Through thickness property variations in friction stir welded AA6061 joint fatigued in very high cycle fatigue regime

Ultrasonic fatigue tests were performed on friction stir welded AA6061 joint to investigate very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) behaviors. As a result, almost all the fatigue cracks are initiated from local plastic slip markings around the boundary between thermo-mechanically affected zone and heat affected zone. The fatigue strength decreases from the top to root of the welded joint, owing to the variation of plastic deformation history and temperature distribution through the thickness. In fractography, the fatigue crack initiation site is surrounded by a semicircular flat zone, of which the formation in VHCF regime accounts for more than 98% of the total fatigue life.     

Improvement of very high cycle fatigue properties in an AA7075 friction stir welded joint by ultrasonic peening treatment

The present paper aims to investigate the effect of ultrasonic peening treatment on the very high cycle fatigue resistance of an AA7075 friction stir welded joint. Microscopy observation, microhardness and X‐ray diffraction measurements were carried out to characterize the treated surface of peened specimens. Fatigue crack initiation sites were investigated through scanning electron microscope, and the role of enhanced surface on fatigue resistance was analyzed. The results indicate that a sensible fatigue strength improvement can be obtained through application of ultrasonic peening treatment and that fatigue cracks can initiate from the interior of the specimen. To clarify the fatigue failure mechanism, we analyzed the microstructure characteristics, compressive residual stress profile and intermetallic inclusion distribution in the surface layers, and we discussed the capability of ultrasonic peening treatment to hinder the surface crack initiation.     

Fracture and fatigue crack growth behaviour of PMMC friction stir welded butt joints

The paper is focused on the evaluation of the fracture and Fatigue Crack Growth (FCG) properties of butt joints of particulate metal-matrix composite (PMMC) obtained by friction stir welding (FSW). The materials considered are two aluminum alloy matrix/alumina particle PMMCs (AA6061/Al₂O₃/20p and AA7005/Al₂O₃/10p). Tests were conducted on unwelded and welded PMMCs using CT and Extended CT (ECT) specimen geometries, respectively. The crack growth rate was monitored by means of compliance with a strain gage attached on the back of the specimen. FCG experiments were carried out both at the centre and in the Thermo-Mechanically Altered Zone (TMAZ) at the side of the weld. The comparison between unwelded and welded PMMCs showed that FSW influences fracture toughness and FCG rate in a different fashion depending on the material. In particular, the FSW AA6061/Al₂O₃/20p butt joint exhibited comparable fracture toughness and higher FCG threshold with respect to the unwelded material, while in the case of AA7005/Al₂O₃/10p the behaviour is the opposite. The interpretation of this trend has been carried out by optical analysis of the crack path roughness and its correlation with the FCG rate. The dynamic recrystallization of the aluminum matrix and particle shaping operated by the FSW tool are at the ground of the explanation.     

Nanomechanical properties of friction stir welded AA6082-T6 aluminum alloy

Lightweight alloys are of major concern, due to their functionality and applications in transport and industry applications. Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state welding process for joining aluminum and other metallic alloys and has been employed in aerospace, rail, automotive and marine industries. Compared to the conventional welding techniques, FSW produces joints which do not exhibit defects caused by melting. The objective of the present study is to investigate the surface hardness (H) and elastic modulus (E) in friction stir welded aluminum alloy AA6082-T6. The findings of the present study reveal that the welding process softens the material, since the weld nugget is the region where the most deformations are recorded (dynamic recrystallization, production of an extremely fine, equiaxial structure), confirmed by optical microscopy and reduced nanomechanical properties in the welding zone. A yield-type pop-in occurs upon low loading and represents the start of phase transformation, which is monitored through a gradual slope change of the load-displacement curve. Significant pile-up is recorded during nanoindentation of the alloy through SPM imaging.     

Macro and microscopic observations of fatigue crack growth in friction stir welded aluminum joints

This paper presents the macro and microscopic fractography performed on fractures from fatigue cracks through friction stir welded joints. The welds were placed under different angles in the various specimens to study the influence of the yield strength and residual stress on fatigue crack growth. As a result, different behavior was observed at the macro level, depending on the type of alloy and orientation of the weld. The variations in rotation of the crack plane raised a number of questions regarding the mode of loading, i.e. mode I or mode II. The purpose of this study was to investigate the fracture surfaces at microscopic level to find explanations for the local macro behavior. Special focus was placed on the fracture surfaces on which features were observed indicating mode II fatigue crack growth.     

Tensile and fatigue behavior of SZ,HAZ and BM in friction stir welded joint of rolled 6N01 aluminum alloy plate

Tensile and fatigue behavior of a 6N01 aluminum alloy friction stir welded (FSW) joint was studied. The tensile and fatigue tests were carried out for the large plate and small round bar specimens. The small round-bar specimens extracted from base material (BM), heat affected zone (HAZ) and stir zone (SZ). The HAZ exhibited the lowest hardness. The higher tensile and fatigue strengths of SZ were mainly due to fine and homogeneous grains and significant cyclic hardening. Fatigue failure of the large plate specimen including the whole FSW joint part occurred at the lowest hardness location in the HAZ.     

Effect of friction stir processing conditions on fatigue behavior and texture development in A356-T6 cast aluminum alloy

Friction stir processing (FSP) was applied to A356-T6 cast aluminum alloy to modify the microstructure and to eliminate casting defects under two different tool rotational speeds. Plane bending fatigue tests had been conducted, revealing that FSP could enhance the fatigue strength where the lower rotational speed condition gave better results. The enhancement of fatigue strength was attributed to the elimination of casting defects. Crystallographic analysis by EBSD revealed that the texture induced by FSP had detrimental effect on growth resistance. The lower rotational speed condition resulted in the weaker texture, and consequently, further increase of fatigue strength was achieved compared with the higher rotational speed condition.     

Low cycle fatigue properties of friction stir welded joints of a semi-solid processed AZ91D magnesium alloy

A semi-solid processed (thixomolded) Mg–9Al–1Zn magnesium alloy (AZ91D) was subjected to friction stir welding (FSW), aiming at evaluating the weldability and fatigue property of the FSW joint. Microstructure analysis showed that a recystallized fine-grained microstructure was generated in the nugget zone (NZ) after FSW. The yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation of the FSW joint were obtained to be 192 MPa, 245 MPa, and 7.6%, respectively. Low-cycle fatigue tests showed that the FSW joint had a fatigue life fairly close to that of the BM, which could be well described by the Basquin and Coffin-Manson equations. Unlike the extruded magnesium alloys, the hysteresis loops of FSW joint of the thixomolded AZ91D alloy were basically symmetrical, while the non-linear or pseudoelastic behavior was still present. The FSW joint was observed to fail in the BM section rather than in the NZ. Fatigue crack initiated basically from the pores at or near the specimen surface, and crack propagation was mainly characterized by fatigue striations along with the presence of secondary cracks.     

Process parameter influence on defects and tensile properties of friction stir welded T-joints on AA6061-T4 sheets

In this study, AA6061-T4 T-joints characterized by combination modes of T-lap and T-butt were fabricated by friction stir welding with different processing parameters. Defects distributed in the obtained specimens were examined by using a stereo microscope and an optical microscope. Process parameter influence on the distribution and the size of original joint line with severe deformation (OJLwSD) defect was investigated. The microstructures and hardness profiles in the T-joints were studied. Influence factors on T-joints’ tensile properties were discussed. In addition, the fracture mode and the fracture surface of the failure samples were observed and discussed as well.     

Microstructure and tensile properties of friction welded aluminum alloy AA7075-T6

Solid-state welding processes like friction welding and friction stir welding are now being actively considered for welding aluminum alloy AA7075. In this work, friction welding of AA7075-T6 rods of 13 mm diameter was investigated with an aim to understand the effects of process parameters on weld microstructure and tensile properties. Welds made with various process parameter combinations (incorporating Taguchi methods) were subjected to tensile tests. Microstructural studies and hardness tests were also conducted. The results show that sound joints in AA7075-T6 can be achieved using friction welding, with a joint efficiency of 89% in as-welded condition with careful selection of process parameters. The effects of process parameters are discussed in detail based on microstructural observations.     

Effect of welding parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties of AA7075‐T6 friction stir welded joints

The effects of advancing speed and rotational speed on the microstructure and the mechanical properties of friction stir welded 7075‐T6 aluminium alloy sheets were studied. The fatigue strength of sound joints was measured and compared to tensile testing results. Macrographs and microhardness maps were carried out to reveal the microstructure transformations. Fractographic observations were made to identify the failure mechanisms. The effects of welding parameters on the fatigue strength are discussed in terms of welding pitch k (mm/rev) and heat input (J/mm). At a high welding pitch, crack initiation at the root of the circular grooves left by the tool on the weld surface is the most detrimental failure mechanism. As the size and the depth of the grooves are related to the welding pitch, the fatigue strength increases when the welding pitch is reduced. However, when the heat input is excessive, the failure is caused by sub‐surface defects produced after abnormal stirring and/or by softening of the heat‐affected zone. Lateral lips on the weld surface edges also have an effect on the fatigue strength for intermediate welding pitch values.     

Fatigue behaviour of friction stir welded AA2024‐T3 alloy: longitudinal and transverse crack growth

The fatigue crack growth properties of friction stir welded joints of 2024‐T3 aluminium alloy have been studied under constant load amplitude (increasing‐ΔK), with special emphasis on the residual stress (inverse weight function) effects on longitudinal and transverse crack growth rate predictions (Glinka's method). In general, welded joints were more resistant to longitudinally growing fatigue cracks than the parent material at threshold ΔK values, when beneficial thermal residual stresses decelerated crack growth rate, while the opposite behaviour was observed next to K_C instability, basically due to monotonic fracture modes intercepting fatigue crack growth in weld microstructures. As a result, fatigue crack growth rate (FCGR) predictions were conservative at lower propagation rates and non‐conservative for faster cracks. Regarding transverse cracks, intense compressive residual stresses rendered welded plates more fatigue resistant than neat parent plate. However, once the crack tip entered the more brittle weld region substantial acceleration of FCGR occurred due to operative monotonic tensile modes of fracture, leading to non‐conservative crack growth rate predictions next to K_C instability. At threshold ΔK values non‐conservative predictions values resulted from residual stress relaxation. Improvements on predicted FCGR values were strongly dependent on how the progressive plastic relaxation of the residual stress field was considered.     

Natural aging in friction stir welded 7136-T76 aluminum alloy

The long term natural aging behavior of friction stir welded aluminum 7136-T76 extrusions was investigated. The microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties in the as-welded, three years naturally aged and six years naturally aged conditions were studied and correlated to a coupled thermal/material flow model of the joining process. Hardness profiles taken along the mid-plane thickness of the workpiece displayed the characteristic W-shape typical to friction stir welded aluminum alloys. In the as-welded condition, however, the profile was skewed to the advancing side, such that the advancing side hardness was lower than that on the retreating side. With natural aging, hardness recovery occurred on both sides of the weld, but the position of the hardness minima, particularly on the advancing side, shifted away from the weld centerline. The numerical simulation demonstrated that the temperature profile is also skewed to the advancing side with greater processing temperatures occurring on this side of the weld. When compared to the dissolution temperature of the equilibrium phases, the extent of dissolution was greater on the advancing side and occurred to a greater distance from the centerline than on the retreating side. The hardness behavior upon natural aging, therefore, correlated to the temperature profile developed during welding and the degree to which phase dissolution occurred in the regions adjacent to the stir zone.     

Fatigue performance of friction stir welded marine grade steel

An extensive study on the fatigue performance of friction stir welded DH36 steel was carried out. The main focus of this experimental testing programme was fatigue testing accompanied by tensile tests, geometry measurements, hardness and residual stress measurements, and fracture surface examination. The S–N curve for friction stir butt welded joints was generated and compared with the International Institute of Welding recommendations for conventional fusion butt welds. Friction stir welds of marine grade steel exceeded the relevant rules for fusion welding. This newly developed S–N curve is being proposed for use in the relevant fatigue assessment guidelines for friction stir welding of low alloy steel. Fracture surfaces were examined to investigate the fatigue failure mechanism, which was found to be affected by the processing features generated by the friction stir welding tool.     

Microstructure and fatigue performance of friction stir welded joints of 2A12-T4 and 7075-T6 dissimilar aluminum alloy

The objective of this work is to investigate the microstructure and fatigue performance of friction stir welding joint of 2A12-T4 and 7075-T6 dissimilar aluminum alloy. Microstructure shows that the grain growth of heat-affected zone in both sides of joint is noticeable; the grain size of thermo-mechanically affected zone in both sides of joint is deformed and distorted in various degrees; nugget zone is fine equiaxed grain with uniform distribution. Microhardness of joint presents an approximate “W” types distribution on the whole, and the highest hardness value of the joint appears near the center of nugget zone, up to 146.5 HV0.2. Since the joint has the higher the fatigue strength ratio, and the S−N curve of the joint shows a smaller downward trend, the joint has the best fatigue performance and 7075-T6 base metal has the worst fatigue performance. Linear fitting of 7075-T6 base metal is ; linear fitting of 2A12-T4 base metal is ; linear fitting of joint is . The fracture analysis presents that the low-cycle fatigue fracture mechanism of welding joint is quasi-cleavage fracture, and the main mode of high cycle fatigue fracture is the inter crystalline fracture, mixed with ductile fracture.     

Microstructural evolution in friction self-piercing riveted aluminum alloy AA7075-T6 joints

Friction self-piercing riveting(F-SPR)is an emerging technique for low ductility materials joining,which creates a mechanical and solid-state hybrid joint with a semi-hollow rivet.The severe plastic deforma-tion of work materials and localized elevated temperatures during the F-SPR process yield complex and heterogeneous microstructures.The cut-off action of the work materials by the rivet further compli-cates the material flow during joint formation.This study employed the F-SPR process to join AA7075-T6 aluminum alloy sheets and systematically investigated the microstructural evolutions using electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD)techniques.The results suggested that as the base material approached the rivet,grains were deformed and recrystallized,forming two distinct fine grain zones(FGZs)surround-ing the rivet and in the rivet cavity,respectively.Solid-state bonding of aluminum sheets occurred in the FGZs.The formation of FGZ outside the rivet is due to dynamic recrystallization(DRX)triggered by the sliding-to-sticking transition at the rivet/sheet interface.The FGZ in the rivet cavity was caused by the rotation of the trapped aluminum,which created a sticking affected zone at the trapped aluminum/lower sheet interface and led to DRX.Strain rate gradient in the trapped aluminum drove the further expansion of the sticking affected zone and resulted in grain refinement in a larger span.     

Ductile damage development in friction stir welded aluminum (AA2024) joints

Ductile damage development in a friction stir welded aluminum joint subjected to tension is analyzed numerically by FE-analysis, based on a total Lagrangian formulation. An elastic-viscoplastic constitutive relation that accounts for nucleation and growth of microvoids is applied. Main focus in the paper is on the interaction between changes in the material parameters in different regions of the weld, the damage development and the position of the final fracture. Especially changes in the yield stress profile transverse to the weldline are examined, since some process parameters have been shown experimentally to affect this. It is found that damage development is highly influenced by changes in the yield stress profile and a shift in final failure is shown for comparable yield stress in the thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) and the nugget zone (NG).     

Effect of tool pin eccentricity on microstructure and mechanical properties in friction stir welded 7075 aluminum alloy thick plate

Four different tools with the pin eccentricity of 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm and 0.4 mm were designed to friction stir weld 10 mm thick AA7075-O plate. The effect of pin eccentricity on microstructure, secondary phase particles transformation and mechanical properties of the joints was investigated. The results show that the nugget area (A_NZ) increases firstly and then decreases with increasing the pin eccentricity. When the pin with 0.2 mm eccentricity is applied, the A_NZ is the largest; meanwhile the grains size is the smallest which is about 3 μm and secondary phase particles are the most dispersive in nugget zone compared with other tools. While the grains are coarsened to 7–11 μm as the eccentricity is more than 0.4 mm, some coarse hardening particles get to cluster in the thermo-mechanically affected zone. The joints produced by the pin with 0.2 mm eccentricity perform the highest tensile strength and elongation, which is attributed to better interfaces, finer grains and more dispersive secondary phase particles.     

Process optimisation and mechanical properties of friction stir lap welds of 7075-T6 stringers on 2024-T3 skin

This paper focuses on the results of process optimisation and mechanical tests that were used to ascertain the feasibility of using friction stir welding (FSW) to join stringers to skin. The effects of process parameters on weld quality of 1.5-mm 7075-T6 stringers lap-joined on 2.3-mm 2024-T3 skins were investigated. Advancing and retreating side locations on the joint configuration were alternated to determine optimal design arrangements. The effects of travel and rotation speeds on weld quality and defect generation were also investigated. Weld quality was assessed by optical microscopy and bending tests. It was found that: (i) the increase of the welding speed or the decrease of the rotational speed resulted in a reduction of the hooking size and top plate thinning but did not eliminated them, (ii) double pass welds by overlapping the advancing sides improved significantly the weld quality by overriding the hooking defect, and (iii) change of the rotational direction for a counter clockwise with a left-threaded probe eliminated the top sheet thinning defect. Subsequently, FSW lap joints were produced using optimum conditions and underwent extensive mechanical testing program. Several assembly configurations including discontinuous and continuous welds as well as single and double pass welds were produced. The results obtained for cyclic fatigue performance of FSW panels are compared with riveted lap joints of identical geometry. S–N curves, bending behaviour, failure locations and defect characterisation are also discussed. It was found that: (i) the tensile strength of FSW joints approached that of the base material but with a significant reduction in the fatigue life, (ii) the probe plunge and removal locations served as the key crack nucleation sites in specimens with discontinuous welds, and (iii) double pass welds with overlapping advancing sides showed outstanding fatigue life and very good tensile properties. The present work provided some valuable insight into both the fabrication and application of FSW on stringer/skin lap joints.     

Fatigue properties of combined friction stir and adhesively bonded AA6082‐T6 overlap joints

Even though friction stir welding (FSW) has been shown to produce high performing butt joints, stress concentration at the weld edges in overlap FSW significantly reduces the performance of these joints. By combining FSW and adhesive bonding into a friction stir (FS) weld bonding, joint mechanical performance is greatly improved. Quasistatic and fatigue strength of the proposed FS weld‐bonding joints was assessed and benchmarked against overlap FSW and adhesive bonding. The characterization of the structural adhesive is also presented, including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), as well as mechanical characterization with curing temperature. A small process parameter study was made to select proper FSW parameters for AA6082‐T6 overlap FSW and FS weld‐bonded joints. FS weld bonding achieved a significant increase in quasistatic and fatigue strength when compared with overlap FSW, with 79.9% of the fatigue strength of adhesive‐bonded joints at 10⁶ cycles, whereas FSW had 41.6%.