Influence of boron carbide on bonding performance of an aluminum alloy clad onto a knurled mild steel substrate: role of friction surfacing

This study investigates the microstructural and tribological performance of friction surfaced AA6082-T6 aluminum cladding, both with and without Boron Carbide (B4C) reinforcement. Friction surfacing was used to deposit cladding layers on substrates, followed by detailed characterization through optical microscopy, microhardness testing, and dry sliding wear analysis under a 10 N load. Microstructural examination confirmed refined grain morphology and defect-free metallurgical bonding in both variants, with the boron carbide (B4C)-reinforced coating exhibiting uniform particle dispersion and enhanced grain boundary stabilization. The values show a significant increase in surface hardness for the reinforced cladding, on account of ceramic particle strengthening. It has been observed that addition of B4C to the coating showed a reduction of 34.3% and nearly 76% as compared to the base metal in wear depth and weight loss, respectively. Also a steady coefficient of friction was observed for the coated surface throughout testing. A comparatively better wear resistance and more stable interface were seen under sliding conditions. Thus, it can be concluded that the use of B4C-reinforced friction surfacing is apt to extend the service life of aluminum parts employed in demanding environments.