Manufacturing a Surface Composite Material Made of Nanoceramic Particles of TiC and Aluminum Alloy 7075 by Means of Friction Stir Processing

Friction Stir Processing is a useful tool to produce composite material. By friction stirring ceramic particles into an aluminum matrix it is possible to obtain functional surfaces with an improved performance compared with monolithic alloy. In this work, nano-particles of TiC (2% in weight) were added to aluminum alloy AA7075 to produce functional surface composite material. Different processing conditions were tested (number of passes, direction of each pass, sealed or unsealed groove, etc.) in order to find out the most suitable way to uniformly disperse the particles inside the matrix. Two different kinds of samples were compared: 7075 matrix plus an addition of 7075 powder, and 7075 matrix plus an addition of 7075 powder mixed with nano-particles of TiC. Micrographs, microhardness and wear resistant tests show the properties of the composite material made by means of friction stir processing.