Tribological characterization of friction stir welded dissimilar aluminum alloy AA6061–AA5083 reinforced with CeO<sub>2</sub> and La<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> nanoparticles
M. Arun, M. Muthukumaran, S. Subramanian K. Balasubramanian K. Balasubramanian
Abstract
Purpose Dissimilar materials found applications in the structural fields to withstand the different types of loads and provide multi-facet properties to the final structure. Aluminum alloy materials are mostly used in aerospace and marine industries to provide better strength and safeguard the material from severe environmental conditions. The purpose of this study is to develop new material with superior strength to challenge the severe environmental conditions. Design/methodology/approach In the present investigation, friction stir welding (FSW) dissimilar joints were prepared from AA6061 and AA5083 aluminum alloys, and the weld nugget (WN) was reinforced with hard reinforcement particles such as La 2 O 3 and CeO 2 . The tribological and mechanical properties of the prepared materials were tested to analyze the suitability of material in the aerospace and marine environmental conditions. Findings The results showed that the AA6061–AA5083/La 2 O 3 material exhibited better mechanical and tribological characteristics. The FSW dissimilar AA6061–AA5083/La 2 O 3 material exhibited lower wear rate of 7.37 × 10 −3 mm3/m and minimum friction coefficient of 0.31 compared to all other materials owing to the reinforcing effect of La 2 O 3 particles and the fine grains formed by FSW process at WN region. Further, FSW dissimilar AA6061–AA5083/La 2 O 3 material displayed a maximum tensile strength and hardness of 378 MPa and 118 HV, respectively, among all the other materials tested. Originality/value This work is original and novel in the field of materials science engineering focusing on tribological characteristics of friction stir welded dissimilar aluminum alloys by the reinforcing effect of hard particles such as La 2 O 3 and CeO 2 .