A Systematic Review on Microhardness, Tensile, Wear, and Microstructural Properties of Aluminum Matrix Composite Joints Obtained by Friction Stir Welding: Past, Present and Its Future

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a remarkable green solid-state joining process and it has been proven to be capable of joining advanced materials, such as aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) with sound-quality of joints. As a result, FSW is widely used in many sectors such as aviation, automotive, marine, and structural applications. So far various researchers carried out studies on joint characteristics of FSW and reported better microstructural and mechanical properties. This review study emphasizes various joint characteristics of AMCs namely microhardness, tensile, wear, and microstructural properties of joints obtained by FSW. Also, research work carried out by several researchers in the field of FSW for joining AMCs is summarized. In addition, future trends and challenges in joining of AMCs using FSW is presented.