Tribological and impact- toughness performance of friction stir processed AA7075

Abstract

Abstract This technical investigation used friction stir processing to modify the AA7075- T6 alloy and aimed to analyze the wear and impact toughness properties of the modified surfaces. Effects of the input parameters of the friction stir process (FSP) were also studied. Initially, the as-received AA-7075 alloy was processed using FSP at the selected parameters to get defect-free processed specimens. Next, the microstructures of the base alloy and processed regions were examined through an optical microscope. Then, the impact toughness was measured using the Charpy test, and sliding wear behavior was evaluated on a pin-on-disc tribo-tester. The processed samples’ average impact energy was better than the base material’s. Also, their wear property, i.e., coefficient of friction and weight loss, were more promising than the parent metal. Finally, fractography of the fractured Charpy test sampleswas done to study the fracture behavior; andSEM micrographs and 2D profiles of wear tracks were analysed to examine the wear behaviour properly.