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Enhancing Friction Stir Weldability of 6061-T6 Al and AZ31B Mg Alloys Assisted by External Non-rotational Shoulder

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Abstract

In order to increase cooling rate and then reduce the amounts of intermetallic compounds, external non-rotational shoulder tool system derived from traditional tool in friction stir welding was used to join dissimilar Al and Mg alloys. In this study, based on the external non-rotational shoulder, the weldability of Al and Mg alloys was significantly improved. The non-rotational shoulder tool is propitious to make more materials into weld, increase cooling rate and then reduce material adhesion of rotational pin, obtaining sound joint with smaller flashes and smooth surface. Importantly, the thickness of intermetallic compounds layer is reduced compared with traditional tool. Meanwhile, hardness values of dissimilar joint present uneven distribution, resulting from complex intercalated structures in nugget zone (NZ) featured by intermetallic compound layers and fine recrystallized Mg and Al grains. Compared with traditional tool, non-rotational shoulder is beneficial to higher tensile properties of joint. Due to the intermetallic compound layer formed in the interface of Al-Mg, the welding joint easily fractures at the NZ, presenting the typical brittle fracture mode.

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Acknowledgment

This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51204111), the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province (No. 2014024008), the Project of Science and Technology Department of Liaoning Province (No. 2013222007) and the Aeronautical Science Foundation of China (2014ZE54021).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Shenyang Aerospace University, Shenyang, 110136, People’s Republic of China

    Shude Ji, Ruofei Huang & Liguo Zhang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, People’s Republic of China

    Xiangchen Meng & Yongxian Huang

Authors
  1. Shude Ji
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  2. Ruofei Huang
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  3. Xiangchen Meng
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  4. Liguo Zhang
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  5. Yongxian Huang
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Correspondence to Shude Ji.

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Ji, S., Huang, R., Meng, X. et al. Enhancing Friction Stir Weldability of 6061-T6 Al and AZ31B Mg Alloys Assisted by External Non-rotational Shoulder. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 26, 2359–2367 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-017-2640-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-017-2640-8

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