Friction Stir Processing of Magnesium Matrix Composites reinforced with Carbon Fibres: Influence of the Matrix Characteristics and of the Processing Parameters on Microstructural Developments

Processing of magnesium matrix composites reinforced with C fibres by ‘liquid state’ methods such as squeeze casting are usually impaired by the poor wettability of C substrates by liquid Mg. As a consequence, ‘solid state’ processes such as Friction Stir Processing (FSP) appear as very promising alternative processing routes for the production of C-Mg composites. And, more particularly, FSP of a C fabric between two sheets of the fairly ductile Mg alloy AZ31B was shown to be a simple and innovative process for a large-scale production of magnesium matrix composites reinforced with short C fibres.
In the present work, FSP of a C fabric between two metal sheets or thin plates has been performed using two different Mg alloys exhibiting quite different mechanical behaviours, i.e. alloy AZ31B and the more brittle alloy AZ91D. And the effect of the matrix characteristics, along with the influence of the FSP experimental parameters such as the rotational and advancing speeds, on the microstructural changes occuring upon processing have been carefully studied. A particular attention has been given to the fragmentation and distribution of the C fibres, as well as to the recrystallisation, solutionising and precipitation processes taking place in the Mg matrix.