Influence of Processing Parameters on Microstructure and Surface Hardness of Hypereutectic Al-Si-Fe-Mg Alloy via Friction Stir Processing

In this study, the effects of friction stir processing (FSP) parameters on the microstructure and hardness of cast Al-Si-Fe-Mg alloy were investigated. Orthogonal arrays were applied in the design of the experiments. The selected parameters for the experiments included rotation speed, transverse speed, penetration depth, and tilt angle. The microstructure and hardness of the FSPed Al-Si-Fe-Mg were studied using optical and scanning electron microscopy, and microhardness testing, respectively. The quadratic model was proposed to fit the experimental data of hardness. Signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) analysis showed the maximum hardness achieved when rotation speed, transverse speed, penetration depth, and tilt angle were chosen as 1600 rpm, 400 mm/min, 0.1 mm, and 1.5 degrees, respectively. Taguchi's analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the significant FSP parameters on hardness, which revealed that rotation speed was the most dominant processing parameter, followed by transverse speed, tilt angle, and penetration depth. Moreover, a quadratic polynomial model was developed to predict and optimize the combination of the parameters, enabling superior mechanical properties. Subsequently, the verification of the microstructure was conducted, demonstrating good agreement between the experimental observation of the microstructure and estimated outcomes.