Effect of Mono and Hybrid Reinforcement on Microhardness and Wear Behavior of Al–Mn Alloy Based Surface Composites Produced by Friction Stir Processing.

In this paper, the wear resistance and microhardness of the hybrid and mono surface composite with Al–Mg–Mn alloy (AA5083) as the matrix material and SiC, Al₂O₃, Gr, and CNT as the reinforcement material was investigated experimentally. The surface composite was fabricated by friction stir processing (FSP). The microstructure of the prepared specimens was observed using optical microscopy. Mono reinforced surface composite and hybrid reinforced surface composite were tested for their microhardness and wear resistance before and after FSP and the results were compared. The surface composites showed uniform dispersion and finer grain size after FSP in comparison with the as-received AA5083. FSP aided the hybrid reinforced surface composite to increase the maximum microhardness value to 107.5 HV in SiC/Gr reinforcement as compared to the 89.11 HV in mono Gr reinforced surface composite and 75.15 HV in as-received AA5083. The hybrid surface composite also provided enhanced wear resistance in comparison with the mono reinforced surface composite and the base material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]