Composite: * a conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts* strong lightweight material developed in the laboratory; fibers of more than one kind are bonded together chemically

Composite manufacturing is one of the most imperative advances in the history of materials. Nanoparticles have been attracting increasing attention in the composite community because of their capability of improving the mechanical and physical properties of traditional fibre-reinforced composites.

Friction Stir Processing (FSP) is emerging as a promising technique for making composites. FSP can improve surface properties such as abrasion resistance, hardness, strength, ductility, corrosion resistance, fatigue life and formability without affecting the bulk properties of the material. FSP has successfully evolved as an alternative technique of fabricating metal matrix composites.

A new solid-state process developed recently on the same principle as Friction Stir Welding (FSW), Friction Stir Processing (FSP) appear as a very promising technique for the production of metal matrix composites and for tailoring material properties.

Concepts of FSP:- Low amount of heat generated- Extensive plastic flow of material- Very fine grain size in the stirred region- Healing of flaws and casting porosity- Random disorientation of grain boundaries in the stirred region- Mechanical mixing of the surface and subsurface layers.

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