Effect of friction stir welding on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AA 6063-T6 aluminum alloy

摘要

In this study, AA 6063-T6 alloy plates were joined via friction stir welding using three different pin geometries (i. e., helical threaded, pentagonal and triangular) under various process parameters of tool rotational speed and welding speed. The microstructures and mechanical properties of the various welded joints were investigated. Macro-structural observations revealed that kissing bonds occurred in the welded joints due to fractured oxide layers. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that the stir zones of the welded joints exhibited phases of Al8Fe2Si, Al5FeSi, and Mg2Si. In the welded joints, processed using a helical threaded pin, no tunnel-type defect was detected to occur; specimens were fractured outside of the joint region during tensile tests, indicating that the kissing bonds formed in the stir zones did not cause any deterioration in tensile strength or ductility. The welded joints processed using a helical threaded, pentagonal and triangular pin at 500 min(-1)tool rotational speed and 80 mm min(-1)welding speed exhibited a ductile deformation behavior along with a tensile strength in the range of 153 MPa to 155 MPa.