Characterization of Lateral Friction Surfaced AA6063 Coatings

Friction surfacing is a solid-state metal deposition technique suitable for a wide range of metallic materials. This technique results in coatings on surfaces for joining purposes or surface modification applications such as wear and corrosion performance improvements. In this study, a novel approach in friction surfacing is utilized in which the consumable tool deposits material from its side instead of the end of the tool, which has been employed in conventional friction surfacing. Frictional heat enables plastic deformation, which results in the depositing of the consumable material on the substrate surface. The process is carried out at temperatures below the melting point of the consumable material, resulting in a solid-state deposition process. In the current study, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy have been employed for the characterization of the interfaces and coatings. The results of this study exhibited that there is no elemental diffusion between the tool and substrate materials at the interface, showing that the process temperature was low enough to prevent plasticizing of the substrate surface.