Developing an Empirical Relationship to Predict the Influence of Process Parameters on Tensile Strength of Friction Stir Welded AA6061/0-10 wt% ZrB2 In Situ Composite

New families of aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) have been developed over the last decade in search of superior properties. Aluminum reinforced with ZrB2 particles is one such family which has drawn the attention of researchers. Friction stir welding is a relatively new solid state welding which overcomes most of the defects associated with fusion welding of AMCs. An attempt has been made to friction stir weld AA6061/0-10 wt% ZrB2 in situ composite and to develop an empirical relationship to predict the tensile strength of butt joints. Four factors, five levels central composite rotatable design was used to minimize the number of experiments. The factors considered are tool rotational speed, welding speed, axial force and weight percentage of ZrB2. The effect of these factors on tensile strength of the welded joints is analyzed using the developed empirical relationship. The predicted trends are discussed. It is observed that the factors independently influence the tensile strength over the entire range of parameters studied in this work.