Improvement of microstructural, mechanical and tribological characteristics of A413 cast Al alloys using friction stir processing

In the present investigation, the effect of the friction stir processing (FSP) on the microstructural, mechanical and tribological characteristics of as-cast A413 aluminum alloy was studied. The influence of the tool rotational and traverse speeds on such characteristics was evaluated. The results revealed that FSP has significantly improved the microstructure of the A413 Al alloy by eliminating structural defects such as porosity and Si segregation. The size of the Si particulates as well as the α-Al grains increases with increasing tool rotational speed and/or decreasing the tool traverse speed. The FSPed zones exhibited better mechanical properties as well as dry sliding wear resistance than the as-cast base alloy.