Abstract:The AA6061 aluminum alloy matrix composite reinforced by copper particles was applied to the AA1050 aluminum substrate using a friction surfacing process. The effect of reinforcement content and pre-coating heat treatment condition of the consumable rod on the microstructure and mechanical properties was investigated. The results showed that coating with T6 treated consumable rod and increasing the mass fraction of copper powder resulted in higher temperature during friction surfacing. With increasing the mass fraction of copper powder, the average grain size of the coatings created with T6 and solid solutionized rods decreased. The average grain size of the coating in the samples created with the solid solutionized rod was 16% finer than that in the samples created with T6 rods. By increasing the mass fraction of copper to 20%, the wear resistance in coatings created with T6 and solid solutionized rods is increased by 28% and 24%, respectively, compared to that of the AA1050 substrate. Furthermore, by using a T6 rod and 20 wt.% copper, the shear strength, hardness, and wear resistance of the coating were 4%, 8%, and 5%, respectively, higher than those of the coating created with the solution-treated rod.

Key words: AA6061 matrix composite; friction surfacing; microstructure; pre-coating heat treatment