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XV Portuguese Conference on Fracture, PCF 2016, 10-12 February 2016, Paço de Arcos, Portugal
XV Portuguese Conference on Fracture, PCF 2016, 10-12 February 2016, Paço de Arcos, Portugal
Effect of geometrical parameters on Friction Stir Welding of
Effect of
XV Portuguese geometrical
Conference parameters
on Fracture, on Friction
PCF 2016, 10-12 StirPaço
February 2016, Welding
de Arcos,ofPortugal
AA 5083-H111 T-joints
AA 5083-H111 T-joints
Thermo-mechanical a
J.S. Jesusa*, M. Gruppelaar modeling a of a high pressure turbine blade of an
, J.M. Costaaa, A. Loureiroaa, J.A.M. Ferreiraaa
airplane gas turbine engine, J.A.M. Ferreira
a
a
J.S. Jesus *, M. Gruppelaar , J.M. Costa , A. Loureiro
CEMUC- Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra, Rua Luís Reis Santos,
a 3030-788
CEMUC- Departamento de Engenharia Mecânica, Faculdade de Coimbra,
Ciências ePortugal
Tecnologia da Universidade de Coimbra, Rua Luís Reis Santos,
a b c
P. Brandão , V. Infante , A.M. Deus *
3030-788 Coimbra, Portugal

a
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisboa,
Portugal
b
IDMEC, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisboa,
Abstract
Abstract Portugal
c
CeFEMA, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1, 1049-001 Lisboa,
The aim of this research is to study the effect of three different tool geometries and two joint geometries on quality of AA
Portugal
5083-H111
The T-welds
aim of this doneisusing
research to studythe friction
the effect stirofwelding process tool
three different (FSW). All the and
geometries toolstwo
have concave
joint shoulder
geometries with different
on quality of AA
pin geometries:
5083-H111 T-weldstapered
done and
usingthreaded, quadrangular
the friction stir welding pyramidal and progressive
process (FSW). All the toolspin,have
partconcave
threadedshoulder
cylindrical
with and part
different
pyramidal.
pin T-lap and
geometries:
Abstract T-butt
tapered andjoints configurations
threaded, have been
quadrangular studied.and
pyramidal Tunnel and kissing-bond
progressive pin, part type defectscylindrical
threaded have been andfound in
part
joints produced
pyramidal. T-lapwith
and aT-butt
pyramidal
jointspin tool, while welds
configurations produced
have been with
studied. the tapered
Tunnel pin tool onlytype
and kissing-bond show presence
defects haveof oxide
been lines.
found in
Sound
joints
During welds
theirwere
produced with produced
a pyramidal
operation, modern with the
tool,progressive
pinaircraft while
engine welds tool. No are
produced
components significant
withsubjected
the taperedchange pinintool
hardness haspresence
onlydemanding
to increasingly show beenoperating
observed
of oxide in all
lines.
conditions,
especially
Sound weldsthe
combinations of high
were pressure
and jointturbine
toolproduced with (HPT)
geometry.
the blades.
The Such
tensile
progressive conditions
strength
tool. cause these
No efficiency
significant partswelded
in change
joints to
in undergo
withdifferent
hardness the typesobserved
hasprogressive
been of time-dependent
pin toolin has
all
degradation,
been found to of
combinations one
be of and
100%.
tool which
The
jointis fatigue
creep. Aresults(R=0)
geometry. model
Theusing thestrength
show
tensile finite element
a higher method
fatigue
efficiency (FEM)of
strength
in joints was
FSW
welded developed,
the in
T-joints
with order
than to bepin
T-joints
progressive able to predict
welded
tool by
has
thefound
creep tobehaviour
conventional
been process
be 100%. as of HPT
Metal
The blades.
Inert
fatigue Gas Flight datashow
(MIG).
results(R=0) records (FDR)fatigue
a higher for a strength
specific ofaircraft,
FSW provided by aT-joints
T-joints than commercial
weldedaviation
by
© company,
2016 were
The Authors.
conventional processusedas to obtain
Published
Metal bythermal
Inert Elsevier and
B.V.mechanical data for three different flight cycles. In order to create the 3D model
Gas (MIG).
Copyright
needed © 2015theTheFEM
Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access and
articleitsunder the CC composition
BY-NC-ND license
Peer-review
© 2016 Theforunder
Authors. analysis,
responsibility
Published ofaElsevier
by HPT
the blade
B.V. scrap
Scientific was
Committee scanned,
of PCF 2016. chemical and material properties were
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
obtained. The data that was gathered was fed into the FEM model and different simulations were run, first with a simplified 3D
Peer-review
Peer-review under
under responsibility
responsibility theof the Scientific Committee of PCF 2016.
rectangular
Keywords: block
Friction stir shape,
welding;inofAA
order Scientific
to better
5083-H111;
Committee
establishofthe
T-joints
PCFmodel,
2016. and then with the real 3D mesh obtained from the blade scrap. The
overall expected behaviour in terms of displacement was observed, in particular at the trailing edge of the blade. Therefore such a
Keywords: Friction stir welding; AA 5083-H111; T-joints
model can be useful in the goal of predicting turbine blade life, given a set of FDR data.
1. ©
Introduction
2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
1. Peer-review
Introductionunder responsibility of the Scientific Committee of PCF 2016.
The T joints in aluminium alloys are widely used in the industry in the transport sector, for example in aircraft,
The T joints
shipbuilding
Keywords: High in land
aluminium
andPressure alloys
transport
Turbine are widely
vehicles.
Blade; Creep; The
Finite used in theofindustry
welding
Element Method; Model;in
T-joints
3D inthethese
transport
Simulation. alloyssector,
by MIGfor example
process in
hasaircraft,
many
shipbuilding
difficulties such as high porosity, hot cracking and large distortion these defects behaviour. Friction Stirhas
and land transport vehicles. The welding of T-joints in these alloys by MIG process many
Welding
difficulties such as high porosity, hot cracking and large distortion these defects behaviour. Friction Stir Welding

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +351239790736; fax: +351 239790701.

E-mail address:author.
* Corresponding joel.jesus@uc.pt
Tel.: +351239790736; fax: +351 239790701.
E-mail address: joel.jesus@uc.pt
2452-3216 © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review underThe
* Corresponding
2452-3216 © 2016 responsibility
author. of218419991.
Tel.: +351
Authors. theby
Published Scientific Committee of PCF 2016.
Elsevier B.V.
E-mail address:
Peer-review amd@tecnico.ulisboa.pt
under responsibility of the Scientific Committee of PCF 2016.

2452-3216 © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Peer-review under responsibility of the Scientific Committee of PCF 2016.
Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer review under responsibility of the Scientific Committee of PCF 2016.
10.1016/j.prostr.2016.02.033
 J.S. Jesus et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 1 (2016) 242–248 243
2 J.S. Jesus/ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2016) 000–000

(FSW) is an interesting alternative to conventional technologies that removes the first two types of defects, because
it is a solid state welding process, and allows significant reduction of distortion. The realization of these welds by
FSW however presents several difficulties. Tunnel defects are current in the advancing side of the weld close the
fillet radius between the skin and the stringer due to poor material flow, Hou et al (2014). These authors reported
that the reduction of the welding speed relative to the tool rotation speed reduces the appearance and size of the
defects. Another common defect in this type of joint is the kissing bond induced by inappropriate interaction
between the flux induced by the base material and the flux induced by the tool pin. This defect extends over a line of
oxides which is diagonally oriented from the fillet radius to the original interface of the plates. The extension of the
defect increases with the welding speed, forming a preferential tear area in tensile test Cui et al. (2013). Besides
these welding parameters other factors such as the geometry of the tool and the joint geometry also seem to have
large influence on the formation of defects, Tavares et al. (2010). All studies found focus their research mostly in the
6000 series alloys, Fratini et al. (2009).No articles were found in T-joints in AA 5083, perhaps because it is a more
difficult to induce hot plastic flow in this alloy, Leitão et al. (2012).
Although no articles were found in T-joints in AA 5083, is possible to found several studies in butt joints welded
by FSW. Kumagai et al. (1999) compared tensile properties of 5083-H112, butt joints welded by FSW to metal inert
gas (MIG) welding. They exhibit only slight differences in yield and tensile strength for the three material
conditions. The friction stir and base material presented a similar elongation, yield stress and tensile strength but
higher than MIG welds. Zhou et al. (2005) concluded that the fatigue life of FS welds is 9–12 times longer than that
of MIG-pulse welds under the stress ratio R=0.1, for 5083 aluminum alloy. Commonly, the friction stir butt welds of
AA5083 present a higher mechanical behaviour than MIG butt welds.
The main goal of this research is analyse the tool geometry and T-joint effect on FSW to produce T-joints welds
by FSW with excellent quality without defects creating a weld toe fillet avoid tick reduction, comparing their
mechanical behaviour with other welds made with conventional technique, namely MIG process, in AA 5083-H111.

2. Experimental details

2.1. Base material

The welds were done in plates of AA 5083-H111 of 3 mm thick. The main characteristic of AA 5083-H111 is
mechanic work type and is not heat-treatable, being plastic deformation the main hardening mechanics in these
alloys. The H111 condition was obtained with some work hardening by shaping processes but less than required for
a H11. The Table 1 and Table 2 show chemical composition and main mechanical properties, respectively.

Table 1. Chemical composition of the 5083 aluminium alloy (wt %)

Si Mg Mn Fe Cr Cu Zn Ti
<0.4 4.5 1.0 0.4 0.05 0.1 0.25 0.15

Table 2. Mechanical proprieties of the 5083-H111 aluminium alloy

Tensile strength, σuts [MPa] 320
Yield strength, σys [MPa] 158
Elongation, εr [%] 23.7
Hardness, Hv0.2 80

2.2. T-joints and welding parameters

Two different T-joints were studied in this work, T-lap and T-butt joint. The Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of
each one, respectively.
244 J.S. Jesus et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 1 (2016) 242–248
J.S. Jesus/ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2016) 000–000 3

Fig. 1. (a) T-lap; (b) T-joint.

Three different tools were used, with the same shoulder but different pin, respectively pyramidal pin, tapered
threaded pin and progressive pin, as shown in Fig. 2 in images a), b) and c). The tool with tapered and threaded pin
was constructed in order to improve the vertical material flow while the tool with progressive pin was designed with
the aim of approaching the material flow to the fillet zones. The tool rotation (660 – 1140 rpm) and traverse (60
mm/min) speeds were chosen based on previous tests. The process were done in a Cincinnati milling machine and in
position control, the tool plunge depth was set tentatively. In the Fig. 2 can be observe the work piece clamped and
prepare to FSW of T-butt joint.

Fig. 2. Tool geometries tested: a) Pyramidal pin; b) Tapered and threaded pin; c) Progressive pin.

2.3. Experimental test procedure

After welding by FSW, the aluminium alloy plates were cut in slices of 18x160x3 mm, perpendicularly to the
welding direction (transverse orientation), creating specimens to perform the fatigue and tensile test.
According to standard metallographic practice, etched with modified Poulton´s reagent and using optical
microscopy the metallographic analysis was performed on 15x80x3 mm samples (cut perpendicularly to the Friction
Stir weld) , in order to identify the weld microstructures.
In order to characterise the welded joint, Vickers hardness profiles were obtained using a Struers Type Duramin
microhardness tester, with an indentation load of 200 gf during 15 s, according to the ASTM E 348 standard. The
hardness profiles were obtained at the welded joint cross-sections, along a longitudinal line at 0.5 mm from the plate
surface in samples identical to the ones used in the metallographic analysis. The measurements were performed at
each 0.5 mm, along a distance from the weld bead centre until hardness stabilization.
Tensile test and pull out test were carried out at room temperature in an Instron mechanical tensile/compression
testing machine, model 4206, using a testing speed of 2 mm/min and two different extensometers, a conventional
and optical one (Aramis), respectively. The fatigue tests were carried out using an Instron hydraulic machine,
loading the specimens perpendicularly to the to the weld direction (i.e. in the parent material rolling direction),
applying a sinusoidal load wave with a frequency within the range 20-30 Hz, under constant amplitude loading for
stress ratio R=0. The results of fatigue tests will be presented as S-N curves.
 J.S. Jesus et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 1 (2016) 242–248 245
4 J.S. Jesus/ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2016) 000–000

3. Results and discussion

3.1. Metallographic analysis

All welds showed excellent appearance, free of skin thickness reduction, however welds performed with
pyramidal pin tool had cavities, as shown in Fig. 3a) for a T-lap joint. These cavities tend to decrease its size with
increasing plunge depth of the tool, but never disappear. In the welding carried out with the tapered and threaded pin
tool on the T-lap configuration (LC series) does not occur cavities, but there was the appearance of a line of oxides
on the retreating side, as illustrated in Fig. 3b). It was found that the length and thickness of the line of oxides
increase with increasing tool rotational speed. Welds made with the tool with progressive pin and T-butt joints (BPP
series) using low speed of rotation and advance (660 rpm and 60 mm / min) did not exhibit any defects, even oxide
lines, as shown in Fig .3c). The average grain size in the nugget area of the welds is about 8 m and less influenced
by the geometry of the tool, while the grain size of the base material is of 14.9 m.

Fig. 3. Morphology of welds done with: a) Pyramidal pin on T-lap joint; b) Tapered and threaded pin on T-lap joint (LC)
; c) Progressive pin on T-butt joint (BPP).

3.2. Hardness

In the majority of welds made and regardless of the geometry of the tool or the remaining welding parameters
used, it was found that there was no significant hardness variation in the weld zones, as shown in Fig. 4 for T-lap
welds done with tapered and threaded pin (LC) and T-butt welds done with progressive pin (BPP). This result is
understandable because the base material is in a soft state
95
90 T-lap (LC)

R
Hardness (Hv0.2)

85
A T-butt (BPP)
80
75
70
65
60
-25 -20 -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 20 25
Distance from weld centre (mm)

Fig. 4. Variation in hardness through the skin of welds carried out with different tools and joint geometries. LC – T-Lap joint using tool with
tapered and threaded pin; BPP – T-Butt joint using tool with progressive pin.
246 J.S. Jesus et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 1 (2016) 242–248
J.S. Jesus/ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2016) 000–000 5

3.3. Tensile and pull out tests

Pull-out test specimens with oxides line can show tensile efficiency as low as 63% while welds free of oxides
displayed efficiency of 100%. The failure of specimens is precisely in the line of oxides in the first case and in the
base material in the second, as shown respectively in figures 5a) and 5b), by the fields of strains obtained with an
optical extensometer.

a) b)

Fig. 5. Strain maps of specimens: a) LC-With oxides line; b) BPP- No Line oxides.

Fig. 6 presents the monotonic stress-strain curves for BPP and LC series. It is evident the difference between
BPP and LC series concerning the maximum strain and ultimate tensile stress (UTS). The BPP series present about
58% of maximum strain and the LC series only 15 %. The UTS of the BPP series of about 299 MPa is significantly
higher than the UTS value of 225 MPa for the LC series. The presence of oxides line has a decisive effect on the
tensile strength of the welds, either in tests performed on the skin or in the pull-out tests.

350

300

250
Stress σ [MPa]

200 BPP - without oxides line

LC - with oxides line

150

100

50

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Strain [%]

Fig. 6. Monotonic stress–strain curves.

3.4. Fatigue strength

The fatigue results are plotted in Fig. 7 with the nominal stress range  against the number of cycles to failure.
A high data scatter is observed for LC series due to the presence of the oxides line. Both BPP and LC series present
 J.S. Jesus et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 1 (2016) 242–248 247
6 J.S. Jesus/ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2016) 000–000

a higher fatigue strength than MIG series. BPP series is close to the base material curve and consequently is the T-
welded series with the higher fatigue strength.

250

200
Stress ranges Δσ [MPa]

150

100 FSW BPP

FSW LC

MB-Borrego et al (2014)

MIG-Costa et al (2014)

10000 100000 1000000 10000000

Number of cycles, N

Fig. 7. S-N curves.

4. Conclusions

The following conclusions can be drawn from this research:

• Is possible to do T-joints with fillet radius by FSW without thickness reduction of the skin or other defects;
• All welds showed excellent appearance, except welds performed with pyramidal pin tool, which had
cavities;
• Grain refinement in weld zones ( 14.9 µm to 8 µm );
• No significant hardness variation in the weld zones;
• The oxide lines disappeared using the tool with progressive pin in T-butt joint;
• The oxide lines decrease the T-joints mechanical behaviour;
• All FSW series presented higher fatigue strength than T-joints welded by MIG.

Acknowledgements

This research is sponsored by FEDER and FCT through project PEst-C/EME/UI0285/2013 and project CENTRO
-07-0224 -FEDER -002001 (MT4MOBI).

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