In this study, AA5083 sheets were reinforced with four different hybrid nanoparticles by friction stir processing
(FSP) for the development of surface nanocomposites used in advanced engineering applications. The present
research focused on improving the properties and tribological behaviour of AA5083 alloy surfaces, including
novel hybrid nanoparticles and the intermetallic phase formed during FSP. A tribometer tester with a constant
normal load was used to examine the tribological performance of the hybrid composites. After the wear test, a
surface profiler inspector was used to analyse the morphology and surface roughness of the examined materials.
The Vickers micro-hardness of the base metal and the manufactured composites were measured. During FSP, a
new intermetallic phase of AlV3 was successfully formed at 300–400 ◦C in the hybrid nanocomposites containing
VC particles. The reinforcements resulted in additional grain refining than FSP. The AA5083/Ta2C–Al2O3
exhibited the greatest grain refinement, a sixty-fold reduction in grain size compared to that of the base alloy.
The results revealed that the hybrid nanocomposites containing VC particles demonstrated the most significant
microhardness values inside the stirred zone as a result of the presence of the AlV3 phase, which was increased by
25–30%. Moreover, the mechanical properties were significantly improved for all manufactured nanocomposites. The tensile strength was increased by 28% through the hybridisation of AA5083 using a hybrid of
VC-GNPs. The dispersion of Ta2C-GNPs and VC-GNPs in the matrix led to excellent interfacial adhesion, resulting
in an enhancement in the mechanical properties. The AA5083/VC-GNPs surface composite outperformed other
manufactured composites regarding wear resistance. In addition, due to GNPs soft nature, it reduced the coefficient of friction (COF) of the manufactured composites by 20–25% compared to other reinforcements. |
