Research progress in friction stir processing of magnesium alloys and their metal matrix surface composites: Evolution in the 21^(st )century

Rising concerns about climate change drive the demand for lightweight components.Magnesium(Mg)alloys are highly valued for their low weight,making them increasingly important in various industries.Researchers focusing on enhancing the characteristics of Mg alloys and developing their Metal Matrix Composites(MMCs)have gained significant attention worldwide over the past decade,driven by the global shift towards lightweight materials.Friction Stir Processing(FSP)has emerged as a promising technique to enhance the properties of Mg alloys and produce Mg-MMCs.Initially,FSP adapted to refine grain size from the micro to the nano level and accelerated the development of MMCs due to its solid-state nature and the synergistic effects of microstructure refinement and reinforcement,improving strength,hardness,ductility,wear resistance,corrosion resistance,and fatigue strength.However,producing defect-free and sound FSPed Mg and Mg-MMCs requires addressing several variables and their interdependencies,which opens up a broad range of practical applications.Despite existing reviews on individual FSP of Mg,its alloys,and MMCs,an attempt has been made to analyze the latest research on these three aspects collectively to enhance the understanding,application,and effectiveness of FSP for Mg and its derivatives.This review article discusses the literature,classifies the importance of Mg alloys,provides a historical background,and explores developments and potential applications of FSPed Mg alloys.It focuses on novel fabrication methods,reinforcement strategies,machine and tool design parameters,material characterization,and integration with other methods for enhanced properties.The influence of process parameters and the emergence of defects are examined,along with specific applications in mono and hybrid composites and their microstructure evolution.The study identifies promising reinforcement materials and highlights research gaps in FSP for Mg alloys and MMCs production.It concludes with significant recommendations for further exploration,reflecting ongoing advancements in this field.

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.

Dissimilar friction stir welding between 5052 aluminum alloy and AZ31 magnesium alloy

Dissimilar friction stir welding between 5052 Al alloy and AZ31 Mg alloy with the plate thickness of 6 mm was investigated.Sound weld was obtained at rotation speed of 600 r/min and welding speed of 40 mm/min.Compared with the base materials,the microstructure of the stir zone is greatly refined.Complex flow pattern characterized by intercalation lamellae is formed in the stir zone.Microhardness measurement of the dissimilar welds presents an uneven distribution due to the complicated microstructure of the weld,and the maximum value of microhardness in the stir zone is twice higher than that of the base materials. The tensile fracture position locates at the advancing side(aluminum side),where the hardness distribution of weld shows a sharp decrease from the stir zone to 5052 base material.

Peculiarities of forming diffusion bimetallic joints of aluminum foam with a monolithic magnesium alloy

The work is carried out to determine an optimal method to obtain the welded bimetallic joints of monolithic Mg-alloy with porous Al-alloy using gallium as chemical activator and heating up to 300 ℃ by two different methods:long-term in vacuum oven and short-term without vacuum by passing of low voltage current.There is no microstructure change in Al-foam but indentation test records the negligible reduction of the mechanical properties.SEM showed the crystallization of two types of Mg_(5)Ga_(2) and Mg_(2)Ga inter-metallic phases in the wavy uneven diffusion zone on Mg-alloy side with significant increase of micro-hardness and Young’s modulus.The narrow depth of the diffusion zone takes place in joints by short-term heating,so this method is more applicable for welding of monolithic and porous alloys at chemical activation using gallium.

Effects of magnesium chloride-based multicomponent salts on atmospheric corrosion of aluminum alloy 2024

Atmospheric corrosion of aluminum alloy 2024 （AA2024） with salt lake water was simulated through a laboratory- accelerated test of cyclic wet-dry and electrochemical techniques. Effects of the soluble magnesium salt contained in the salt water were investigated by scanning electron microscope （SEM）, transmission electron microscope （TEM）, energy dispersive spectrometer （EDS）, electron probe micro analyzer （EPMA）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, infrared transmission spectroscope （IR）, and atmospheric corrosion monitor （ACM）. The results showed that, with the deposition, atmospheric corrosion of AA2024 could occur when the relative humidity （RH） was lower than 30%. A main crystalline component of corrosion products, layered double hydroxides （LDH）, [Mg1-xAlx（OH）2]^x＋ Clx-·mH2O （LDH-C1）, was determined, which meant that magnesium ion played an important role in the corrosion process. It not only facilitated the corrosion as a result of deliquescence, but also was involved in the corrosion process as a reactant.

Microstructure and thermal properties of dissimilar M300–CuCr1Zr alloys by multi-material laser-based powder bed fusion

Multi-material laser-based powder bed fusion (PBF-LB) allows manufacturing of parts with 3-dimensional gradient and additional functionality in a single step. This research focuses on the combination of thermally-conductive CuCr1Zr with hard M300 tool steel.Two interface configurations of M300 on CuCr1Zr and CuCr1Zr on M300 were investigated. Ultra-fine grains form at the interface due to the low mutual solubility of Cu and steel. The material mixing zone size is dependent on the configurations and tunable in the range of0.1–0.3 mm by introducing a separate set of parameters for the interface layers. Microcracks and pores mainly occur in the transition zone.Regardless of these defects, the thermal diffusivity of bimetallic parts with 50vol% of CuCr1Zr significantly increases by 70%–150%compared to pure M300. The thermal diffusivity of CuCr1Zr and the hardness of M300 steel can be enhanced simultaneously by applying the aging heat treatment.

Effects of low melting point metals(Ga,In,Sn) on hydrolysis properties of aluminum alloys

Low melting point metals（Ga, In, Sn） as alloy elements were used to prepare Al-In-Sn and Al-Ga-In-Sn alloys through mechanical ball milling method. The effects of mass ratio of In to Sn and Ga content on the hydrolysis properties of aluminum alloys were investigated. X-ray diffraction（XRD） and scanning electron microscopy（SEM） with energy disperse spectroscopy（EDS） were used to analyze the compositions and morphologies of the obtained Al alloys. The results show that the phase compositions of Al-In-Sn ternary alloys are Al and two intermetallic compounds, In3 Sn and In Sn4. All Al-In-Sn ternary alloys exhibit poor hydrolysis activity at room temperature. Al-In-Sn alloy with the mass ratio of In to Sn equaling 1：4 has the highest hydrogen yield. After Ga is introduced to the ternary alloys, the hydrolysis activity of aluminum alloys at room temperature is greatly improved. It is speculated that the addition of Ga element promotes the formation of defects inside the Al alloys and Ga-In3Sn-In Sn4 eutectic alloys on the alloys surface. Al atoms can be dissolved in this eutectic phase and become the active spots during the hydrolysis process. The small size and uniform distribution of this eutectic phase may be responsible for the enhancement of hydrolysis activity.

Effect of intermetallic compounds on the fracture behavior of dissimilar friction stir welding joints of Mg and Al alloys

Joining Mg to Al is challenging because of the deterioration of mechanical properties caused by the formation of intermetallic compounds(IMCs) at the Mg/Al interface. This study aims to improve the mechanical properties of welded samples by preventing the fracture location at the Mg/Al interface. Friction stir welding was performed to join Mg to Al at different rotational and travel speeds. The microstructure of the welded samples showed the IMCs layers containing Al12Mg17(γ) and Al3Mg2(β) at the welding zone with a thickness(< 3.5 μm). Mechanical properties were mainly affected by the thickness of the IMCs, which was governed by welding parameters. The highest tensile strength was obtained at 600 r/min and 40 mm/min with a welding efficiency of 80%. The specimens could fracture along the boundary at the thermo-mechanically affected zone in the Mg side of the welded joint.

Semi-solid processing of aluminum and magnesium alloys:Status,opportunity,and challenge in China

Owing to its low cost,short process and low energy consumption,semi-solid processing(SSP)of aluminum(Al)and magnesium(Mg)alloys has been considered as a competitive approach to fabricate complicated components with excellent performance.Over the past decade,significant progress has been achieved in deeply understanding the SSP process,the microstructure and performance of the fabricated components in China.This paper starts with a retrospective overview of some common slurry preparation methods,followed by presenting the performance and the underlying mechanisms of SSP fabricated alloys.Then,the mainstream opinions on the microstructure evolution and rheological flow behavior of semi-solid slurry are discussed.Subsequently,the general situation and some recent examples of industrial applications of SSP are presented.Finally,special attention is paid to the unresolved issues and the future directions in SSP of Al and Mg alloys in China.

Electrochemical corrosion behaviour of stir zone of friction stir welded dissimilar joints of AA6061 aluminium-AZ31B magnesium alloys

Joining of dissimilar metals will offer many advantages in transportation sectors such as fuel consumption,weightreduction and emission reduction.However,joining of aluminium(Al)alloys with magnesium(Mg)alloys by fusion welding processis very complicated.Friction stir welding(FSW)is a feasible method to join these two dissimilar alloys.Mixing these two metalstogether in stir zone(SZ)leads to poor corrosion resistance.In this investigation,an attempt has been made to understand thecorrosion resistance of SZ of FSWed dissimilar joints of AA6061Al alloy and AZ31B Mg alloy.Potentiodynamic polarization testwas conducted by varying chloride ion concentration,pH value of the NaCl solution and exposure time.The corroded surfaces wereanalyzed using optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy and XRD techniques.Of these three factors investigated,exposuretime is found to be the most significant factor to influence the corrosion behaviour of SZ of friction stir welded dissimilar joints ofAl/Mg alloys.

Brazing 6061 aluminum alloy with Al-Si-Zn filler metals containing Sr

Al-6.5Si-42Zn and Al-6.5Si-42Zn-0.09Sr filler metals were used for brazing 6061 aluminum alloy. Air cooling and water cooling were applied after brazing. Si phase morphologies in the brazing alloy and the brazed joints were investigated. It was found that zinc in the Al-Si filler metals could reduce the formation of eutectic Al-Si phase and lower the brazing temperature at about 520℃. Adding 0.09wt% Sr element into the Al-6.5Si-42Zn alloy caused a-Al phase refinement and transformed acicular Si phase into the finely fiber-like. After water cooling, Zn element dissolved into the Al-Si eutectic area, and η-Zn phase disappeared in the brazed joints. Tensile strength testing results showed that the Sr-modified filler metal could enhance the strength of the brazed joints by 13% than Al-12Si, while water-cooling further improved the strength at 144 MPa.

Optimization of process parameters to maximize ultimate tensile strength of friction stir welded dissimilar aluminum alloys using response surface methodology

Aluminium alloys generally present low weldability by traditional fusion welding process. Development of the friction stir welding （FSW） has provided an alternative improved way of producing aluminium joints in a faster and reliable manner. The quality of a weld joint is stalwartly influenced by process parameter used during welding. An approach to develop a mathematical model was studied for predicting and optimizing the process parameters of dissimilar aluminum alloy （AA6351 T6-AA5083 Hlll）joints by incorporating the FSW process parameters such as tool pin profile, tool rotational speed welding speed and axial force. The effects of the FSW process parameters on the ultimate tensile strength （UTS） of friction welded dissimilar joints were discussed. Optimization was carried out to maximize the UTS using response surface methodology （RSM） and the identified optimum FSW welding parameters were reported.

Microstructural analyses of aluminum–magnesium–silicon alloys welded by pulsed Nd: YAG laser welding

Revealing grains and very fine dendrites in a solidified weld metal of aluminum–magnesium–silicon alloys is difficult and thus,there is no evidence to validate the micro-and meso-scale physical models for hot cracks. In this research, the effect of preheating on the microstructure and hot crack creation in the pulsed laser welding of AA 6061 was investigated by an optical microscope and field emission electron microscopy. Etching was carried out in the gas phase using fresh Keller’s reagent for 600 s. The results showed that the grain size of the weld metal was proportional to the grain size of the base metal and was independent of the preheating temperature. Hot cracks passed the grain boundaries of the weld and the base metal. Lower solidification rates in the preheated samples led to coarser arm spacing;therefore, a lower cooling rate. Despite the results predicted by the micro and meso-scale models, lower cooling rates resulted in increased hot cracks. The cracks could grow in the weld metal after solidification;therefore, hot cracks were larger than predicted by the hot crack prediction models.

Corrosion behavior and mechanical properties of cold metal transfer welded dissimilar AA7075-AA5754 alloys

Cold metal transfer(CMT) welding is a brand-new arc welding technique which shows adequate results for welding of thin sheets and dissimilar materials. Corrosion behavior of dissimilar aluminum joints should be determined in terms of predicting the effect of welding process on the possible failures in their constructions caused by corrosive agents. The present study investigates the effect of heat input on mechanical properties and corrosion rate of AA5754-AA7075 joints welded by CMT using ER5356 filler wire. Pore formation was observed not only in the weld metal but also in the partially melted zone of AA7075 base metal due to the vaporization of zinc. Increased heat input caused over aging and zinc vaporization in AA7075 base metal, and grain coarsening in AA5754 base metal consequently decreased the tensile strength. The average tensile strength of AA7075-AA5754 joints varies between 235 and 240 MPa. The ductile fracture occurred at the AA5754 base metal side in all samples. Pitting was observed as the dominant corrosion mechanism. Corrosion resistance tended to increase with increasing heat input. Heat input values between 95 and 110 J/mm are recommended for the optimization of corrosion resistance and strength.

Influence of silane on corrosion resistance of magnesium alloy AZ31 with thermally sprayed aluminum coatings

Aluminum coatings on Mg alloy AZ31 were fabricated using the thermal spraying technique, and then sealed with silane.The surface morphology and chemical groups were discerned using scanning electron microscopy and examined using Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, respectively.The salt fog tests and the potentiodynamic electrochemical technique were applied to evaluate the influence of silane on corrosion of the AZ31 alloy with aluminum coatings.The results showed that the corrosion resistance of the aluminum-coated AZ31 alloy was superior to that of the substrate.The aluminum coating sealed with various silane layers led to a further increase in the corrosion resistance of the alloy.Double silane layers were more corrosion-resistant than the single one.Also, it was no longer significant for more than two silane layers to improve the corrosion resistance.It implied that the optimum choice for silane treatment on the aluminum coatings was two layers.

EIS Study on Pitting Corrosion of AA5083-H321 Aluminum-Magnesium Alloy in Stagnant 3.5% NaCl Solution

In this research, EIS （electrochemical impedance spectroscopy） technique was utilized to study the pitting corrosion behaviour of AA5083-H321 aluminum-magnesium alloy in 3.5% NaCl solution. Impedance spectra were obtained during 240 h of exposure of the sample to the test solution. The surface and cross-section of the samples were studied by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and EDAX （energy dispersive analysis of X-ray） analysis. The results indicated that as the resistance of the passive layer on intermetallic particles is very small, this parameter on the sample surface layers is controlled by that of pure passive layer. However, the capacitors in the proposed equivalent circuit are replaced with the constant phase elements （CPE）, due to non-uniformity and occurrence of pitting corrosion on the surface. The outward diffusion of Al^＋3 ions through the passive layer and the thickening of this layer cause the impedance decrease in the first 24 h and increase afterwards. The detachment of intermetallic particles from some of pits and the accumulation of the corrosion products inside some others are factors that prevents the continuation of cathodic reactions on the top of the intermetallic particles.

Role of Chloride Ion and Dissolved Oxygen in Electrochemical Corrosion of AA5083-H321 Aluminum-Magnesium Alloy in NaCl Solutions under Flow Conditions

Flow-induced corrosion consists electrochemical and mechanical components. The present paper has to assessed the role of chloride ion and dissolved oxygen in the electrochemical component of flow induced corrosion for AA5083-H321 aluminum-magnesium alloy which is extensively used in the construction of high-speed boats, submarines, hovercrafts, and desalination systems, in NaCI solutions. Electrochemical tests were carried out at flow velocities of 0, ：2, 5, 7 and 10 m/s, in aerated and deaerated NaCI solutions with different sodium chloride concentrations. The results showed that the high rate of oxygen reduction under hydrodynamic conditions causes an increase in the density of pits on the surface. The increase of chloride ions concentration under flow conditions accelerates the rate of anodic reactions, but have no influence on the cathodic reactions. Thus, in the current work, it was found that under flow conditions, due to the elimination of corrosion products inside the pits, corrosion resistance of the alloy is increased.

Galvanic Corrosion of Magnesium Alloy and Aluminum Alloy by Kelvin Probe

Galvanic corrosion on samples of AZ91D magnesium alloy coupled with 2A12 aluminum alloy during neutral salt spray test was investigated.The variations of the surface potential were measured using scanning kelvin probe（SKP）.The results showed that galvanic effect on the corrosion of AZ91D magnesium alloy is closely related to the potential difference between the anodic and cathodic materials.In the initial period,corrosion only occurred in a narrow area at the coupling interface because of the limited distance galvanic current.Then,the corrosion rate of 2A12 aluminum alloy was accelerated due to its poor stability in strong alkali environment,which was attributed to the strong alkalization caused by the corrosion of AZ91D magnesium alloy.With the increase of the potential of 2A12 aluminum alloy as a result of the continuous covering of corrosion products,the potential difference between the two materials was enlarged,which enhanced the galvanic corrosion.

Material properties of friction stir spot welded joints of dissimilar aluminum alloys

Mechanical properties and material mixing patterns of friction stir spot welded (FSSW) joints of dissimilar aluminum alloys were investigated.Two aluminum alloys typically used in automotive applications,5052-H32 and 6061-T6,were selected.During the experiment,the process parameters including the z-axis force and torque histories were measured as a function of the tool displacement.The mechanical properties were investigated by microhardness measurements of the joint,and the material mixing in the stir zone was investigated by EPMA.The experimental results illustrate different process parameter histories,material mixing in the stir zone and material properties including microhardness distributions for FSSW joints of dissimilar aluminum alloys,likely due to different mechanical behaviors of the selected aluminum alloys in the FSSW process temperature range.

Influence of shielding gas on the mechanical and metallurgical properties of DP-GMA-welded 5083-H321 aluminum alloy

In the present research, 6-mm-thick 5083-H321 aluminum alloy was joined by the double-pulsed gas metal arc welding （DP-GMAW） process. The objective was to investigate the influence of the shielding gas composition on the microstructure and properties of GMA welds. A macrostructural study indicated that the addition of nitrogen and oxygen to the argon shielding gas resulted in better weld penetration. Furthermore, the tensile strength and bending strength of the welds were improved when oxygen and nitrogen （at concentrations as high as approximately 0. 1vol%） were added to the shielding gas; however, these properties were adversely affected when the oxygen and nitrogen contents were increased further. This behavior was attributed to the formation of excessive brown and black oxide films on the bead surface, the formation of intermetallic compounds in the weld metal, and the formation of thicker oxide layers on the bead surface with increasing nitrogen and oxygen contents in the argon-based shielding gas. Analysis by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy revealed that most of these compounds are nitrides or oxides.