Understanding the Mechanical Response
of Friction Stir Welded In Situ Processed
Aluminum Alloy Metal Matrix
Composite: Experimental and Statistical
Modelling Approaches
Jimmy Karloopia, Shaik Mozammil, Pradeep Kumar Jha,
and T. S. Srivatsan
Abstract This paper presents the results of a recent study on the effectiveness of
the stir casting technique using the method of mixed salt route method and the
subsequent joining of the in situ titanium diboride particulate reinforced aluminum
alloy metal matrix composites using the technique of friction stir butt welding. A
bimetallic flame-hardened friction stir welding tool with a threaded titanium probe
and having different shoulder geometries were used for this novel research study.
The variation in process parameters to include tool shoulder geometry, tool rotational
speed, and welding speed does exert an influence on mechanical properties of the
welded composite sample to include ultimate tensile strength, elongation, and microhardness. A noticeable change in the grain morphology coupled with refinement
and near-uniform redistribution of the reinforcing particulates was observed using
the titanium weld probe for all of the experiments. Microstructural characterization
studies were conducted using a high-resolution scanning electron microscope and
X-ray diffraction analysis. A statistical model and appropriate optimization technique
were used to evaluate and/or interpret the mechanical response of the friction-stir
welded joint. A substantial improvement in properties of the joint was observed in
comparison with the base metal.
Keywords Aluminum-silicon alloy · Titanium diboride (TiB 2 ) · In situ
processing · Welding · Tensile strength · Microhardness
J. Karloopia (B) · S. Mozammil · P. K. Jha
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee,
Roorkee, Uttarakhand 247667, India
e-mail: jkarloopia@me.iitr.ac.in
T. S. Srivatsan
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
© The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society 2021
T. S. Srivatsan et al. (eds.), Metal-Matrix Composites, The Minerals, Metals
& Materials Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65249-4_3
43
of Friction Stir Welded In Situ Processed
Aluminum Alloy Metal Matrix
Composite: Experimental and Statistical
Modelling Approaches
Jimmy Karloopia, Shaik Mozammil, Pradeep Kumar Jha,
and T. S. Srivatsan
Abstract This paper presents the results of a recent study on the effectiveness of
the stir casting technique using the method of mixed salt route method and the
subsequent joining of the in situ titanium diboride particulate reinforced aluminum
alloy metal matrix composites using the technique of friction stir butt welding. A
bimetallic flame-hardened friction stir welding tool with a threaded titanium probe
and having different shoulder geometries were used for this novel research study.
The variation in process parameters to include tool shoulder geometry, tool rotational
speed, and welding speed does exert an influence on mechanical properties of the
welded composite sample to include ultimate tensile strength, elongation, and microhardness. A noticeable change in the grain morphology coupled with refinement
and near-uniform redistribution of the reinforcing particulates was observed using
the titanium weld probe for all of the experiments. Microstructural characterization
studies were conducted using a high-resolution scanning electron microscope and
X-ray diffraction analysis. A statistical model and appropriate optimization technique
were used to evaluate and/or interpret the mechanical response of the friction-stir
welded joint. A substantial improvement in properties of the joint was observed in
comparison with the base metal.
Keywords Aluminum-silicon alloy · Titanium diboride (TiB 2 ) · In situ
processing · Welding · Tensile strength · Microhardness
J. Karloopia (B) · S. Mozammil · P. K. Jha
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee,
Roorkee, Uttarakhand 247667, India
e-mail: jkarloopia@me.iitr.ac.in
T. S. Srivatsan
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
© The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society 2021
T. S. Srivatsan et al. (eds.), Metal-Matrix Composites, The Minerals, Metals
& Materials Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65249-4_3
43