Enhancement of wear and ballistic resistance of armour grade AA7075 aluminium alloy using friction stir processing

Industrial applications of aluminium and its alloys are restricted because of their poor tribological properties. Thermal spraying, laser surfacing, electron beam welding are the most widely used techniques to alter the surface morphology of base metal. Preliminary studies reveal that the coating and layering of aluminium alloys with ceramic particles enhance the ballistic resistance. Furthermore, among aluminium alloys,7075 aluminium alloy exhibits high strength which can be compared to that of steels and has profound applications in the designing of lightweight fortification structures and integrated protection systems. Having limitations such as poor bond integrity, formation of detrimental phases and interfacial reaction between reinforcement and substrate using fusion route to deposit hard particles paves the way to adopt friction stir processing for fabricating surface composites using different sizes of boron carbide particles as reinforcement on armour grade 7075 aluminium alloy as matrix in the present investigation. Wear and ballistic tests were carried out to assess the performance of friction stir processed AA7075 alloy. Significant improvement in wear resistance of friction stir processed surface composites is attributed to the change in wear mechanism from abrasion to adhesion. It has also been observed that the surface metal matrix composites have shown better ballistic resistance compared to the substrate AA7075 alloy. Addition of solid lubricant Mo S2 has reduced the depth of penetration of the projectile to half that of base metal AA7075 alloy. For the first time, the friction stir processing technique was successfully used to improve the wear and ballistic resistances of armour grade high strength AA7075 alloy.     

Consequence of reinforced SiC particles and post process artificial ageing on microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir processed AA7075

Friction stir processing and post process artificial ageing was successfully carried out on AA7075 with and without reinforcement of SiC particles producing defect free processed zone with uniform distribution of filler material. Effect of SiC particle reinforcement and artificial ageing times on the microstructural modifications was characterized using optical and electron microscopy, electron backscattered diffraction and X-Ray diffraction. Hardness, impact and wear tests were carried out to investigate mechanical behaviour before and after processing. Reinforcement of SiC particles during FSP and subsequent age hardening treatment brought about nearly twofold increase in hardness and impact toughness values by the combined effect of grain refinement, Zener pinning, dispersion strengthening and precipitation hardening. Significant improvement in wear resistance in terms of wear loss was also observed after processing compared to the reference material AA7075-T6. Fractured surface of post FSP age hardened AA7075 alloy exhibited features of ductile fracture during Charpy impact test.     

Microstructure and pitting corrosion of armor grade AA7075 aluminum alloy friction stir weld nugget zone-Effect of post weld heat treatment and addition of boron carbide

Friction stir welding(FSW) of high strength aluminum alloys has been emerged as an alternative joining technique to avoid the problems during fusion welding.In recent times FSW is being used for armor grade AA7075 aluminum alloy in defense,aerospace and marine applications where it has to serve in non uniform loading and corrosive environments.Even though friction stir welds of AA7075 alloy possess better mechanical properties but suffer from poor corrosion resistance.The present work involves use of retrogression and reaging(RRA) post weld heat treatment to improve the corrosion resistance of welded joints of aluminum alloys.An attempt also has been made to change the chemical composition of the weld nugget by adding B4C nano particles with the aid of the FSW on a specially prepared base metal plate in butt position.The effects of peak aged condition(T6),RRA and addition of B4C nano particles on microstructure,hardness and pitting corrosion of nugget zone of the friction stir welds of AA7075 alloy have been studied.Even though RRA improved the pitting corrosion resistance,its hardness was slightly lost.Significant improvement in pitting corrosion resistance was achieved with addition of boron carbide powder and post weld heat treatment of RRA.     

界面改性对SiCp/Cu复合材料导热性能的影响*(复合材料专题)

采用磁控溅射法结合结晶化热处理工艺在碳化硅（Silicon Carbide, SiC）颗粒表面成功制备了金属钼（Molybdenum, Mo）涂层，分析了Mo涂层的成分和形貌；然后采用热压烧结工艺制备了SiCp/Cu复合材料，重点对比分析了Mo界面阻挡层厚度对复合材料导热性能的影响。结果表明：磁控溅射法能够在SiC颗粒表面沉积得到Mo 涂层，随溅射时间的延长Mo涂层的厚度增加、粗糙度增大，且磁控溅射后SiC颗粒表面直接得到的Mo涂层为非晶态，结晶化热处理后，变为致密平整的晶态Mo涂层。磁控溅射时间即Mo涂层厚度对复合材料导热性能影响明显，随磁控溅射时间的增加，复合材料的热导率呈现先增后减趋势，采用磁控溅射9h镀Mo改性并经过800℃结晶化热处理的SiC复合粉体在850℃下热压烧结制备的SiCp/Cu复合材料（VSiC=50%），其热导率达到了最高值274.056W/(m·K)。     

Fabrication of AA7005/TiB2-B4C surface composite by friction stir processing: Evaluation of ballistic behaviour

The present work aims to enhance the ballistic resistance of AA7005 alloy by incorporating the TiB₂ and B₄C ceramic reinforcement particles. Surface composites with different weight fractions of TiB₂ and B₄C particles were processed by friction stir processing. Micro-hardness and depth of penetration tests were carried out to evaluate the ballistic properties of the surface composites. The surface hardness of the composite was found to be nearly 70 HV higher than base alloy. The depth of penetration of the steel projectile was 20–26 mm in the composites as compared to 37 mm in the base alloy. Ballistic mass efficiency factor of the surface composite was found to be 1.6 times higher than base alloy. This is mainly attributed to the dispersion strengthening from the reinforcement particles.     

Effect of friction stir processing on mechanical properties and heat transfer of TIG welded joint of AA6061 and AA7075

Tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding is the most commonly used joining process for aluminum alloy for AA6061 and AA7075 which are highly demanded in the aerospace engineering and the automobile sector, but there are some defects occur during TIG welding like micro-crack, coarse grain structure, and porosity. To improve these defects, the TIG welded joint is processed using friction stir processing (FSP). This paper presents the effect of friction stir processing on TIG welding with filler ER4043 and ER 5356 for dissimilar aluminum alloy AA6061 and AA7075. The mechanical characterization, finite element formulation and mathematical equations of heat transfer of TIG + FSP welded joints are investigated using ANSYS Fluent software by adjusting process parameters of FSP. The results show that the maximum compressive residual stress 73 MPa was obtained at the fusion zone (FZ) of the TIG weldment with filler ER4043, whereas minimum compressive residual stress 37 MPa was obtained at stir zone (SZ) of the TIG+FSP with filler 5356. The maximum heat flux 5.33 × 106 W/m2 and temperature 515 ℃ have observed at tool rotation 1600 rpm with a feed rate of 63 mm/min. These results give a satisfactory measure of confidence in the fidelity of the simulation     

Feasibility of surface-coated friction stir welding tools to join AISI 304 grade austenitic stainless steel

An attempt is made to develop the tools that are capable enough to withstand the shear, impact and thermal forces that occur during friction stir welding of stainless steels. The atmospheric plasma spray and plasma transferred arc hardfacing processes are employed to deposit refractory ceramic based composite coatings on the Inconel 738 alloy. Five different combinations of self-fluxing alloy powder and 60% ceramic reinforcement particulate mixtures are used for coating. The best friction stir welding tool selected based on tool wear analysis is used to fabricate the austenitic stainless steel joints.     

Microstructure,mechanical and corrosion behavior of high strength AA7075aluminium alloy friction stir welds-Effect of post weld heat treatment

High strength aluminium alloy AA7075(Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) is a precipitate hardenable alloy widely used in the aerospace,defense,marine and automobile industries.Use of the heat treatable aluminium alloys in all these sectors is ever-increasing owing to their excellent strength-toweight ratio and reasonably good corrosion resistance.The shortage in corrosion resistance,however,usually poses negative concern about their reliability and lifetime when they service in the variable marine environments.These alloys also exhibit low weldability due to poor solidification microstructure,porosity in fusion zone and lose their mechanical properties when they are welded by fusion welding techniques.Friction stir welding(FSW) is a reliable technique to retain the properties of the alloy as the joining takes place in the solid state.The welds are susceptible to corrosion due to the microstructural changes in the weld nugget during FSW.In this work,the effect of post weld treatments,viz.,peak aging(T6) and retrogression reaging(RRA),on the microstructure,mechanical properties and pitting corrosion has been studied.Friction stir welding of 8 mm-thick AA7075 alloy was carried out.The microstructural changes of base metal and nugget zone of friction stir welds were studied using optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy.Tensile and hardness test of base metal and welds has been carried out.Pitting corrosion resistance was determined through dynamic polarization test.It was observed that the hardness and strength of weld were observed to be comparatively high in peak aged(T6) condition but the welds showed poor corrosion resistance.The resistance to pitting corrosion was improved and the mechanical properties were maintained by RRA treatment.The resistance to pitting corrosion was improved in RRA condition with the minimum loss of weld strength.     

45钢表面激光熔覆Ni35合金涂层的组织及性能

为了修复45钢磨损装备零件,采用激光熔覆工艺在45钢表面制备了Ni35合金涂层。利用扫描电镜（SEM）、能谱分析仪（EDS）、X射线衍射仪、显微硬度计和磨损试验机分析了熔覆层的显微组织,测试了涂层的硬度和耐磨性能。结果表明：熔覆层由γ-Ni和Ni3B两相组成;熔覆层中存在平面晶、胞状晶、枝晶等多种形态;Ni35熔覆层的硬度为450HV,熔覆层的耐磨性是基体的2.86倍。     

Influence of tool pin profile on microstructure and corrosion behaviour of AA2219 Al-Cu alloy friction stir weld nuggets

To overcome the problems of fusion welding of aluminium alloys, the friction stir welding(FSW) is recognized as an alternative joining method to improve the mechanical and corrosion properties. Tool profile is one of the important variables which affect the performance of the FS weld. In the present work, the effect of tool profile on the weld nugget microstructure and pitting corrosion of AA2219 aluminium-copper alloy was studied. FSW of AA2219 alloy was carried out using five profiles, namely conical, square, triangle, pentagon and hexagon. The temperature measurements were made in the region adjacent to the rotating pin. It was observed that the peak temperature is more in hexagonal tool pin compared to the welds produced with other tool pin profiles. It is observed that the extensive deformation experienced at the nugget zone and the evolved microstructure strongly influences the hardness and corrosion properties of the joint during FSW. It was found that the microstructure changes like grain size, misorientation and precipitate dissolution during FSW influence the hardness and corrosion behaviour. Pitting corrosion resistance of friction stir welds of AA2219 was found to be better for hexagon profile tool compared to other profiles, which was attributed to material flow and strengthening precipitate morphology in nugget zone. Higher amount of heat generation in FS welds made with hexagonal profile tool may be the reason for greater dissolution of strengthening precipitates in nugget zone.     

磁控溅射工艺对CrN基复合涂层微观结构及摩擦学性能的影响

采用闭合场非平衡磁控溅射技术在不锈钢基体上制备了不同质量分数Mo的CrMoN复合涂层。采用X射线衍射仪（XRD）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、能谱仪（EDX）和光电子能谱仪（XPS）,系统分析了CrMoN复合涂层的相结构、表面形貌、成分、原子化合价价态等,结果表明：添加Mo后,CrMoN涂层的择优取向由CrN涂层的（220）转变为（200）,CrMoN涂层中的Mo原子取代了CrN晶格中的Cr原子,形成（Cr,Mo）N置换固溶体。采用Nano Test 600硬度测试仪测定了CrMoN复合涂层的纳米硬度,结果表明：由于CrN相和MoN两种硬相的协同作用,使得CrMoN复合涂层的纳米硬度值增大。采用多功能摩擦磨损试验机测定了CrN涂层及CrMoN复合涂层的摩擦因数,结果表明：CrMoN复合涂层的摩擦因数低于CrN涂层,磨损过程中由于摩擦热反应生成大量MoO3,使得复合膜的摩擦因数降低,起到了一定的润滑效果,降低了磨损量。     

Effect of tool pin profile on microstructure and tensile properties of friction stir welded dissimilar AA 6061e AA 5086 aluminium alloy joints

Joints between two different grades of aluminium alloys are need of the hour in many light weight military structures.In this investigation,an attempt has been made to join the heat treatable(AA 6061) and non-heat treatable(AA 5086) aluminium alloys by friction stir welding(FSW)process using three different tool pin profiles like straight cylindrical,taper cylindrical and threaded cylindrical.The microstructures of various regions were observed and analyzed by means of optical and scanning electron microscope.The tensile properties and microhardness were evaluated for the welded joint.From this investigation it is founded that the use of threaded pin profile of tool contributes to better flow of materials between two alloys and the generation of defect free stir zone.It also resulted in higher hardness values of 83 HV in the stir zone and higher tensile strength of 169 MPa compared to other two profiles.The increase in hardness is attributed to the formation of fine grains and intermetallics in the stir zone,and in addition,the reduced size of weaker regions,such as TMAZ and HAZ regions,results in higher tensile properties.     

AZ91D镁合金表面纳米TiO_2复合微弧氧化层耐蚀性能研究

为了提高AZ91D镁合金微弧氧化陶瓷层的耐蚀能力,采用Na2SiO3电解液,添加入纳米TiO2,经微弧氧化,纳米TiO2颗粒复合入陶瓷层中,形成表面质量良好的纳米复合陶瓷质氧化膜。通过与普通微弧氧化陶瓷层比较,结果表明：纳米TiO2复合微弧氧化陶瓷层孔隙率降低,致密性提高,抗盐雾腐蚀性能提高1倍以上。     

激光制备多层结构的软质基底耐磨类金刚石膜

为提高金属铜软基底的耐磨、抗蚀能力，采用脉冲激光沉积技术制备了金属铜基底上的多层结构类金刚石保护膜；其中的碳化硅-类金刚石循环层避免了类金刚石膜层中内应力的累积，降低了功能类金刚石层破裂的风险，碳化硅持力层降低了软质铜基底与高硬度类金刚石层的硬度差，金属钛层则使得铜基底与上层碳化硅层牢固结合。实验测试表明，多层结构类金刚石保护膜在铜基底上附着牢固，可通过美军标MIL-48497A规定的重摩擦和国军标GJB150.5A-2009规定的高低温冲击试验，同时能够承受弱碱溶液的腐蚀；摩擦系数低、处于0.093以下，耐磨性能好、2 h摩擦未见磨痕。针对不同金属基底特性改进工艺，该技术可应用于存在腐蚀性环境中机械工具的抗磨保护膜。     

Optimization of process parameters of aluminum alloy AA 2014-T6 friction stir welds by response surface methodology

The heat treatable aluminum-copper alloy AA2014 finds wide application in the aerospace and defence industry due to its high strength-toweight ratio and good ductility. Friction stir welding(FSW) process, an emerging solid state joining process, is suitable for joining this alloy compared to fusion welding processes. This work presents the formulation of a mathematical model with process parameters and tool geometry to predict the responses of friction stir welds of AA 2014-T6 aluminum alloy, viz yield strength, tensile strength and ductility. The most influential process parameters considered are spindle speed, welding speed, tilt angle and tool pin profile. A four-factor, five-level central composite design was used and a response surface methodology(RSM) was employed to develop the regression models to predict the responses.The mechanical properties, such as yield strength(YS), ultimate tensile strength(UTS) and percentage elongation(%El), are considered as responses. Method of analysis of variance was used to determine the important process parameters that affect the responses. Validation trials were carried out to validate these results. These results indicate that the friction stir welds of AA 2014-T6 aluminum alloy welded with hexagonal tool pin profile have the highest tensile strength and elongation, whereas the joints fabricated with conical tool pin profile have the lowest tensile strength and elongation.     

Microstructure and pitting corrosion resistance of AA2219 Ale Cu alloy friction stir welds e Effect of tool profile

AA2219 Ale Cu alloy is widely used in defence and aerospace applications due to required combination of high strength-to-weight ratio and toughness.Fabrication of components used for defence always involves welding.Even though the mechanical properties of the base metal are better,but the alloy suffers from poor mechanical and corrosion properties during fusion welding.To overcome the problems of fusion welding,friction stir welding(FSW) is recognized as an alternative solid state joining method aimed to improve the mechanical and corrosion properties.Tool profile is one of the important variables which affect the performance of the friction stir weld.In the present work the effect of tool profile on the microstructure and pitting corrosion of AA2219 aluminiumecopper alloy was studied.Electron backscattered diffraction results established that the grain size and orientation of weld nugget of triangle profile is finer than that of conical profile.Differential scanning calorimetric results show the evidence of precipitate dissolution during FSW.It was found that the microstructure changes,such as grain size and its orientation precipitate dissolution during FSW influence the hardness and corrosion behaviour.Pitting corrosion resistance of friction stir welds of AA2219 was found to be better for triangle profile tool compared to conical profile which is attributed to material flow and strengthening precipitate morphology in various zones.Higher amount of heat generation during FSW made using triangle profile tool may be the reason for greater dissolution of strengthening precipitates in nugget zone and coarsening in thermo mechanically affected zone(TMAZ) and heat affected zone(HAZ).     

Pitting corrosion resistance and bond strength of stainless steel overlay by friction surfacing on high strength low alloy steel

Surface modification is essential for improving the service properties of components. Cladding is one of the most widely employed methods of surface modification. Friction surfacing is a candidate process for depositing the corrosion resistant coatings. Being a solid state process, it offers several advantages over conventional fusion based surfacing process. The aim of this work is to identify the relationship between the input variables and the process response and develop the predictive models that can be used in the design of new friction surfacing applications. In the current work, austenitic stainless steel AISI 304 was friction surfaced on high strength low alloy steel substrate. Friction surfacing parameters,such as mechtrode rotational speed, feed rate of substrate and axial force on mechtrode, play a major role in determining the pitting corrosion resistance and bond strength of friction surfaced coatings. Friction surfaced coating and base metal were tested for pitting corrosion by potentiodynamic polarization technique. Coating microstructure was characterized using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Coatings in the as deposited condition exhibited strain-induced martensite in austenitic matrix. Pitting resistance of surfaced coatings was found to be much lower than that of mechtrode material and superior to that of substrate. A central composite design with three factors(mechtrode rotational speed, substrate traverse speed, axial load on mechtrode) and five levels was chosen to minimize the number of experimental conditions. Response surface methodology was used to develop the model. In the present work, an attempt has been made to develop a mathematical model to predict the pitting corrosion resistance and bond strength by incorporating the friction surfacing process parameters.     

Performance characterization of Ni60-WC coating on steel processed with supersonic laser deposition

Ni60-WC particles are used to improve the wear resistance of hard-facing steel due to their high hardness. An emerging technology that combines laser with cold spraying to deposit the hard-facing coatings is known as supersonic laser deposition. In this study, Ni60-WC is deposited on low-carbon steel using SLD. The microstructure and performance of the coatings are investigated through SEM, optical microscopy, EDS, XRD, microhardness and pin-on-disc wear tests. The experimental results of the coating processed with the optimal parameters are compared to those of the coating deposited using laser cladding.     

Effect of welding processes on mechanical and microstructural characteristics of high strength low alloy naval grade steel joints

Naval grade high strength low alloy(HSLA) steels can be easily welded by all types of fusion welding processes. However, fusion welding of these steels leads to the problems such as cold cracking, residual stress, distortion and fatigue damage. These problems can be eliminated by solid state welding process such as friction stir welding(FSW). In this investigation, a comparative evaluation of mechanical(tensile, impact,hardness) properties and microstructural features of shielded metal arc(SMA), gas metal arc(GMA) and friction stir welded(FSW) naval grade HSLA steel joints was carried out. It was found that the use of FSW process eliminated the problems related to fusion welding processes and also resulted in the superior mechanical properties compared to GMA and SMA welded joints.     

高速电弧喷涂FeCrBSiMnNbW非晶纳米晶涂层组织及性能

研究开发了一种FeCrBSiMnNbW新型喷涂粉芯丝材,并采用自动化高速电弧喷涂技术在镁合金基体上制备了FecrBsiMnNbw非晶纳米晶涂层。对Fe基非晶纳米晶涂层和传统的3Cr13涂层的组织结构、力学性能以及油润滑条件下的摩擦学性能进行了对比分析,结果表明：与3Cr13涂层相比,铁基非晶纳米晶涂层组织更加致密,孔隙率低,具有相对较高的硬度和拉伸结合强度;形成了非晶相和纳米晶相组成的复合结构,使得涂层具备更好的摩擦学性能。