A Phenomenological Model for Tool Wear in Friction Stir Welding of Metal Matrix Composites

Friction stir welding (FSW) of metal matrix composites (MMCs) is advantageous because the solid-state nature of the process precludes formation of deleterious intermetallic phases which accompany melting. FSW of MMCs is complicated by rapid and severe wear of the welding tool, a consequence of contact between the tool and the much harder abrasive reinforcement which gives the workpiece material its enhanced strength. The current article demonstrates that Nunes’s rotating plug model of material flow in FSW, which has been successfully applied in many other contexts, can also help us understand wear in FSW of MMCs. An equation for predicting the amount of wear in this application is developed and compared with experimental data. This phenomenological model explains the relationship between wear and FSW process parameters documented in previous studies.