Microstructure and mechanical properties of stationary shoulder friction stir welding joint of 2A14-T62 aluminum alloy

2A14-T62 butt joint was successfully welded by stationary shoulder friction stir welding(SSFSW)method.The results showed that using a pin with small shoulder could broaden the process window,and under a rotation speed of 2000 r/min and welding speed of 30 mm/min,joint with smooth surface,small reduction in thickness and little inner defects was obtained.The weld nugget zone was approx-imately circular,which was a unique morphology for SSFSW.The heat-affected zone(HAZ)and thermo-mechanically affected zone(TMAZ)were both quite narrow due to the lower heat input and slight mechanical action of the stationary shoulder.The fraction of high angle grain boundaries(HAGBs)exhibited a“W”shape along horizontal direction(from advancing side to retreating side),and the minim-um value located at HAZ.The average ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the joint were 325 MPa and 4.5%,respectively,with the joint efficiency of 68.3%.The joint was ductile fractured and the fracture surface contained two types of dimples morphology in different re-gions of the joint.Microhardness distribution in the joint exhibited a“W”shape,and the difference along the thickness direction was negli-gible.The joint had strong stress corrosion cracking susceptibility,and the slow stain rate tensile strength was 139 MPa.Microcrack and Al2O3 particulates were observed at the fracture surface.

Research on friction stir welding of 5754 aluminum alloy with unequal thickness

A new structure of 1+2 was designed in friction stir welding(FSW)of Al alloy sheet with unequal thickness:a specific sheet with similar composition of base metals(BMs)was placed under the thinner sheet as the supporting sheet so that the BM surfaces could be on a plane.The BMs can also be fully penetrated weld with a stirring pin longer than the thickness of the thin sheet.2 mm and 1.5 mm thick Al alloy sheets were welded by FSW,and parameters were optimized.The highest welding strength reached 96.07%of the thin base metal.Although a slight thinning phenomenon occurred at the edge of the nugget on the retreating side,the specimen still fractured in the heat-af-fected zone.

Achieving a high-strength dissimilar joint of T91 heat-resistant steel to 316L stainless steel via friction stir welding

The reliable welding of T91 heat-resistant steel to 316L stainless steel is a considerable issue for ensuring the safety in service of ultrasupercritical power generation unit and nuclear fusion reactor,but the high-quality dissimilar joint of these two steels was difficult to be obtained by traditional fusion welding methods.Here we improved the structure-property synergy in a dissimilar joint of T91 steel to 316L steel via friction stir welding.A defect-free joint with a large bonding interface was produced using a small-sized tool under a relatively high welding speed.The bonding interface was involved in a mixing zone with both mechanical mixing and metallurgical bonding.No obvious material softening was detected in the joint except a negligible hardness decline of only HV~10 in the heat-affected zone of the T91 steel side due to the formation of ferrite phase.The welded joint exhibited an excellent ultimate tensile strength as high as that of the 316L parent metal and a greatly enhanced yield strength on account of the dependable bonding and material renovation in the weld zone.This work recommends a promising technique for producing high-strength weldments of dissimilar nuclear steels.

Microstructure and toughness of thick-gauge pipeline steel joint via double-sided friction stir welding combined with preheating

Fusion welding easily causes microstructural coarsening in the heat-affected zone(HAZ) of a thick-gauge pipeline steel joint. This is most significant in the inter-critically coarse-grained HAZ(ICCGHAZ), which considerably deteriorates the toughness of the joint. In the present work, 11-mm thick pipeline steel was joined by preheating and double-sided friction stir welding(FSW). A comparative study on the microstructure and toughness in the ICCGHAZs for FSW and gas metal arc welding(GMAW) was performed. The toughness in the ICCGHAZ for FSW was improved significantly than that in the ICCGHAZ for GMAW. Generally, the nugget zone(NZ) has a coarse microstructure in the FSW steel joint formed at the highest peak temperature. However, in the current study, the microstructure in the one-pass NZ was remarkably refined owing to the static recrystallization of ferrite. An excellent toughness was achieved in the NZ of the pipeline steel joint that employed FSW.

Review on friction stir welding of dissimilar magnesium and aluminum alloys: Scientometric analysis and strategies for achieving high-quality joints

Magnesium and aluminum alloys continually attract interest as lightweight structural materials for transport applications. However, joining these dissimilar alloys is very challenging. The main obstacle that hinders progress in dissimilar Mg-Al joining is the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds(IMCs). As a solid-state joining technique, FSW is an excellent candidate to attenuate the deleterious IMC effects in dissimilar Al-Mg joining due to the inherent low heat inputs involved in the process. However, the IMCs, namely Al_(3)Mg_(2) and Al_(12)Mg_(17) phases, have also been reported to form during Al-Mg dissimilar FSW;their amount and thickness depend on the heat input involved;thus,the weld parameters used. Since the heat dissipated in the material during the welding process significantly affects the amount of IMCs,the heat input during FSW should be kept as low as possible to control and reduce the amount of IMCs. This review aims to critically discuss and evaluate the studies conducted in the dissimilar Al/Mg FSW through a scientometric analysis and also with a focus on the strategies recently applied to enhance joint quality. The scientometric analysis showed that the main research directions in Mg/Al FSW are the technological weldability of aluminum and magnesium during FSW, structural morphology, and mechanical properties of dissimilar welded joints. Considering the scope of application of the aforementioned joints, the low share of articles dealing with environmental degradation and operational cracking is surprising. This might be attributed to the need for well-developed strategies for obtaining high-quality and sustainable joints for applications. Thus, the second part of this review is conventional, focusing mainly on the new strategies for obtaining high-quality Mg/Al joints. It can be concluded that in addition to the necessity to optimum welding parameters to suppress the excessive heat to limit the amount and thickness of IMC formed and improve the overall joint quality, strategies such as using Zn interlayer, electric current assisted FSW(EAFSW), ultrasonic vibration FSW(UVa FSW), are considered effective in the elimination, reduction, and fragmentation of the brittle IMCs.

High-Velocity Projectile Impact Behaviour of Friction Stir Welded AA7075 Thick Plates

In this study, high velocity impact behaviour of friction stir welded AA7075-T651 25 mm thick plates were investigated using a 7.62 mm × 51 mm lead core and 7.62 mm × 39 mm steel core projectiles. Prior to ballistic trails, mechanical and metallurgical properties of friction stir welded AA 7075-T651 25 mm thick plates were studied. Microstructural and hardness studies revealed that friction stir welds constituted three distinct regions namely Weld Nugget(WN), Thermo-Mechanically Affected Zone(TMAZ) and Heat Affected Zone(HAZ). Base Material(BM) and all three weld regions were ballistically tested as per military standard NIJ.0108.01 using lead and steel core bullets at maximum permissible velocities of 830 ± 20 and 700 ± 30 m/s, respectively. It has been found that base material(AA7075-T651)and all three weld regions of 25 mm thick plates were able to resist perforation by both types of projectiles used. However depth of penetration has been found to increase from BM to WN, HAZ and TMAZ for both types of projectiles. In all cases steel core projectiles caused higher depth of penetration compared to those caused by lead core projectiles. TMAZs of the friction stir welds were found to be the weakest zone. The fracture that occurred in the base material was spall fragmentation indicating brittle failure, whereas all zones of friction stir welded AA7075-T651 targets with a front petalling, indicating ductile failure. The post-ballistic tested samples showed no significant change in the microstructure of the BM and WN. On the other hand, TMAZ and HAZ showed severe grain deformation in the direction of projectile penetration, and the formation of adiabatic shear bands(ASB). This work showed that 25 mm thick friction stir welded AA7075-T651 joints responded well to ballistic impact loads, making them a good choice for light combat vehicles.

Galvanic corrosion of AZ31B joined to dual-phase steel with and without Zn layer by ultrasonic and friction stir welding

Galvanic corrosion of AZ31B joined with bare or Zn-coated DP590 steel by ultrasonic spot welding or linear friction stir welding was quantitatively studied by pre-defining anode and cathode in the lap joint samples. Corrosion volume and depth from Mg anode surfaces exposed to 0.1 M sodium chloride solution was analyzed as functions of cathode surface type and welding method. Characterization of as-welded joints was performed to identify any microstructural feature of the bonding zone that could impact galvanic corrosion behavior.COMSOL modeling with modified user subroutine was conducted to simulate the progression of Mg corrosion in the same joint and electrode configurations used for the corrosion experiments. The experimental results indicated that Zn-coated cathode surface can reduce Mg galvanic corrosion significantly as galvanic polarization and cathodic current on Zn-coated surface remained relatively low for Mg in the weld joints.COMSOL modeling described the growth of Mg galvanic corrosion in a reasonable manner but showed limitation by underestimating the corrosion volume as it did not capture self-corrosion.

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.

Comprehensive study of microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welded 5182-O/HC260YD+Z lap joint

The welding of aluminum(Al)and steel has attracted more and more interest due to the weight reduction trend in vehicle and aerospace manufacturing industries.5182-O/HC260YD+Z lap joint was produced by friction stir welding(FSW),and the microstructure and mechanical property of the joint were systemically characterized.The microstructure in horizontal direction of the Al and steel near interface was similar to their corresponding conventional friction stir welded joint.The joint was divided into stir zone of Al(ST-Al),stir zone of interface(ST-I),thermal-mechanically affected zone of steel(TMAZ-Fe)and base material of steel(BM-Fe)according to their distinct microstructure vertically.Three kinds of intermetallic compounds(IMCs)of FeAl_(3),FeAl and Fe_(3)Al were formed at the interface.The horizontal micro hardness distribution exhibited a hat shape and“M”shape in Al and steel,respectively.The hardest region of the joint was located at the ST-I,with a hardness of 175 HV−210 HV.The joint was fractured along the hook structure,with an average shear strength of 73.9 MPa.Fractural morphology of Al and steel indicted a cleavage fracture mode.

Experimental and numerical investigation on under-water friction stir welding of armour grade AA2519-T87 aluminium alloy

Friction stir welding(FSW) is a promising welding process that can join age hardenable aluminium alloys with high joint efficiency. However,the thermal cycles experienced by the material to be joined during FSW resulted in the deterioration of mechanical properties due to the coarsening and dissolution of strengthening precipitates in the thermo-mechanical affected zone(TMAZ) and heat affected zone(HAZ). Under water friction stir welding(UWFSW) is a variant of FSW process which can maintain low heat input as well as constant heat input along the weld line. The heat conduction and dissipation during UWFSW controls the width of TMAZ and HAZ and also improves the joint properties. In this investigation, an attempt has been made to evaluate the mechanical properties and microstructural characteristics of AA2519-T87 aluminium alloy joints made by FSW and UWFSW processes. Finite element analysis has been used to estimate the temperature distribution and width of TMAZ region in both the joints and the results have been compared with experimental results and subsequently correlated with mechanical properties.? 2016 China Ordnance Society. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of 2A12 aluminium alloy joint by ultrasonic assisted friction stir welding and friction stir welding

Ultrasonic assisted friction stir welding （UAFSW） is a recent modification of conventional friction stir welding, which adds ultrasonic energy directly into the friction stir welding area by the pin. In this study, 2A12 aluminum alloy was welded by this process and conventional, respectively. The tensile tests, microstructure and fracture surface of FSW joint and UAFSW joint were analyzed. The research results show that the surface forming texture of ultrasonic assisted friction stir welding joint, compared with conventional, is finer and more uniform, showing metallic matte color. The grains are much finer in weld nugget zone, thermo-mechanically affected zone and heat-affected zone; S-phase particles size is much smaller and distribution is more homogeneous in the matrix. The tensile strength of UAFSW joint is 94. 13% of base metal, and the elongation is 11.77%. The tensile strength of FSW joint is 83.15% of base metal, and the elongation is 8.81%. The tests results reveal that ultrasonic vibration can improve the tensile strength and the elongation of welded joints.

Effect of Y Addition on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Friction Stir Welded ZK60 Alloy

6 mm thick ZK60 and ZK60-Y alloy plates were successfully friction stir welded （FSW） at a tool rotation rate of 1200 r/min and a traverse speed of 100 mm/min. FSW resulted in the dissolution of MgZn2 particles in the ZK60 and the breakup and dispersion of W-phase （Mg3Zn3Y2） particles in the ZK60-Y alloy, thereby leading; to a decrease in the hardness of the nugget zone （NZ） for the ZK60 alloy and an increase in the hardness of the NZ for the ZK60-Y alloy, respectively. While two FSW joints exhibited similar joint efficiency （87%-89% of ultimate tensile strengths of the parent materials）, the yield strength of the FSW ZK60-Y joint was substantially higher than that of the FSW ZK60 joint. The fracture occurred in the NZ and the heat affected zone for the ZK60 and ZK60-Y joints, respectively, which were consistent with the lowest hardness distribution of the welded joints.

Microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of bobbin-tool friction stir welded 2024–T3 aluminum alloy

Cold-rolled 2024-T3 sheet alloy was subjected to bobbin-tool friction stir welding （BTFSW）. The microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of the nugget zone in the as-welded state were investigated. The results show that the equiaxed grain size of BTFSW 2024-T3 alloy decreases from 7.6 to 2.8 μm as the welding speed is increased from 80 to 120 mm/min; in addition, fine grains are generated in the nugget zone and the size distribution is non-uniform. All A12CuMg （S＇） precipitates dissolve into the A1 matrix, whereas Mn-rich phases confirmed as T phases （Al20CuEMn3, A16Mn, or AlaMn） remain unchanged. The optimized parameters for BTFSW are veri- fied as the rotation speed of 350 r/min and the travel speed of 100 mm/min. The variations in precipitation and dislocation play more impor- tant roles than grain size in the nugget zone with respect to influencing the mechanical properties during the BTFSW process. After the BTFSW process, the fracture mode of base material 2024-T3 alloy transforms from ductile rupture to ductile-brittle mixed fi＇acture.

SIMULATION ON TEMPERATURE FIELD OF FRICTION STIR WELDED JOINTS OF 2024-T4 Al

The thermal model of FSW based on the thermal elastic-plastic finite element method, and the transient temperature distribution of FS welded joints of 2024-T4 Al was simulated by using this model, which provides useful information for the investigation of FSW process. Simulation resuits show that the temperature distribution of the weld gradually decreases toward periphery in a radiate format, whose center is the probe, and the highest temperature in the weld can reach about 400℃. The initial terminal of the weld is a zone, in which the temperature gradient is great, and defects of the welding are easily produced in this zone. Temperature change at the end of the welded joint is as layer variation, the local serious defects are not easy to produce in this zone.

Effect of Ca addition on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of asymmetric double-sided friction stir welded AZ61 magnesium alloy

The effects of 2%Ca addition on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of the asymmetric double-sided friction stir welded magnesium alloy AZ61 were investigated.Compared to the Ca-free AZ61magnesium alloy,the addition of 2%Ca significantly refines the grains in the stir zone after welding.Due to the existence of thermally stable Al2Ca particles,there is no noticeable change in the grain size in the stir zone regardless of the welding heat input.The electron backscattered diffraction analysis at the center of the stir zone confirmed the significant deterioration of the(0001)texture strength from the addition of 2%Ca.The tensile test of the joint suggested that the addition of 2%Ca provides stable tensile properties to the joint regardless of the welding parameters.The critical(0001)texture strength that determines the ultimate tensile strength decreased from 20 to 15 by the Ca addition.The addition of Ca enhanced the deterioration of the plastic elongation when the(0001)texture strength increased.

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.

Mechanical and metallurgical properties of friction stir welded dissimilar joints of AZ91 magnesium alloy and AA 6082-T6 aluminium alloy

In the present research work,AZ91 magnesium alloy and AA6082-T6 aluminium alloy were joined by friction stir welding process.The comparison of microstructure and mechanical properties between different joints by varying the different materials on advance and retreating sides were mainly studied.Four different welds have been prepared to find the material mixing between the similar and dissimilar joints.The joint interfaces of the welds have been investigated by employing an optical microscope and scanning electron microscope.When Mg was placed on advancing side(AS),more aluminium content was soluble in nugget zone than the case where Mg was placed on the retreating side(RS).Thin intermetallic layer in the joint interface of Mg/Al and thick intermetallic layer with poor adhesion of the aluminium and magnesium have been observed in the dissimilar joints varying the sides.The highest UTS of 172.3 MPa was found for Mg-Al when Mg was placed on AS and lower UTS of 156.25 MPa was obtained when Mg was placed on RS.Hardness of 86 Hv and 89 Hv were observed in the Stir zone for the dissimilar AZ91 Mg alloy and AA6082-T6 Al alloy when AZ91Mg alloy was placed on the AS and on the RS respectively.Fractography was also carried out to find the mode of failure.

Temperature distribution study during the friction stir welding process of Al2024-T3 aluminum alloy

Heat flux characteristics are critical to good quality welding obtained in the important engineering alloy A12024- T3 by the friction stir welding （FSW） process. In the present study, thermocouples in three different configurations were amxed on the welding samples to measure the temperatures： in the first configuration, four thermocouples were placed at equivalent positions along one side of the welding direction; the second configuration involved two equivalent thermocouple locations on either side of the welding path; while the third configuration had all the thermocouples on one side of the layout but with unequal gaps from the welding line. A three-dimensional, non-linear ANSYS computational model, based on an approach applied to A12024-T3 for the first time, was used to simulate the welding temperature profiles obtained experimentally. The experimental thermal profiles on the whole were found to be in agreement with those calculated by the ANSYS model. The broad agreement between the two kinds of profiles validates the basis for derivation of the simulation model and provides an approach for the FSW simulation in A12024-T3 and is potentially more useful than models derived previously.

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 natural aging on microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welded 7050-T7451 joints

The microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welded 2. 5 mm 7050-T7451 aluminum alloy natural aging 72 h and 17 520 h were investigated, respectively. The uniaxial tensile test showed that yield strength, tensile strength and elongation of the joints 17 520 h natural aging were about 20%, 12% and 24% higher than those joints natural aging 72 h. Hardness profile of natural aging 17 520 h joint witnessed significant enhancement in nugget zone, compared with 72 h natural aging. Differential scanning calorimetry （ DSC ） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM） test revealed that more Guinier-Preston zone, η＇ and 71 phase emerged in nugget zone as natural aging duration increased, high density of dislocation located within grain boundary in nugget zone of joints natural aging 72 h. It is concluded that natural aging was feasible to enhalwe strength and plasticity of FSW joints simultaneously.