Effects of pin geometry on the material flow behavior of friction stir spot welded 2A12 aluminum alloy

A three-dimensional finite volume model was established by the ANSYS FLUENT software to simulate the material flow behavior during the friction stir spot welding （FSSW） process. Effects of the full-threaded pin and the reverse-threaded pin on the material flow behavior were mainly discussed. Results showed that the biggest material flow velocity appeared at the outer edge of the tool shoulder. The velocity value became smaller with the increase of the distance away from the tool surface. In general, material flows downwards along the pin thread when the full-threaded pin is used. Meanwhile, both the materials of the upper and the lower plates flow towards the lap interface along the pin thread when the reverse-threaded pin is used. The numerical simulation results were investigated by experiment, in which 2A12 aluminum alloy was used as the research object. The effective sheet thickness （EST） and stir zone （SZ） width of the joint by the reverse-threaded pin were much bigger than those by the full-threaded pin. Accordingly, cross tension failure load of the joint by the reverse-threaded pin is 23% bigger than the joint by the full-threaded pin.

Material flow behavior and microstructural evolution during refill friction stir spot welding of alclad 2A12-T4 aluminum alloy

In this study, we used the stop-action technique to experimentally investigate the material flow and microstructural evolution of alclad 2A12-T4 aluminum alloy during refill friction stir spot welding.There are two material flow components, i.e., the inward-or outward-directed spiral flow on the horizontal plane and the upward-or downward-directed flow on the vertical plane.In the plunge stage, the flow of plasticized metal into the cavity is similar to that of a stack, whereby the upper layer is pushed upward by the lower layer.In the refill stage, this is process reversed.As such, there is no obvious vertical plasticized metal flow between adjacent layers.Welding leads to the coarsening of S(Al2CuMg) in the thermo-mechanically affected zone and the diminishing of S in the stir zone.Continuous dynamic recrystallization results in the formation of fine equiaxed grains in the stir zone, but this process becomes difficult in the thermo-mechanically affected zone due to the lower deformation rate and the pinning action of S precipitates on the dislocations and sub-grain boundaries, which leads to a high fraction of low-angle grain boundaries in this zone.

Effects of ultrasonic assisted friction stir welding on flow behavior,microstructure and mechanical properties of 7N01-T4 aluminum alloy joints

Conventional friction stir welding(FSW)and ultrasonic assisted friction stir welding(UAFSW)were employed to weld 6-mm thick 7 N01-T4 aluminum alloy plates.Weld forming characteristics and material flow behavior in these two different welding processes were studied and compared.Ultrasonic vibration was applied directly on the weld in axial direction through the welding tool.Metal flow behavior,microstructure characteristics in the nugget zone(NZ)and evolution of the mechanical properties of naturally aged joints were studied.Results show that the ultrasonic vibration can significantly increase the welding speed of defect-free welded joint.At the rotation speed of 1200 rpm,the UAFSW can produce defect-free welded joints at a welding speed that is 50%higher than that of the conventional FSW.Ultrasonic vibrations can also improve surface quality of the joints and reduce axial force by 9%.Moreover,ultrasonic vibrations significantly increase the volume of the pin-driven zone(PDZ)and decrease the thickness of the transition zone(TZ).The number of subgrains and deformed grains resulting from the UAFSW is higher than that from the FSW.By increase the strain level and strain gradient in the NZ,the ultrasonic vibrations can refine the grains.Ultrasonic energy is the most at the top of the NZ,and gradually reduces along the thickness of the plate.The difference in strengths between the FSW and the UAFSW joints after post-weld natural aging(PWNA)is small.However,the elongation of the UAFSW is8.8%higher than that of the FSW(PWNA for 4320 h).Fracture surface observation demonstrates that all the specimens fail by ductile fracture,and the fracture position of the UAFSW joint changes from HAZ(PWNA for 120 h)to NZ(PWNA for 720 and 4320 h).