Aluminium metal matrix composites (AMMCs) are the fastest developing materials for structural applications. Friction Stir Processing (FSP) has evolved as a promising surface composite fabrication technique mainly because it is an eco-friendly and solid-state process. A spurt in the interest of research community and a resulting huge research output makes it difficult to find relevant information to further the research with objectivity. To facilitate this, the present article addresses the current state of the art and development in surface metal matrix fabrication through FSP with a specific focus on ex-situ routes. The available literature has been carefully read and categorized to present effects of particle size, morphology and elemental composition. The effect of various reinforcements on development of different functional characteristics is also discussed. Effect of main FSP parameters on various responses is presented with objectivity. Based on the studied literature concluding summary is presented in a manner in which the literature becomes useful to the researchers working on this important technology.

The AlMg10 aluminum alloy reinforced with SiC particles was subjected to friction stir processing (FSP). The composite was made by mechanical mixing and gravity casting. The mass fraction of SiC particles in the composite was about 10%. Evaluation of the effects of FSP treatment was performed by means of light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, EDS and hardness measurement. It was found that the inhomogeneous distribution of SiC particles and their agglomeration, which were observable in the cast composite, were completely eliminated after FSP modification. The treatment was also accompanied by homogenisation of the material in the mixing zone as well as fragmentation of both the matrix grain of the composite and SiC particles. In the case of SiC particles, a change in their shape was also observed. In the as-cast composite, particles with dimensions from 30 to 60 µm and a sharp-edged polyhedral shape prevailed, while in the material subjected to friction treatment, particles with dimensions from 20 to 40 µm and a more equiangular shape prevailed. Pores and other material discontinuities occurring frequently in the as-cast composite were completely eliminated after friction modification. The recorded changes in the microstructure of the material were accompanied by an increase in the hardness of the composite by nearly 35%. The conducted investigations have shown that FSP modification of the AlMg10/SiC composite made by the casting method leads to favorable microstructural changes in the surface layer and may be an alternative solution to other methods and technologies used in surface engineering.

The article presents the effect of rotational and travelling speed and down force on the spindle torque acting on the tool in Friction Stir Processing (FSP) process. The response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to find a dependence combining the spindle torque acting on the tool with the rotational speed, travelling speed and the down force. The linear and quadratic models with interaction between parameters were used. A better fitting was achieved for a quadratic model. The studies have shown that the increase in rotational speed causes a decrease in the torque while the increase in travelling speed and down force causes an increase in the torque. The tests were conducted on casting aluminium alloy AlSi9Mg. Metallography examination has revealed that the application of FSP process results in a decrease in the porosity in the modified material and microstructure refining in the stir zone. The segregation of Si and Fe elements was evident in the parent material, while in the friction stir processed area this distribution was significantly uniform.

In this investigation, Copper Matrix Surface Composites (CMSCs) were reinforced with various ceramic particles like Aluminum Nitrate (AlN), Titanium diboride (TiB2), and Rice Husk Ash (RHA) are used to increase the metallurgical and mechanical properties by Friction Stir Processing (FSP). The Design of the Experiment (DOE) Taguchi L9 orthogonal array method was used. The process parameters considered were groove width and various types of reinforcement particles. The fabrication of CMSCs was achieved by using optimized process parameters, such as the tool transverse speed of 40 mm/min, rotational tool speed of 1000 rpm, and an axial load of 10 kN with one pass. The influence of FSP process parameters on CMSCs in the stir zone is observed through Optical Microscope (OM), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM). Mechanical properties such as microhardness and wear rate are studied and compared. It reveals that good interfacial bonding was produced between ceramic particles in CMSCs. TiB2 reinforced with copper matrix surface composites enhance microhardness and had a lesser wear rate.

In this study, a hybrid surface composite of AA5083/SiC-Gr was produced by Friction Stir Processing (FSP). Reinforcement material each in 50:50 proportion was filled in the base matrix using holes method. Three different hybrid reinforcement volumes of 301.6 mm ³, 452.4 mm ³, and 603.2 mm ³ were prepared for surface composite. Optical and Scanning Electron Microscopy was used to check the quality of the prepared surface composite and homogeneous distribution of reinforcement was observed in the images. It was observed that due to better uniform distribution of reinforcement particles during 3 pass FSP, specimens with 301.6 mm ^3/ reinforcement volume showed enhanced microhardness and wear properties in comparison with the other specimens. Keywords: Surface Composites; Multi-pass; Friction Stir Processing; Reinforcement; Hybrid Composite

The main aim of this work was to obtain a copper matrix surface composite using friction stir processing (FSP). The reinforced phase was SiC particles with an average size of 5 mm. The effect of the reinforcement on the microstructure, hardness and wear behaviour were analysed. The friction treatment was carried out using a truncated cone-shaped tool with a threaded side surface. Multi-chamber technology was used to produce the composite microstructure in the copper surface layer. Changes in the material microstructure were assessed by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Comparative measurement of the hardness of the initial and treated material as well as wear resistance tests were also carried out. A favourable effect of the surface treatment on the microstructure and properties of the copper was found. As a result of the friction treatment there was strong grain refinement in the copper surface layer. The average grain size in the stirring zone was about 3 mm and was over 21 times smaller than the average grain size in the initial material. Intensive dispersion of the SiC particles in the modified layer was also found, leading to the formation of a copper matrix composite. The effect of microstructural changes in the surface layer of the material and formation of the surface composite was an over two-fold increase in the hardness of the material and an increase in wear resistance.

In this paper, aluminium alloy of grade ADC-12 was considered as a base metal and chromium carbide (Cr3C2) particles were reinforced through friction stir process. A detailed analysis of mechanical property and metallurgical characterization studies were performed to evaluate the surface composite. Remarkable changes were observed in the developed composite due to the mechanical force produced by the stir tool with an increase in hardness. The metallurgical investigation infers that the presence of silica in ADC-12 alloys has undergone mechanical fracture and long needle structure changed to reduced size. On the other hand, at higher tool rotational speed, the uniform distribution of hard particles was confirmed through SEM micrographs. Thus the modified surface composite has produced good mechanical property with high metallurgical qualities.

Effects of various friction stir processing (FSP) variables on the microstructural evolution and microhardness of the AZ31 magnesium alloy were investigated. The processing variables include rotational and travelling speed of the tool, kind of second phase (i.e., diamond, Al2O3, and ZrO2) and groove depth (i.e., volume fraction of second phase). Grain size, distribution of second phase particle, grain texture, and microhardness were analyzed as a function of the FSP process variables. The FSPed AZ31 composites fabricated with a high heat input condition showed the better dispersion of particle without macro defect. For all composite specimens, the grain size decreased and the microhardness increased regardless of the grooved depth compared with that of the FSPed AZ31 without strengthening particle, respectively. For the AZ31/diamond composite having a grain size of about 1 μm, microhardness (i.e., about 108 Hv) was about two times higher than that of the matrix alloy (i.e., about 52 Hv). The effect of second phase particle on retardation of grain growth and resulting hardness increase was discussed.

Nowadays, Aluminium (Al) based hybrid surface composites are amongst the fastest developing advanced materials used for structural applications. Friction Stir Processing (FSP) has emerged as a clean and flexible solid-state surface composites fabrication technique. Intensive research in this field resulted in numerous research output; which hinders in finding relevant meta-data for further research with objectivity. In order to facilitate this research need, present article summarizes current state of the art and advances in aluminium based hybrid surface composites fabrication by FSP with in-situ and ex-situ approach. Reported literature were read and systematically categorized to show impacts of different types of reinforcements, deposition techniques, hybrid reinforcement ratio and FSP machine parameters on microstructures, mechanical and tribological characteristics of different Al alloys. Challenges and opportunities in this field have been summarized at the end, which will be beneficial to researchers working on solid state FSP technique.

In the current study, wear performance of pure magnesium (Mg) and composite fabricated with titanium carbide (TiC) reinforcement is investigated under various loading and sliding velocity conditions. The Mg-matrix composite is prepared by friction stir processing (FSP) carried out at optimized values of process parameters. Sliding wear tests on Mg and friction stir processed (FSPed) Mg+TiC surface composite were done on pin-on-disc configuration. The consequence of the normal load applied and sliding velocity on wear behaviour of the two materials is evaluated by performing the tests at two normal loads of 6 N and 12 N and three sliding speeds of 0.5 m/s, 1.5 m/s and 4.5 m/s. FSPed composite found to exhibit an enhanced wear resistance as compared to that of pure Mg. To get an insight into the possible types of mechanisms for wear of the composites sample under varying load and sliding speeds conditions, the worn test specimens are subjected to scanning electron microscopy (SEM). SEM/EDS analysis revealed that oxidation, ploughing, trailing edge and 3-body abrasive wear were the predominant mechanisms for the wear of samples at a different set of experimental conditions. The tensile strength of the FSPed surface composite was found to be 25% higher than pure Mg. Wear resistance was found to increase by about 33%.

In this work, a comparative study on the ballistic behaviour of friction stir processed AL6061 targets had been made. Base Metal AL6061 (BM) plates with 25 mm thickness were friction stir processed by adding Multi Walled Carbon Nano Tubes (MWCNT) and Graphene (G), producing AL6061-MWCNT and AL6061-G surface composites. Optical microscopy and microhardness test on BM, AL6061-MWCNT and AL6061-G samples were performed as per the standard procedure. It was noticed that uniform dispersion of ceramic particles and refined grains were obtained for the friction stir processed surface composites. From the microhardness test, it was perceived that friction stir processing had induced strengthening of surface composites, hence increasing the microhardness of AL6061-MWCNT and AL6061-G by ~60.3% and ~73.6% respectively. Also, ballistic experiments were conducted at 680±10 m/s by impacting Ø7.62×51 mm projectiles. AL6063 backing plates were placed to compare the ballistic behaviours AL6061-MWCNT and AL6061-G targets by depth of penetration. It was noted that the depth of penetration of AL6061-MWCNT and AL6061-G targets were 37.81% and 65.84% lesser than the BM target. Further, from the results of Post ballistic microscopy it was observed that the microstructure near and away from the penetration channel edge looks unchanged in BM target. However, the AL6061-MWCNT and AL6061-G targets showed considerable change in their morphology, by forming Adiabatic Shear Bands.

Friction Stir Process (FSP) was employed to develop Cupro-Nickel/Zirconium Carbide (Cu-Ni/ZrC) surface composites. Five different groove widths ranging from 0 to 1.4 mm were made in CuNi alloy plate to incorporate different ZrC volume fraction (0, 6, 12, 18 and 24 %) to study its influence on the structure and properties of Cu-Ni/ZrC composite. Processing was performed at a Tool Rotational Speed (TRS) of 1300 rpm, Tool Traverse Speed (TTS) of 40 mm/min with a constant axial load of 6 KN. The study is performed to analyse the influence of ZrC particles and the volume fraction of ZrC particles on the microstructural evolution, microhardness, mechanical properties, and tribological characteristics of the Cu-Ni/ZrC composite. The fracture and worn-out surfaces are analysed using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) to identify the fracture and wear mechanisms. The results demonstrated a simultaneous increase in microhardness and tensile strength of the developed composite because of grain refinement, uniform dispersion, and excellent bonding of ZrC with the matrix. Besides, the wear resistance increases with increase in volume fraction of ZrC particles in the composite. The surface morphology analysis revealed that the wear mechanism transits from severe wear regime to mild wear regime with increase in volume fraction of ZrC particles.