Mechanical, Wear, and Corrosion Properties Investigation of ZE41/TiB2 Surface Composites Fabricated by Friction Stir Processing

Abstract

The aim of this study is to find out how TiB2 reinforced Mg-ZE41 matrix composites perform mechanically, wear-wise, and corrosion-wise. By altering the content of TiB2 reinforcement particles in the ZE41 matrix as 4%, 8%, 12%, and 16%, the composites are manufactured using the friction stir processing technique. The micro-structural analysis demonstrates that TiB2 particles are distributed uniformly throughout the matrix. The addition of TiB2 increased the hardness and wear resistance of the material significantly. The inclusion of TiB2 particles in the matrix shifted the wear mechanism from adhesive to abrasive. The ultimate tensile strength and the yield strength of the manufactured composites were also dramatically improved compared to Mg-ZE41 alloy. The addition of TiB2, on the other hand, has had no positive or negative influence on the corrosion performance of the Mg-ZE41 alloy.