Preface

Aluminium is the most abundant structural material and it makes up approximately 8% of the earth's crust. As one of the lightest structural materials available, aluminium alloys and aluminium metal matrix composites find extensive applications in engineering structures that require good strength-to-weight ratios and corrosion resistance among other properties. The demand for weight reduction and energy savings has led to the development of various alloys of aluminium and metal matrix composites with enhanced mechanical properties using various innovative additive manufacturing processes including 3D-printing.

Aluminium has the potential to reduce the weight contribution effects of engineering components on pollution and global warming. This book aims to provide the reader with a complete overview of the advances that have been made in the development of advanced aluminium alloys and composites and explores the joining technologies capable of combining these materials into superior hybrid structures. This text will be a useful handbook for academics, students, and researchers who wish to understand the advanced applications for aluminium.

Students often find it difficult to recognize and understand the impact of the microstructure on the overall properties of the materials being studied. The intention of this book is to demonstrate the link between microstructure and the composition and performance of aluminium alloys and composites. This content will make this an important handbook for students interested in mechanical and materials engineering.

The editor would like to express his sincere gratitude to the authors for participating in this project by contributing their valuable chapters, without your support this edited book would not have been possible. I would also like to thank Ms. Dolores Kuzelj and her team at IntechOpen for their persistent efforts in moving the project forward.

**II**

Welding *by Pothur Hema*

Aluminum Alloys Behavior during Forming

*by Perumalla Janaki Ramulu*

**Chapter 8 133** Experimental Investigations on AA 6061 Alloy Welded Joints by Friction Stir

**Chapter 9 151**

**Kavian Omar Cooke** University of Bradford, Bradford, United Kingdom

**1**

Section 1

Types and Properties of

Aluminium Alloys and

Composites
