Hidehito Nishida

Microscale evaluation of mechanical properties of friction stir welded A6061 aluminium alloy/304 stainless steel dissimilar lap joint

Abstract Microscale evaluation of the mechanical properties of a friction stir welded A6061/SUS 304 grooved lap joint was performed using a microtensile test and transmission electron microscopy. The microtensile test revealed that ∼62% of the area along which the rotating tool passed the specimen was regarded as the bonded region and that the joint was fractured at the A6061 matrix owing to the formation of very thin interfacial reaction layers. Equiaxed aluminium grains were observed at the interface of the specimen after it was fractured, indicating that the interface deformed only slightly during the microtensile test. It should be noted that although the maximum tensile strength of the joint was approximately the same as that of the base alloy, the proof stress of the joint decreased with the dissolution of the β″ phase in the A6061 aluminium alloy.

Formation of interfacial microstructure in a friction stir welded lap joint between aluminium alloy and stainless steel

Abstract The interfacial microstructure produced through tool transit of a friction stir welded lap joint between an aluminium alloy and stainless steel was studied by transmission electron microscopy in order to clarify its early stages of formation. Transmission electron microscopy studies of the bottom surface of the exit hole revealed the presence of several mixed layers of an ultrafine intermetallic compound (IMC) and stainless steel. The joining between dissimilar materials was achieved through a continuous flow of the stirred aluminium alloy into the mixed layers and the resultant growth of the ultrafine IMCs due to the heat induced by the friction between the tool and the specimen. The continuous thin reaction layer finally produced at the interface was found to be stronger than the base aluminium alloy.

Fracture toughness of structural aluminium alloy thick plate joints by friction stir welding

Abstract The fracture toughness in a friction stir welded joint of thick plates of structural aluminium alloy type A5083-O is investigated. A joint between two 25 mm thick plates is fabricated by one sided, one pass friction stir welding. The Charpy impact energy and critical crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) in the friction stir weld are much higher than those in the base metal or heat affected zone, whereas mechanical properties such as stress–strain curve and Vickers hardness are not conspicuously different. The effects of the microstructure on crack initiation and propagation are studied in order to clarify the difference in fracture toughness between the stir zone and base metal. The analyses of the fracture resistance curves and the diameters of dimples in the fracture surface after both tensile and bending tests show that the fine grained microstructure in the stir zone helps to increase ductile crack initiation and propagation resistance. It is found that the high fracture toughness value in the stir zone is affected by the fine grained microstructure in friction stir welds.

Microscale Evaluation of Mechanical Properties and the Interfacial Microstructures of Friction Stir Welded Aluminum Alloy/Stainless Steel Dissimilar Lap Joints

The mechanical properties and interfacial microstructure of slices of friction stir welded aluminum alloy/stainless steel dissimilar lap joints were characterized. In an FSWed A3003 aluminum alloy/SUS304 steel lap joint, the strength on the advancing side was larger than that at the retreating side. TEM observation indicated that a sound joint that fractured at the base metal can be obtained from the stage of the formation of the amorphous layer owing to the mechanical alloying effects before the formation of intermetallic compounds. This lap joining technique was also successfully applied to A6061/T6 aluminum alloy-grooved SUS304 plates. Equiaxed aluminum grains were observed at the interface of the specimen after it was fractured, indicating that the interface deformed only slightly during the microtensile test. It was found that tensile strength of the joint was increased by aging at 433K, considering that precipitation occurred at this temperature. In addition, it was confirmed that the joint heated at 723K for 1.8ks still fractured at the aluminum matrix, assuming that intermetallic layers at the interface would slightly grow in this heating condition.

Dissimilar lap joining of thick plates of A3003 aluminum alloy to SUS304 stainless steel by Friction Stir Welding

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) was applied to dissimilar metal lap joints of thick plates between A3003 aluminum alloy and SUS304 stainless steel. The strength of the joints was dependent on the probe diameter of FSW tools when the sound welds were obtained with radiographic testing (RT) and ultrasonic testing (UT). In this case, the width of welds was approximately 75% area of the probe diameter and the joint fractured at A3003 base metal. Furthermore, larger joints were considered to fabricate by multi-pass FSW. When optimizing the shape of the joint and the configuration of FSW path (the number and position of FSW), it was demonstrated that large-scale structural joints of A3003 aluminum alloy and SUS304 stainless steel could be produced using the dissimilar lap FSW technique.

Fracture toughness and fatigue crack behaviour of A3003/SUS304 lap friction stir welded joints

Abstract Friction stir welding (FSW) can weld dissimilar metal joints without a thick and brittle intermetallic compound layer at the weld interface. In this study, the dissimilar lap joint of A3003 aluminium alloy and SUS304 stainless steel was successfully welded by FSW, and the joint obtained was tested to examine the properties of fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth rate. Its fracture toughness was different by the directions of crack propagation. The fracture toughness of advancing side (AS) to retreating side (RS) was stronger than that of RS to AS, and that of cryogenic temperature was stronger than that of room temperature. Its fatigue crack growth rate also showed the same tendency as its fracture toughness. These data were compared with the past data and discussed.

Interfacial Reaction during Dissimilar Friction Stir Lap Welding of Aluminum Alloy to Stainless Steel

A friction stir welded A3003 aluminum alloy /SUS304 stainless steel dissimilar lap joint was successfully produced. A sound joint that fractured at the base metal was obtained in the center region of the joint through the reaction layer of aluminum-rich intermetallic compounds with nanoorder thickness. The microstructural changes at the interface of the joint was examined by studying the hole left by the extracted welding tool produced at the end of the friction stir welding (FSW) bead using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Mixed layers consisted of ultra-fined intermetallic compounds and stainless steel were observed. The stirred aluminum alloy flows onto the mixed layer after the tool transit and the joining was achieved. Based on the TEM observations, the joining process of the lap joint was also discussed.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Friction Stir Welded Aluminum Alloy/Stainless Steel Lap Joints

The mechanical properties and interfacial microstructure of an aluminum alloy/stainless steel dissimilar lap joint using friction stir welding (FSW) were characterized. In an FSWed A3003 aluminum alloy-SUS304 steel lap joint, the strength on the advancing side was larger than that at the retreating side. TEM observation indicated that a sound joint can be obtained from the stage of the formation of the amorphous layer owing to the mechanical alloying effects before the formation of intermetallic compounds. This lap joining technique was also successfully applied to A6061-T6 aluminum alloy-grooved SUS304 plates. The maximum tensile strength of the lap joint was approximately the same as that of the base alloy, however, the proof stress of the joint decreased with the dissolution of the β″ phase in the A6061 aluminium alloy, which is caused by the generation of heat during friction stir welding.

Mechanical Properties and Fracture Toughness of Aluminum Vessels by Friction Stir Welding

Mechanical properties and fracture toughness in friction stir welded joint of vessels of structural aluminum alloy type A5083-O are investigated. Welded joint from 25 mm-thick plate is fabricated by one-side one-pass friction stir. Charpy impact energy and critical crack-tip opening displacement (CTOD) in friction stir weld are much higher than those of base metal or heat-affected zone, whereas mechanical properties such as stress-strain curve and Vickers hardness do not have a conspicuous difference. Effects of microstructure on crack initiation and propagation are studied in order to clarify the difference of fracture toughness between stir zone and base metal. Both tensile test and bending test show that the fine-grained microstructure in stir zone induces to increase ductile crack initiation and propagation resistance by analyzing fracture resistance curves and diameter of dimples in fracture surface. It is found that high fracture toughness value in stir zone is affected fine-grained microstructure by friction stirring.Copyright