Investigation of microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir lap jointed Monel 400 and Inconel 600

This study was conducted to investigate the microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir lap joints. Monel 400 and Inconel 600 were selected as the experimental materials, and friction stir welding was carried out at a tool rotation speed of 200 rpm and welding speed of 100 mm/min. The application of friction stir welding to Monel 400 effectively reduced the grain size in the stir zone; the average grain size of Monel 400 was reduced from 11.9 μm in the base material to 4.2 μm in the stir zone, which resulted in an improvement in the mechanical properties of the stir zone. The joint interface between Monel 400 and Inconel 600 showed a relatively sound weld without grooves or cracks, and only a small amount of voids with a size of 0.5 μm; however, no intermetallic compounds were observed in the lap jointed interface. Moreover, the hook on the advancing side of Monel 400 was formed from Inconel 600, which contributed to maintenance of the tensile strength. The evolution of microstructures and mechanical properties of friction stir lap jointed Monel 400 and Inconel 600 are also discussed herein.