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Microstructure Evolution during Friction Stir Welding of Mill-Annealed Ti-6Al-4V

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Abstract

In this study, mill-annealed Ti-6Al-4V plates were successfully friction stir welded over a wide range of processing parameters using a tungsten-1 pct La2O3 tool. Two K-type thermocouples embedded in the tool indicated that approximately 25 pct of the heat generated during welding was transferred out of the workpiece and into the tool. The thermocouple data, combined with observations of the microstructure, indicated that the stir zone of all welds exceeded the β transus. The microstructure and texture of two representative welds made just above and high above the β transus were investigated with scanning electron microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The β phase orientations were reconstructed with a fully automated technique from the as-collected α phase data through knowledge of the Burgers orientation relationship. The results suggest that the fine β grains in the stir zone are formed from the base material ahead of the advancing tool by dissolution of secondary and primary α phase, and there is no further recrystallization. These grains subsequently deform by slip and rotate toward the orientations that are most stable with respect to the shear deformation induced by the tool. In the highest temperature weld, diffusion tool wear in the form of periodically spaced bands provided an internal marker of the tool/workpiece interface during welding. The flow patterns evident within the tungsten-enriched bands suggest that flow is considerably more chaotic on the advancing side than in the central stir zone.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the NSF-I/UCRC, Center for Friction Stir Processing, Grant No. EEC-0437341. Two of the authors (ALP and JCW) acknowledges funding from the Office of Naval Research (Contract No. N00014-06-1-0089). ALP also acknowledges the support and encouragement of the Air Force Research Laboratory management and funding through Air Force Contract No. FA8650-07-D-5800 during the preparation of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA

    A. L. Pilchak (Graduate Research Associate, Visiting Scientist, Research Scientist) & J. C. Williams (Professor and Honda Chair Emeritus)

  2. Air Force Research Laboratory, Materials and Manufacturing Directorate/RXLM, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OH, 45433, USA

    A. L. Pilchak (Graduate Research Associate, Visiting Scientist, Research Scientist)

  3. Universal Technology Corporation, Dayton, OH, 45432, USA

    A. L. Pilchak (Graduate Research Associate, Visiting Scientist, Research Scientist)

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA

    W. Tang (Associate Research Professor), H. Sahiner (Graduate Research Assistant) & A. P. Reynolds (Professor and Frank B. Herty Bicentennial Chair in Engineering)

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  1. A. L. Pilchak
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Correspondence to A. L. Pilchak.

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Manuscript submitted March 2, 2010.

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Pilchak, A.L., Tang, W., Sahiner, H. et al. Microstructure Evolution during Friction Stir Welding of Mill-Annealed Ti-6Al-4V. Metall Mater Trans A 42, 745–762 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-010-0439-4

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