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Friction Stir Welding of a Thick Al-Zn-Mg Alloy Plate

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Abstract

Al-Zn-Mg alloys are widely used as structural materials due to high strength-to-weight ratio and impact toughness. As fusion welds in these alloys commonly face hot cracking and macro porosity, friction stir welding is increasingly becoming the preferred recourse. We report here a detailed experimental study on friction stir welding of a specific Al-Zn-Mg alloy with its chemical compositions close to AA7039. The effect of tool rotational speed and welding speed on the weld profile, joint microstructure, and mechanical properties is studied extensively. The results show sound weld profiles and joint properties within the selected range of process conditions. Within the selected range of welding conditions, the welds made at a tool rotational speed of 350 rpm and welding speed of 3 mm/s have showed joint structure, tensile, and impact toughness properties fairly close to that of the base material.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India

    V. Buchibabu & A. De

  2. Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Hyderabad, India

    G. M. Reddy

  3. Larsen& Toubro Limited, Heavy Engineering IC, Powai Campus, Mumbai, India

    D. Kulkarni

Authors
  1. V. Buchibabu
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  2. G. M. Reddy
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  3. D. Kulkarni
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  4. A. De
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Correspondence to A. De.

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Buchibabu, V., Reddy, G.M., Kulkarni, D. et al. Friction Stir Welding of a Thick Al-Zn-Mg Alloy Plate. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 25, 1163–1171 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-016-1924-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-016-1924-8

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