17-11-2018

Saturday.

LITERATURE PRESENTATION

NAME: BIBIN VARGHESE

ID NUMBER: 2017ABPS1592H
Comparative Analysis Of Mechanical
Properties Of Aluminium Alloys Welded
Joints Obtained By Friction Stir Welding.
ABSTRACT
Friction stir welding is a joining process focussed on light materials like aluminium alloys. The
reason for this is the greater tool life in contrast to the welding of refractory materials like steel.
Relative to other welding equipments the technical requirements are very cheap. The usage of
aluminium alloys are increased day by day especially in the fields of aerospace, civil and
manufacturing industries.

INTRODUCTION
Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a technological process. In particular: in shipbuilding, automotive,
construction of railway wagons, aerospace industry and civil engineering of joining a material in
a solid state, which has found its application in various fields of industry. Unlike melting welding,
it avoids complexities like porosity, cavities and hot cracks. This literature report will be mostly
focussing on analysis of mechanical properties and defects between the base metal and the
weld formed.

METHODOLOGY
Two aluminium alloy plates are clamped together tightly in a machine. A metal tool resembling a
drill bit is inserted in between the plates. The tool spins as it travels along both the edges.
Frictions created by the spinning tool heats the atoms in the solid making them move around or
diffuse. The metals become deformed and atoms from both the plates are bonded together
without any melting. Friction between the tool and work piece creates the heat, which then
allows the material to become softer and become more plastic and so the plasticized material
moves around. The weld formed is smooth and is as strong as the original aluminium plates.
The study has been extended in performing FSW on three kinds of Al alloys which being Al-Si
alloy, Al-Mg alloy and Al-Mg-Manganese alloy. The tool for welding sheets 4 mm thick had an
threaded pin with length of 3.7 mm and diameter of 6 mm, the threaded shoulder diameter of 18
millimeter. This tool was manufactured also from tool steel (because of their distinctive
hardness, resistance to abrasion and deformation and their ability to hold a cutting edge at
elevated temperatures). The macrostructure and microstructure analysis is machined
perpendicular to the weld line. To reveal the microstructure the Al-Si alloy and Al-Mg alloy are
etched in Barker’s solution and Al-Manganese -Mg alloy is etched in 5% hydrofluoric acid. To
analyze the structure, optical microscopy and the analytical software package ThixometPro®
were used. Samples after electrolytic etching were examined in polarized light. Micro hardness
measurements were taken using Vickers indentor (can reduce error in magnification and knife
edges compared to Rockwell hardness testing machine).
Tensile specimens were machined perpendicular to the weld direction. Tensile tests were
performed at room temperature at the crosshead speed of 2 mm/min. Tensile tests were carried
out three times for each defect-free welding regime.

MICRO-STRUCTURE AND MACRO-STRUCTURE ANALYSIS

The micro hardness measurement is shown below:

AS – Advancing Side; RS – Retreating Side; BM – Base Metal;

HAZ – Heat Affected Zone; TMAZ – Thermo mechanical Affected Zone
After FSW the alloys showed a significant refinement in average grain size. The macrostructure
of Al-Si alloy is shown below:

The initial microstructure of Al-Si alloy is shown below:

The final microstructure of welds on Al-Si alloy is shown below:

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES
The tensile test conducted on the new welds showed the increase in the strength characteristics
of the active metal stirring zone relative to the strength of the base especially in the case of Al-Si
alloy where it was higher than the base metal. Experimentally it was found out that the strength
is more in core in case of Al-Mg alloy and Al-Si alloy whereas it decreases on the active metal
mixing zone in case of Al-Mg-Manganese alloy.

CONCLUSION
1.) The weld formed possesses higher strength compared to the base material mainly in the
case of Al-Si alloy and Al-Mg alloy. But in case of Al-Mg-Manganese alloy the strength
decreases across active metal mixing zone probably because of dissolution of the strengthening
phase in FSW (increase in average grain size number).
2.) Tensile tests conducted on the sample describes that the weld possess high strength
properties.
3.) The results show that the welds formed by FSW show a decrease in ductility compared to its
base material.
4.) Cost benefits from switching from fusion to friction.
5.) The technique is less flexible than manual and arc welding.
6.) It can operate in any position (horizontal or vertical as there is no weld pool).

CITATIONS
1.) www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaguF5K9I-Q(science of innovation: Friction Stir welding)
2.) www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLnbl5XmJ1E.
3.) www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQYLdw8W5wE.
4.) Conference paper by Anton A.Naumov and Fedor Isupov.
5.) en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friction_stir_welding.