld parameters was found to be greater than that obtained with non-optimized weld parameters through tests performed along the welded junction. When comparing optimum weld parameters and non-optimised weld parameters, the effect of hardness along the joint was opposite in both cases. Grain restructuring, particle fragmentation from boron carbide, and particle redistribution from ceramic reinforcement all contributed to these issues along the joint. The results of the corrosion test showed the following when comparing the corrosion current, Icorr, between AA2218 and the weld joints of MMC2: Optimization of the AA AA2218 trumps the non-optimized version. This suggests that the MMC2 experienced greater difficulty during the electrochemical test, specifically with the anodic reaction. Ecorr, a corrosion potential gauge, showed the opposite trend, though. Therefore, MMC2 had better corrosion resistance.