Influence of process variables on joint attributes of friction stir welded aluminium matrix composite

ABSTRACT

The microstructure and mechanical attributes of the friction stir welded aluminium metal matrix composites (AMCs) are reported in this paper. Impacts of friction stir welding (FSW) process variables on the mechanical properties are evaluated. Metallographic studies showed that variation in welding process variables’ plays a vital role in obtaining recrystallised equiaxed fine-grain structures. The formed joint region indicates a gradual reduction in grain size as it moves from top to bottom of the weld region due to variation in the heat generation. Process variables like tool movement along the joint direction and tool revolution speed govern the joint strength of AMCs. Beyond the optimum values of process variables, the weld quality and joint strength of the welded part deteriorate due to the inappropriate stirring of the material at the weld region. The highest joint strength obtained for tool movement along the direction was 80 mm/min, and the revolution of the tool was 1000 rpm.

KEYWORDS:

• Friction stir welding
• aluminium matrix composites
• mechanical attributes
• joint strength

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.