In the present investigation, the effect of the friction stir processing (FSP) on the microstructural,
mechanical and tribological characteristics of as-cast A413 aluminum alloy was studied. The influence
of the tool rotational and traverse speeds on such characteristics was evaluated. The results revealed
that FSP has significantly improved the microstructure of the A413 Al alloy by eliminating structural
defects such as porosity and Si segregation. The size of the Si particulates as well as the a-Al grains
increases with increasing tool rotational speed and/or decreasing the tool traverse speed. The FSPed
zones exhibited better mechanical properties as well as dry sliding wear resistance than the as-cast
base alloy. |
