Effect of tool tilt angles on the formation of YSZ/Al2O3 hybrid surface composites on friction stir processed magnesium alloy AZ31

Mohankumar Ashokkumar; Packkirisamy Vignesh; Arunkumar Thirugnanasambandam; Tushar Sonar

doi:10.1515/mt-2024-0406

Article

Effect of tool tilt angles on the formation of YSZ/Al₂O₃ hybrid surface composites on friction stir processed magnesium alloy AZ31

Mohankumar Ashokkumar
Dr. Mohankumar Ashokkumar is working as Assistant Professor (Research) in Centre for Sustainable Materials & Surface Metamorphosis, Chennai Institute of Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He completed his PhD in Manufacturing Engineering from Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India, in the year 2024. He has 4 years of research work experience. His research areas are thermal spray coating, surfacing, composite materials, and magnesium alloys.
, Packkirisamy Vignesh
Dr. Packkirisamy Vignesh is working as Assistant Professor (Research) Centre for Sustainable Materials & Surface Metamorphosis, Chennai Institute of Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He completed his PhD in Manufacturing Engineering from Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India, in the year 2024. His research areas are composite materials, metal matrix composites, biomaterials tribology, magnesium alloys.
, Arunkumar Thirugnanasambandam
Dr. Arunkumar Thirugnanasambandam has over 15 years of teaching and research experience in mechanical engineering. Currently a Professor and Director of Centre for Sustainable Materials & Surface Metamorphosis at the Chennai Institute of Technology, his expertise includes surface coatings, additive manufacturing, ceramics, polymers, nanomaterials, and tribology. He completed a various funded research projects.
and Tushar Sonar
Dr. Tushar Sonar is working as a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Welding Engineering, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia. He completed his PhD in Manufacturing Engineering from Annamalai University in the year 2021. He is a recipient of the prestigious ISRO RESPOND research fellowship for the years 2017–2021. His research interests include welding and joining, additive manufacturing, surfacing, coating, corrosion, and high entropy alloys.

Published/Copyright: April 14, 2025

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From the journal Materials Testing Volume 67 Issue 6

Abstract

Friction stir processing (FSP) is a well-known method for improving metal alloys’ surfaces by producing surface composites with better mechanical properties. This study examines how the tool tilt angle affects the FSP region generation in an AZ31 magnesium (Mg) alloy reinforced with yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and alumina (Al₂O₃). The effect of different tool tilt angles (T_TA) on the dispersion, integration, and distribution of YSZ and Al₂O₃ in the Mg matrix was investigated. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Vickers hardness testing were used to extensively evaluate the microstructural and mechanical characteristics of the FSP-treated region. The findings show that the T_TA has a major impact on the surface composite’s homogeneity and uniformity, with 2° T_TA encouraging the best possible dispersion of YSZ/Al₂O₃ and enhanced mechanical properties. T_TA of 2° friction stirred surface hybrid composite (FSSHC) exhibits a greater hardness of 137 HV as compared to the FSP-treated (106 HV) and the base alloy (73 HV). This is due to the Orowan strengthening mechanism and also because FSSHC has the ability to withstand a load through the inclusion of YSZ/Al₂O₃ particles, and the homogeneous distribution of YSZ/Al₂O₃ particles among the recrystallized base alloy grains provides homogeneous reinforcement across the stirred region.

Keywords: AZ31 Mg alloy; friction stir processing; surface composite; tool tilt angle; microhardnes

Corresponding author: Mohankumar Ashokkumar, Centre for Sustainable Materials and Surface Metamorphosis, Chennai Institute of Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, E-mail: ashokkumarm@citchennai.net

Funding source: Center for sustainable Materials and Surface Metamorphosis, Chennai Institute of Technology, India

Award Identifier / Grant number: CIT/CSMSM/2024/RP/004

About the authors

Mohankumar Ashokkumar

Dr. Mohankumar Ashokkumar is working as Assistant Professor (Research) in Centre for Sustainable Materials & Surface Metamorphosis, Chennai Institute of Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He completed his PhD in Manufacturing Engineering from Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India, in the year 2024. He has 4 years of research work experience. His research areas are thermal spray coating, surfacing, composite materials, and magnesium alloys.

Packkirisamy Vignesh

Dr. Packkirisamy Vignesh is working as Assistant Professor (Research) Centre for Sustainable Materials & Surface Metamorphosis, Chennai Institute of Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. He completed his PhD in Manufacturing Engineering from Annamalai University, Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India, in the year 2024. His research areas are composite materials, metal matrix composites, biomaterials tribology, magnesium alloys.

Arunkumar Thirugnanasambandam

Dr. Arunkumar Thirugnanasambandam has over 15 years of teaching and research experience in mechanical engineering. Currently a Professor and Director of Centre for Sustainable Materials & Surface Metamorphosis at the Chennai Institute of Technology, his expertise includes surface coatings, additive manufacturing, ceramics, polymers, nanomaterials, and tribology. He completed a various funded research projects.

Tushar Sonar

Dr. Tushar Sonar is working as a Senior Research Scientist in the Department of Welding Engineering, South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia. He completed his PhD in Manufacturing Engineering from Annamalai University in the year 2021. He is a recipient of the prestigious ISRO RESPOND research fellowship for the years 2017–2021. His research interests include welding and joining, additive manufacturing, surfacing, coating, corrosion, and high entropy alloys.

Research ethics: Not applicable.
Informed consent: Not applicable.
Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.
Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.
Conflict of interest: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Research funding: This work is funded by Center for sustainable Materials and Surface Metamorphosis, India vide funding number CIT/CAM/2024/RP/004.
Data availability: The data that supports the findings of this study is avaialbe within the article.

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Published Online: 2025-04-14

Published in Print: 2025-06-26

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/mt-2024-0406

Keywords for this article

AZ31 Mg alloy; friction stir processing; surface composite; tool tilt angle; microhardnes