Abstract:The effect of adding copper powder and changing the rotational speed of the consumable rod during friction surfacing of Al-Mg alloy on AA1050 aluminum substrate was investigated. The copper powder was inserted by drilling holes in the cross-section of the consumable rod. The coating microstructure was studied using optical and electron microscopy, and the mechanical properties of coatings were studied using a shear test. The results showed that with increasing the rotational speed of the consumable rod from 600 to 1000 r/min, the copper powder distribution becomes more uniform, and the agglomeration of copper powder occurs less frequently. The average grain size of coatings decreased from (2.0±0.1) to (0.9±0.2) μm by increasing the rotational speed from 600 to 1000 r/min. As the rotational speed increases, the copper-rich particles become smaller and are formed as CuAl₂ intermetallic compounds. The maximum load required for debonding coating from substrate increases from 16.2 to 18.4 kN by increasing rotational speed from 600 to 1000 r/min. The coating with rotational speeds of 600, 800, and 1000 r/min results in 12%, 18%, and 21% lower wear rate than that of the AA1050 substrate, respectively.

Key words: friction surfacing; Al-Mg matrix composite; copper reinforcement; mechanical property; AA1050 substrate