The Mechanism of Grain Coarsening in Friction-Stir-Welded AA5083 after Heat Treatment

Friction stir welding (FSW) takes place in the solid state, thus providing potential advantages of welds of high strength and ductility because of fine microstructures. However, post-FSW heat treatment can create very coarse grains, potentially reducing mechanical properties. AA5083-H18 sheets were friction-stir butt welded using three sets of welding parameters representing a wide range of heat input. They were then heat treated for 5 minutes at 738 K (465 °C), producing grain sizes exceeding 100 μm near the top weld surfaces, with the coarse grains extending toward the bottom surface to various degrees depending on the welding parameters. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), optical metallography, inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry, and Vickers hardness testing were used to characterize the regions within welds. Particle pinning was determined quantitatively and used with Humphreys’ model of grain growth to interpret the behavior. The mechanism responsible for forming the large grains was identified as abnormal grain growth (AGG), with AGG occurring only for regions with pre-heat-treatment grain sizes smaller than 3 μm. Second-phase particle volume fractions and sizes, textures, and solute concentrations were not significantly different in AGG and non-AGG regions. Ultrafine grain layers with grain diameters of 0.3 mm were characterized and had high densities of pinning particles of MgSi₂, Al₂O₃, and Mg₅Al₈. Strategies to eliminate AGG by alloy and weld process design were discussed.