Role of friction stir processing in improving wear behavior of Mg/SiC composites produced by stir casting route

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In this paper hardness, microstructure and tribological behavior of as-cast magnesium/SiC composites produced by stir casting and processed by friction stir processing were studied and results were compared with as-cast magnesium/SiC composite. Magnesium/SiC metal matrix composites containing SiC reinforcement were produced by stir casting route and subjected to friction stir processing at a tool rotation speed of 1300 rpm and a transverse speed of 50 mm min −1 . The outcomes of the study clearly revealed that the friction stir processing (FSP) resulted into 45% improvement in the hardness, reduction in the grain size from 170 μ m to 3 μ m and improved distribution of particles in the matrix of the developed composites. The tribological results exhibit that the wear resistance of processed composite was significantly improved and coefficient of friction is lowered as compared to their counterparts. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis of worn surfaces were carried out in order to have in depth understanding of the wear mechanisms.