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Experimental Investigations into the Mechanical and Metallurgical Characteristics of Friction Stir Welded AZ31 Magnesium Alloy

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Abstract

The microstructural and mechanical behavior of a typical HCP material (AZ31 Mg-alloy) during friction stir welding was studied comprehensively for various sets of parameters. EBSD, SEM, XRD and optical microscopy have been used to characterize the microstructural properties of the welded samples, whereas tensile, microhardness and bending tests have been performed for mechanical behavior. The results showed that a large number of twins and second-phase particles (Mg17Al12 and Mg2Si) were induced. The tendency of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formations, where both orientations of grain and grain boundaries favored its locations. The localized stress state governed the texture variation during the tension test and it was well described by EBSD analysis in terms of the assumed welding temperature. The average grain size in the stirred zone was obtained 15, 13 and 9 µm which were reduced by 32, 41 and 59%, respectively, with increasing travel speed meanwhile, in thermo-mechanically affected zone grain size was found to be 19.6, 18.2 and 13.2 µm which were reduced by 11, 17 and 40%, respectively. The maximum and minimum bending stress was achieved as 320 and 304 MPa and the corresponding bending angle was 41° and 38°, respectively, for the lowest and highest heat input conditions. All the joints fractured in HAZ-base metal regions with the lowest hardness. The weld strength was improved with travel speed due to reduced recrystallized grains in stirred zone at lower heat input.

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Abbreviations

FSW:

Friction stir welding

IMCs:

Intermetallic compounds

SZ:

Stir zone

TMAZ:

Thermo-mechanically affected zone

HAZ:

Heat-affected zone

TTA:

Tool tilt angle

AS:

Advancing side

HCP:

Hexagonal close packing

TPD:

Tool plunge depth

RS:

Retreating side

DRX:

Dynamic recrystallization

YTS:

Yield tensile strength

UTS:

Ultimate tensile strength

SPD:

Severe plastic deformation

TTS:

Tool travel speed

TRS:

Tool rotational speed

SEM:

Scanning electron microscope

EBSD:

Electron backscatter diffraction

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Acknowledgment

The authors appreciate the FSW and CRF Lab, IIT Kharagpur, India for providing the facilities for preparation of this work. Also special thanks should be given to Prof. S.K Pal (IIT Khargpur, India), Dr. Raju Prasad Mahto (NIT Surat, India) and Dr. Deepak Chauhan (Carnegie Mellon University, USA) for their intellectual and practical supports during this research.

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  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Mizoram, Aizawl, Mizoram, 796012, India

    Virendra Pratap Singh & Basil Kuriachen

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Calicut, Calicut, Kerala, 673601, India

    Basil Kuriachen

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Singh, V.P., Kuriachen, B. Experimental Investigations into the Mechanical and Metallurgical Characteristics of Friction Stir Welded AZ31 Magnesium Alloy. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 31, 9812–9828 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-022-07055-1

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