Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Friction Stir Welded (FSW) AA7075 with B4C Reinforcement

Due to their excellent strength-to-weight ratio and good mechanical properties, the use of aluminum alloys has been increasing over the past two decades, especially in structural and ballistic applications in aerospace, marine, automotive, and defense industries. The present research was developed and evaluated the microstructural and mechanical behavior of the surface composite of AA7075-T6 (Al–Zn–Mg–Cu) reinforced with boron carbide (B4C) ceramic particulate by solid-state technique of friction stir welding (FSW). Microstructural changes have been studied and correlated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique. Mechanical properties such as ultimate tensile strength, yield stress, % of elongation, and Vickers hardness results of FSW of AA7075 with added B4C particles were improved by 48%, 43%, 66%, and 26% compared to FSW of AA7075-T6 without any filled material.