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FSW of low carbon steel using tungsten carbide (WC-10wt.%Co) based tool material

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Abstract

Low carbon steels could be simply welded by conventional fusion welding processes. However, fusion joining of these steels results to the problems related to melting of metal and solidification of weld pool. In the present study, friction stir welding (FSW) of low carbon steel plates was undertaken using tungsten alloy tool to determine the effects of welding parameters on joint quality. Welded joints were characterized by microstructural and mechanical properties. Onion rings, banded structure and swirl zone were observed as a result of process temperature, strain rate, plastic deformation, and material transportation. The results indicate that the grain size of the weld zone is different from the base metal (BM) and slightly lesser to the base metal in the middle region of stir zone. Comparing the advancing side (AS) and retreating side, grain size was similar in the heat affected zone and different in the thermo-mechanically affected zone. The microstructure provides the suitable relationship for the properties and micro hardness of the welded region. Tungsten carbides rich areas were found in the stir zone performed at high heat input weld condition. Interestingly, there is noticeable change in grain size and grain distribution of the tungsten tool after welding.

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Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by Naval Research Board (NRB), Govt. of India. The authors are also grateful to the Management and Department of Mechanical Engineering and Central Instruments Facility (CIF), Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), Guwahati, India.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, Assam, 781039, India

    Avinish Tiwari, Piyush Singh, Pardeep Pankaj, Pankaj Biswas & Sachin D. Kore

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  1. Avinish Tiwari
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  2. Piyush Singh
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  3. Pardeep Pankaj
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  4. Pankaj Biswas
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  5. Sachin D. Kore
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Correspondence to Avinish Tiwari.

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Recommended by Associate Editor Young Whan Park

Avinish Tiwari is a doctoral researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India. He has published papers in peer reviewed journals and international conferences in the field of solid state welding and fusion welding.

Piyush Singh is a doctoral researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India. He has published papers in peer reviewed journals and international conferences in the field of solid state welding and non-traditional machining.

Pardeep Pankaj is a doctoral researcher in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India. He has published several papers in peer reviewed journals and international conferences in the field of solid state welding and fusion welding.

Pankaj Biswas is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Guwahati, Guwahati, India. He has published several papers in peer reviewed journals and international conferences in the field of solid state welding and fusion welding.

Sachin D Kore is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Guwahati, Guwahati, India. He has published several papers in peer reviewed journals and international conferences in the field of electromagnetics manufacturing and solid state welding.

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Tiwari, A., Singh, P., Pankaj, P. et al. FSW of low carbon steel using tungsten carbide (WC-10wt.%Co) based tool material. J Mech Sci Technol 33, 4931–4938 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-019-0932-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-019-0932-7

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