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Abstract
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Aluminum alloys are widely used in industry due to their favorable strength-to-weight ratio, but their relatively weak surface properties, particularly poor wear resistance, limit broader applications. Conventional fusion-based reinforcement methods often introduce microstructural defects and reduce mechanical performance. This study aimed to enhance the surface properties of 1050 aluminum alloy by fabricating mono and hybrid surface composites using solid-state friction stir processing (FSP) with titanium dioxide (TiO2) and boron trioxide (B2O3) nanopowders. Reinforcement ratios and the number of FSP passes were systematically varied, and the resulting composites were characterized through tensile testing, Vickers microhardness measurements, wear testing, and metallographic analysis. The results showed that three-pass FSP significantly increased tensile strength, hardness, and wear resistance compared to single-pass processing. Hybrid composites consistently outperformed mono composites, with the TB33 configuration (75 % TiO2–25 % B2O3, three passes) achieving the highest tensile strength (112 MPa), hardness (49.26 HV), and balanced ductility (16 %), while TB23 (50 %–50 %) exhibited superior wear resistance and B3 (100 % B2O3) provided the greatest elongation (33 %). These findings demonstrate that the optimal reinforcement composition is application-dependent, and that hybrid reinforcement combined with multi-pass FSP offers a viable pathway to tailor mechanical and tribological properties of aluminum alloys for diverse engineering uses.
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