Evaluating the mechanical characteristics of aluminium alloy 2285 processed by friction stir processing

Friction Stir Processing (FSP) has transpired as one of the latest technology for its pertinence in field of surface engineering weighing its significance specifically in case of aluminium alloys for fabricating the base material with particles of other metallic compounds to improve the mechanical properties, the texture, wear and corrosion resistance etc. It has evolved with the development and utilization of the knowledge of conventional Friction Stir Welding (FSW) process. This paper investigates the resultant mechanical characteristics like micro-hardness and tensile strength of the Aluminium alloy of 2285 alloy on varying the process parameters: rotational speed of the tool, transverse speed and axial load. Taguchi's design of experiment is adopted for conducting the experiments and further analysis. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is employed to study the influences of different parameters on tensile strength and micro-hardness. Microstructure is examined to relate the modification in the mechanical characteristics of base material after subjecting the specimen to FSP. (paper)