An innovative joint interface design for reducing intermetallic compounds and improving joint strength of thick plate friction stir welded Al/Mg joints

Friction stir welding of dissimilar Al/Mg thick plates still faces severe challenges, such as poor formability, formation of thick intermetallic compounds, and low joint strength. In this work, two joint configurations, namely inclined butt(conventional butt) and serrated interlocking(innovative butt), are proposed for improving weld formation and joint quality. The results show that a continuous and straight intermetallic compound layer appears at the Mg side interface in conventional butt joint, and the maximum average thickness reaches about 60.1 μm.Additionally, the Mg side interface also partially melts, forming a eutectic structure composed of Mg solid solution and Al_(12)Mg_(17) phase.For the innovative butt joint, the Mg side interface presents the curved interlocking feature, and intermetallic compounds can be reduced to less than 10 μm. The joint strength of innovative butt joint is more than three times that of conventional butt joint. This is due to the interlocking effect and thin intermetallic compounds in the innovative joint.

Preparation of bimetallic nano-composite by dissimilar friction stir welding of copper to aluminum alloy

Butt friction stir welding between pure copper and AA5754 alloy was carried out.Reinforcing SiC nanoparticles were utilized in friction stir welded(FSW)joints to decline the harmful effects of intermetallic compounds.Tensile tests,micro-hardness experiments,scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis were applied to studying the properties of welded joints.The joints with a travel speed of 50 mm/min and a rotation speed of 1000 r/min showed the best results.The presence of nano-sized SiC particles reduced the grain size of aluminum and copper in the stir zone(SZ)from 38.3 and 12.4μm to 12.9 and 5.1μm,respectively.The tensile strength of the joint in the presence of reinforcing SiC nano-particles was~240 MPa,which is~90%of that for the aluminum base.Furthermore,the highest microhardness of the weld zone was significantly increased from HV 160 to HV 320 upon the addition of SiC nano-particles.The results also showed that raising the heat generation in FSW joints increased the amount of Al_(4)Cu_(9) and Al_(2)Cu intermetallic compounds.

Microstructures and properties analysis of dissimilar metal joint in the friction stir welded copper to aluminum alloy

This paper mainly concentrated on the feasibility of friction stir welding of dissimilar metal of aluminum alloy to copper （I2） and a preliminary analysis of welding parameters influencing on the microstructures and properties of joint was carried out. The results indicated that the thickness of workpiece played an important role in the welding parameters which could succeed in the friction stir welding of dissimilar metal of copper to aluminum alloy, and the parameters were proved to be a narrow choice. The interfacial region between copper and aluminum in the dissimilar joint was not uniformly mixed, constituted with part of incomplete mixing zone, complete mixing zone, dispersion zone and the most region＇ s boundary was obvious. Meantime a kind banded structure with inhomogeneous width was formed. The intermetallic compounds generated during friction stir welding in the interfacial region were mainly CugAl4, Al2Cu etc, and their hardness was higher than oihers.

Joining of AZ31 and AZ91 Mg alloys by friction stir welding

Two dissimilar magnesium(Mg)alloy sheets,one with low aluminium(AZ31)and another with high aluminium(AZ91)content,were successfully joined by friction stir welding(FSW).The effect of process parameters on the formation of hot cracks was investigated.A sound metallurgical joint was obtained at optimized process parameters(1400 rpm with 25 mm/min feed)which contained fine grains and distributed β(Mg_(17)Al_(12))phase within the nugget zone.An increasing trend in the hardness measurements has also confirmed more amount of dissolution of aluminium within the nugget zone.A sharp interface between nugget zone and thermo mechanical affected zone(TMAZ)was clearly noticed at the AZ31 Mg alloy side(advancing)but not on the AZ91 Mg alloy side(retreating).From the results it can be concluded that FSW can be effectively used to join dissimilar metals,particularly difficult to process metals such as Mg alloys,and hot cracking can be completely eliminated by choosing appropriate process parameters to achieve sound joint.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir weld of dissimilar AZ31-O magnesium alloy to 6061-T6 aluminum alloy

Dissimilar friction stir welding between AZ31-O Mg and 6061-T6 Al alloys was investigated. 3 mm thick plates of aluminum and magnesium were used. Friction stir welding operations were performed at different rotation and travel speeds. The rotation speeds varied from 600 to 1400 r/min, and the travel speed varied from 20 to 60 mm/min. Defect-free weld was obtained with a rotation speed of 1000 r/min and travel speed of 40 mm/min. Metallographic studies showed that the grain size in the stir zone is much finer than that in the base metals. Complex flow pattern was formed in the stir zone. Microhardness measurement revealed an uneven distribution in the stir zone. Tensile test results indicated that the tensile strength of the welded specimen is about 76% of AZ31 Mg alloy and 60% of the 6061 Al alloy in tensile strength. SEM fracture surface image of the welded specimen indicated that the welded specimen failed through brittle-mode fracture.

STUDY ON THE TEXTURE OF A FRICTION STIR WELDED Mg-Al-Ca ALLOY

Macro-texture of an Mg-Al-Ca alloy prepared by friction stir welding （FSW） was investigated through pole figure measurement and X-ray diffraction （XRD） pattern analysis. It was found that at the top and bottom surfaces of friction stir zone （FSZ）, （0002） basal planes of magnesium tend to be arranged parallel to the plate surface. In the cross section of FSZ, no obvious texture had evolved and （0002） basal planes showed a random distribution.

Effect of process parameters on interfacial microstructure and mechanical properties of Al/Cu friction stir lap welding joints

In this study,friction stir lap welding(FSLW)was performed for the welding test of 6061 aluminium alloy and T2 pure copper.The effect of process parameters containing rotation rate and travel speed on interfacial microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of Al/Cu dissimilar joints were explored.The experiments were carried out under the rotation rates of 600,900 and 1200 r/min and with the travel speeds of 30,70 and 100 mm/min.The characteristic of interface transition zones(ITZs)and the species of intermetallic compounds(IMCs)were investigated.The Al/Cu interface showed a layered structure composed of Al-Cu IMCs,which will affect the mechanical property.The layer consisting of Al2Cu was formed at lower heat input,and as heat input increased the Al4Cu9 phase started to form.Excessive heat input will increase the thickness of the interface and raise the brittleness of the joints.The thickness of the IMCs layers changed from0.89μm to 3.96μm as the heat input increased.The maximum value of tensile shear loading of 4.65 kN was obtained at the rotation rate of900 r/min and travel speed of 100 mm/min with the interface thickness of 2.89μm.The fracture mode of the joints was a mix of ductile and brittle fracture.

Al-Mg合金搅拌摩擦焊接头的组织演变及腐蚀性能

文中基于电子背散射衍射(electron backscatter diffraction,EBSD)和动电位极化等方法,探索了Al-Mg系合金AA5083-H112搅拌摩擦焊(friction stir welding,FSW)接头的微观组织、腐蚀性能和力学性能,揭示了Al-Mg系合金搅拌摩擦焊接头微观组织的演变机理,明确了微观组织对其腐蚀性能和力学性能的影响规律.结果表明,5083-H112铝合金搅拌摩擦焊接头从母材区(base metal zone,BMZ)到焊核区(nugget zone,NZ)的组织演变规律符合连续动态再结晶机制.800 r/min下接头从BMZ到NZ的平均晶粒尺寸先增大后减小,大角度晶界(high angle grain boundaries,HAGBs)占比先减小后增加.随转速的升高,NZ的平均晶粒尺寸逐渐增大,HAGBs占比受焊接热输入及焊后冷却时间的影响先减小后增大.同转速下接头不同区域和不同转速下接头NZ的腐蚀倾向均呈现出与HAGBs占比正相关的规律,腐蚀部位主要在晶界,腐蚀形貌呈现出晶间腐蚀和剥落腐蚀的特征.接头各区域的硬度与微观组织相符,但对转速的变化不敏感.在600 r/min和1000 r/min转速范围内接头抗拉强度达母材的97%以上,同时断后伸长率与母材接近.

Achieving High‑Quality Aluminum to Copper Dissimilar Metals Joint via Friction Stir Double‑Riveting Welding

In order to achieve a high-quality joining of aluminum(Al)and copper(Cu)dissimilar metals,a new friction stir doubleriveting welding(FSDRW)with a Cu rod as the rivet was proposed,and the rotating tool with a large concave angle shoulder was specially designed.The results showed that under the thermal–mechanical effect of rotating tool,the Cu rod was deformed to be a double riveting heads structure with a Cu anchor at the upper surface of Al plate and an Al anchor above the lap interface of joint,and these two anchors greatly enhanced the mechanical interlocking of Al/Cu joint.The effective bonding interfaces were formed among the double riveting heads structure,the upper Al plate and the lower Cu plate,which contained the Cu/Cu interface and the Al/Cu interface.The Cu/Cu interface without the kissing bond and the Al/Cu interface with the rationally thin AlCu and Al_(2)Cu intermetallic compounds(IMCs)layers were beneficial to heightening the joint tensile shear strength.The maximum tensile shear load of the FSDRW joint achieved 5.52 kN,and the joint under different plunging depths of rotating tool presented a mixed mode of ductile fracture and brittle fracture.This novel FSDRW technique owns the advantages of strong mechanical interlocking and superb metallurgical bonding,and provides a new approach to acquiring a high-quality Al/Cu dissimilar metals joint.

Plastic flow pattern and its effect in friction stir welding of A2024 and A1060

During the friction stir welding (FSW), the property of the welding joint is highly affected by the plastic and viscous flow behavior of the softened material. The flow pattern of the welded material was examined through observing the microstrucrural distribution of friction stir welded joints between dissimilar 2024 and 1060 aluminum alloy. The experimental results show that the flow patterns of material at different locations in the weld are different and can be divided into four layers along the thickness direction: surface flow layer influenced by the shoulder of the tool, in which the material tends to flow as integrity; horizontal flow layer influenced by the surface flow layer, in which the material of surface flow layer enters and flows forwards under the advancing force of the tool; vertical flow layer (plastic flow area induced by stirring of the pin), in which the flow pattern is complex and onion rings can often be observed; unstirred bottom layer because of the length of the pin being shorter than the thickness of the plates. The effect of plastic flow on welding quality was further investigated. The study suggests that welding quantity is significantly influenced by the flow pattern and defects always appear in horizontally lamellar flow region because of the complex flow pattern.

Al/Mg搅拌摩擦点焊–钎焊接头的微观组织与拉伸剪切性能研究

采用搅拌摩擦点焊–钎焊工艺进行2A14铝合金和AZ31镁合金的连接,使用扫描电子显微镜(Scanning electron microscope,SEM)、能量色散谱(Energy dispersive spectroscopy,EDS)和X射线衍射仪(X–ray diffraction,XRD)研究不同参数下接头的微观组织、化学成分及物相组成,采用电子万能试验机对接头进行拉伸剪切性能测试。研究结果表明,搅拌区主要由Al–Mg系金属间化合物和少量MgZn相、MgZn_(2)相组成;热力影响区主要由富Zn固溶体和Mg_(7)Zn_(3)相组成;热影响区靠近铝合金处的锌钎料没有与其他元素发生反应,靠近镁合金处的锌钎料与镁元素发生反应,生成了Mg–Zn系金属间化合物。当轴肩下压量为0.5 mm,搅拌头旋转速度为950 r/min时,接头的拉伸剪切载荷达到最大值7.6 kN。

Improving tensile-shear properties of friction stir lap welded dissimilar Al/Mg joints by eliminating hook defect and controlling interfacial reaction

To improve tensile-shear properties of fiction stir lap welded(FSLW) dissimilar Al/Mg joints, pin-tip profiles were innovatively designed and welding speed was optimized, and effects of them on formation, interface microstructure and mechanical properties of different FSLW joints were investigated. With increasing the welding speed, the tensile-shear load of FSLW joints produced by three pins presents an increasing firstly and then decreasing trend. Compared with Rpin, the hook and hole defect in the joints made by S-pin and T-pin are eliminated owing to additional eccentric force. Moreover, the joints obtained by T-pin at 75 mm/min have the highest tensile-shear load, and a maximum value of 3.425 kN is produced, which increases by 96.8%.Meanwhile, the pin-tip profile improves significantly the interface reaction depending on the welding temperature. For R-pin, thick brittle intermetallic compounds of about 6.9 μm Al3Mg2and 13.3 μm Al12Mg17layers at the welding interface derived from diffusion reaction are formed, resulting in continuous cracks. However, using T-pin can raise the interface temperature, and which makes the interface liquefy locally to generate only 2.2 μm Al3Mg2layer and dispersive(Al12-Mg17+Mg) eutectic structure. This can release high residual stress and remove welding crack, consequently enhancing the interface properties of T-pin joints.

Al−Mg−Mn−Er合金双面搅拌摩擦焊接头局部显微组织和强化机制

通过研究Al−Mg−Mn−Er合金双面搅拌摩擦焊接头的局部显微组织和强化机制揭示其软化机制。结果显示:焊核区形成细小等轴晶组织(5.61μm),而热机械影响区(45.32μm)和热影响区(100.73μm)仍为纤维状组织。从基体到焊核区,小角度晶界分数从75.6%降低到15.6%。退火效应导致位错密度从母材的1.8×10^(14)m^(−2)减小到焊核区的4.5×10^(12)m^(−2)。焊核区、热机械影响区和热影响区Al_(3)(Er,Zr)析出相的平均尺寸和体积分数与基体的(13.7 nm,0.13%)均接近。焊核区和热机械影响区的屈服强度最低,约为201 MPa;基体的屈服强度最高,约为295 MPa。位错强化和亚结构强化的损失是从基体到焊核区屈服强度降低的主要原因。

Al-Mg-Sc-Zr合金搅拌摩擦焊板材的显微组织演变及力学性能

对Al-Mg-Sc-Zr合金轧制板材进行搅拌摩擦焊,焊针转速为500 r/min,行进速度为100 mm/min。采用OM、EBSD和TEM对搅拌摩擦焊后的合金板材组织进行表征,并测试显微硬度和拉伸强度。结果表明,搅拌摩擦焊后,旋转焊针附近区域的纤维晶粒发生弯曲;轧制板材的织构逐渐减轻。在焊核区,细小的等轴晶尺寸仅为2.31μm。Al_3(Sc,Zr)粒子受到FSW的影响。搅拌摩擦焊后的粒子分布和粒子大小与原始板材不同。此外,Al_3(Sc,Zr)粒子的形状由球形变为多边形,许多粒子与Al基体变得不共格。搅拌摩擦焊板材的抗拉强度为367 MPa,屈服强度为263 MPa,原板材的强度分别为414 MPa和311 MPa。

Dissimilar Al/Mg alloys friction stir lap welding with Zn foil assisted by ultrasonic

The Zn-added ultrasonic assisted friction stir lap welding(UaFSLW) was carried out to improve the quality of dissimilar Al/Mg alloys joint. The effects of ultrasonic power on the joint quality were also investigated.The results indicated that the larger effective lap width and mixing region between Mg and Al(Mg/Al MR) were attained by Zn foil addition and external ultrasonic assistance. Compared with the conventional joint, the finer and better-distributed Mg-Zn IMCs placing the continuous Al-Mg IMCs were formed in the Mg/Al MR of the Zn-added UaFSLW joint. The Zn foil addition and external ultrasonic assistance significantly improved the tensile shear load of the joint, and the load was increased with the increase of the ultrasonic power. The maximum tensile shear load of 7.95 kN was attained, which was 52.6% larger than that of the conventional joint.

Improving Joint Morphologies and Tensile Strength of Al/Mg Dissimilar Alloys Friction Stir Lap Welding by Changing Zn Interlayer Thickness

The pure Zn foils with different thicknesses(0.02, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3 mm) were selected as interlayers to improve the quality of friction stir lap welding joint of 7075-T6 Al and AZ31 B Mg dissimilar alloys. The effects of the interlayer thickness on joint formation, microstructure and tensile strength were analyzed. The results displayed that the maximum length of the boundary between stir zone(SZ) and thermo-mechanically affected zone in lower plate was obtained by the addition of the Zn interlayer with 0.05 mm thickness. The Mg–Zn intermetallic compounds(IMCs) were discontinuously distributed in the SZ, replacing the continuous Al–Mg IMCs. The size of Mg–Zn IMCs increased with the increase in the thickness of the Zn interlayer. The maximum tensile shear strength of 276 N mm-1 was obtained by the addition of 0.05 mm Zn foil, which increased by 45.6% of that of the joint without the Zn foil addition.

Improving the mechanical property of dissimilar Al/Mg hybrid friction stir welding joint by PIO-ANN

Ultrasonic-stationary shoulder assisted friction stir welding(U-SSFSW)is a novel hybrid welding technique,which reveals promising prospect in joining Al/Mg dissimilar alloys.A thorough understanding of U-SSFSW process is imperative for the further application of this technique.Pigeon-inspired optimization(PIO)is a swarm intelligent optimization algorithm and is proposed in mathematical modeling and process optimization by artificial intelligence.In this study,PIO optimized artificial neural network(PIOANN)was firstly established to acquire the relationships between the inputs and output of the Al/Mg welding process by U-SSFSW technique.A reliable PIO-ANN was achieved and the joint with a tensile strength of 161 MPa was acquired under the PIO optimized parameters.This tensile strength is higher than any ever-reported results with the similar welding condition.The joint formation,microstructure,microhardness and fracture behaviors were systemically investigated based on the reported studies and the confirmation experiment of this study to explore the enhancing mechanism of U-SSFSW Al/Mg joint.

Mg/Al异种材料脉冲TIG焊接头的组织结构

采用扫描电镜(SEM)、电子探针(EPMA)和X射线衍射(XRD)等测试方法,对用脉冲钨极氩弧焊(EMP-TIG)获得的Mg/Al异种材料焊接接头区的组织结构进行了研究。试验结果表明,用脉冲钨极氩弧焊焊接的Mg/Al接头组织性能良好,焊缝组织形态为细小的树枝状晶,熔合区存在柱状树枝晶、等轴树枝状晶和柱状晶三个明显的结晶过渡区。Mg/Al熔合区附近的显微硬度变化不大,通过控制工艺参数可以获得无明显高硬度脆性相的焊接接头。

Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr合金搅拌摩擦焊接头显微组织、力学性能及腐蚀性能

采用硬度测试、金相显微、透射电镜、慢应变速率拉伸、扫描电镜和极化曲线对2 mm厚Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr冷轧-退火板材搅拌摩擦焊接头的显微组织、力学性能及腐蚀性能进行了研究。结果表明:焊接接头的硬度相比母材有所降低,硬度最低值出现在前进侧搅拌区与热机影响区的交界处;焊接接头在空气中和3.5%Na Cl(质量分数)溶液中的抗拉强度和伸长率均低于母材的,且应力腐蚀敏感性增加。此外,在焊接接头中,热机影响区是耐蚀性最差的区域,但是在空气和3.5%Na Cl溶液中的拉伸试样均断裂在厚度最薄的搅拌区而不是耐蚀性最差的热机影响区,可见应力腐蚀对试样断裂的影响有限,说明Al-Mg-Mn-Sc-Zr合金搅拌摩擦焊接头具有较好的抗应力腐蚀性。

Al-Zn-Mg-Sc-Zr合金搅拌摩擦焊接接头的显微组织、力学性能及局部腐蚀性能

通过硬度测试、极化曲线测试、腐蚀浸泡和慢应变速率拉伸方法研究Al-Zn-Mg-Sc-Zr合金板材搅拌摩擦焊接接头的力学性能和局部腐蚀性能,并利用金相显微镜和透射电镜对焊接接头的显微组织进行分析。结果表明:焊接接头的硬度曲线呈现W型,硬度最低值出现在热影响区与热机影响区的交界处;和母材相比,焊接接头的局部抗腐蚀性能降低,应力腐蚀敏感性增大。热机影响区的腐蚀电位最低,腐蚀电流密度最高,晶间腐蚀深度最大,抗腐蚀性能最差。热机影响区的硬度和腐蚀性能的降低,主要是由于该区的晶粒发生变形,大部分η′沉淀强化相溶解,晶界上分布着大量的η相。