Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Effect of Friction Stir Processing by Stepped Tools on the Microstructure, Mechanical Properties and Wear Behavior of a Mg-Al-Zn Alloy

  • Published:
Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Friction stir processing (FSP) which imposes severe plastic strains has been used as a solid-state process to refine the grain structure of a Mg-Al-Zn alloy and therefore to enhance the strength and wear resistance without significant reduction of ductility. The introduced stepped tools result in more uniform microstructure, and therefore higher mechanical properties, as well as enhanced wear resistance. More passes of FSP could lead to more uniform microstructure and finer grains. The grain size was reduced from above 40 µm to below 4 µm. The pin root hole defect is also reduced during FSP by the stepped tools especially by cylindrical one. Microhardness was increased more than two times compared with the as-received sample. The tensile strength and elongation are almost doubled after different conditions of FSP. Coefficient of friction is reduced to 1/13.3, and weight loss has been reduced to about 50% of initial values after friction stir processing. The obtained results also demonstrated the successful dynamic recrystallization during FSP.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. W.M. Thomas, J. EDN, J.C. Needham, M. G. Murch, P. Templesmith and C.J. Dawes, Friction stir welding. International Patent Application PCT/GB92/02203 and GB Patent Application 9125978.8, UK Patent Office, London, December 6, 1991

  2. R.S. Mishra, Z.Y. Ma, and I. Charit, Friction stir processing: a novel technique for fabrication of surface composite, Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2003, 341, p 307–310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. M. Bahrami and M.K. Besharati, Givi, K. Dehghani, N. Parvin, On the role of pin geometry in microstructure and mechanical properties of AA7075/SiC nano-composite fabricated by friction stir welding technique, Mater. Des., 2014, 53, p 519–527

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. M. Azizieh, A.H. Kokabi, and P. Abachi, Effect of rotational speed and probe profile on microstructure and hardness of AZ31/Al2O3 nanocomposites fabricated by friction stir processing, Mater. Des., 2011, 32, p 2034–2041

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. S. Hirasawa, H. Badarinarayan, K. Okamot, T. Tomimura, and T. Kawanami, Analysis of effect of tool geometry on plastic flow during friction stir spot welding using particle method, J. Mater. Process. Technol., 2010, 210, p 1455–1463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. G. Buffa, J. Hua, R. Shivpuri, and L. Fratini, Design of the friction stir welding tool using the continuum based FEM model, Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2006, 419, p 381–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. S.M. Chowdhury, D.L. Chen, S.D. Bhole, and X. Cao, Tensile properties of a friction stir welded magnesium alloy: effect of pin tool thread orientation and weld pitch, Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2010, 527, p 6064–6075

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. D.G. Hattingh, C. Blignault, T.I. van Niekerk, and M.N. James, Characterization of the influences of FSW tool geometry on welding forces and weld tensile strength using an instrumented tool, J. Mater. Process. Technol., 2008, 203, p 46–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. M. Simoncini, D. Ciccarelli, A. Forcellese, and M. Pieralisi, Micro- and macro- mechanical properties of pinless friction stir welded joints in AA5754 aluminium thin sheets, Procedia CIRP, 2014, 18, p 9–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. H. Khodaverdizadeh, A. Heidarzadeh, and T. Saeid, Effect of tool pin profile on microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welded pure copper joints, Mater. Des., 2013, 45, p 265–270

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. S.J. Vijay and N. Murugan, Influence of tool pin profile on the metallurgical and mechanical properties of friction stir welded Al–10wt.% TiB2 metal matrix composite, Mater. Des., 2010, 31, p 3585–3589

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. I. Galvao, R.M. Leal, D.M. Rodrigues, and A. Loureiro, Influence of tool shoulder geometry on properties of friction stir welds in thin copper sheets, J. Mater. Process. Technol., 2013, 213, p 129–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. B.M. Darras, M.K. Khraisheh, F.K. Abu-Farha, and M.A. Omar, Friction stir processing of commercial AZ31 magnesium alloy, J. Mater. Process. Technol., 2007, 191, p 77–81

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. D. Liu, R. Xin, X. Zheng, Z. Zhou, and Q. Liu, Microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welded dissimilar Mg alloys of ZK60–AZ31, Mater. Sci. Eng., A, 2013, 561, p 419–426

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. G.M. Xie, Z.Y. Ma, L. Geng, and R.S. Chen, Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of friction stir welded Mg–Zn–Y–Zr alloy, Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2007, 471, p 63–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. L. Zhou, K. Nakata, J. Liao, and T. Tsumura, Microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of non-combustive Mg–9Al–Zn–Ca magnesium alloy friction stir welded joints, Mater. Des., 2012, 42, p 505–512

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. H. Sarmadi, A.H. Kokabi, and S.M. Seyed, Reihani, Friction and wear performance of copper–graphite surface composites fabricated by friction stir processing (FSP), Wear, 2013, 304, p 1–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. P. Salehikahrizsangi, F. Karimzadeh, M.H. Enayati, and M.H. Abbasi, Investigation of the effects of grain size and nano-sized reinforcements on tribological properties of Ti6Al4 V alloy, Wear, 2013, 305, p 51–57

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. T. Hanlon, A.H. Chokshi, M. Manoharan, and S. Suresh, Effects of grain refinement and strength on friction and damage evolution under repeated sliding contact in nanostructured metals, Int. J. Fatigue, 2005, 27, p 1159–1163

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. A. Arora, A. De, and T. DebRoy, Toward optimum friction stir welding tool shoulder diameter, Scr. Mater., 2011, 64, p 9–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. N. Kumar, W. Yuan and R.S. Mishra, Tool design for friction stir welding of dissimilar alloys and materials, chapt 3, Friction Stir Welding of Dissimilar Alloys and Materials, N.K.Y.S. Mishra, Ed., Butterworth-Heinemann, 2015, p 35–42

  22. R. Bauri, G.D.J. Ram, D. Yadav, and C.N.S. Kumar, Effect of process parameters and tool geometry on fabrication of Ni particles reinforced 5083 Al composite by friction stir processing, Mater. Today, 2015, 2, p 3203–3211

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. R. Kaibyshev, Dynamic recrystallization in magnesium alloys, chapt 5, Advances in Wrought Magnesium Alloys, Woodhead Publishing, 2012, p 186–225

  24. F.J. Humphreys and M. Hatherly, Continuous recrystallization during and after large strain deformation, Recrystallization and Related Annealing Phenomena (Second Edition), F.J.H. Hatherly, Ed., Elsevier, Oxford, 2004, p 451–467

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  25. R. Xin, D. Liu, Z. Xu, B. Li, and Q. Liu, Changes in texture and microstructure of friction stir welded Mg alloy during post-rolling and their effects on mechanical properties, Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 2013, 582, p 178–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. W.F. Hosford and R.M. Caddell, Metal forming: mechanics and metallurgy, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2007

    Book  Google Scholar 

  27. R. Moshwan, F. Yusof, M.A. Hassan, and S.M. Rahmat, Effect of tool rotational speed on force generation, microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welded Al–Mg–Cr–Mn (AA 5052-O) alloy, Mater. Des., 2015, 66, p 118–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. R. Xin, B. Li, A. Liao, Z. Zhou, and Q. Liu, Correlation between texture variation and transverse tensile behavior of friction stir processed AZ31 Mg alloy, Metal. Mater. Trans. A, 2012, 43, p 2500–2508

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. W. Woo, H. Choo, M.B. Prime, Z. Feng, and B. Clausen, Microstructure, texture and residual stress in a friction stir processed AZ31B magnesium alloy, Acta Mater., 2008, 56, p 1701–1711

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Z.N. Farhat, Y. Ding, D.O. Northwood, and A.T. Alpas, Effect of grain size on friction and wear of nanocrystalline aluminum, Mater. Sci. Eng. A., 1996, 206, p 302–313

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Committee AIH, ASM Handbook, Friction, Lubrication, and wear Technology, ASM International, Russell Township, 1992

    Google Scholar 

  32. B. Bhushan, Modern Tribology Handbook, Two Volume Set, Taylor and Francis, Abingdon, 2000

    Book  Google Scholar 

  33. E. Gnecco and E. Meyer, Fundamentals of Friction and Wear on the Nanoscale, Springer, Berlin, 2014

    Google Scholar 

  34. V. Sharma, U. Prakash, and B.V.M. Kumar, Surface composites by friction stir processing, A review, J. Mater. Process. Technol., 2015, 224, p 117–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. H. Yang, L. Huang, and M. Zhan, Hot Forming Characteristics of Magnesium Alloy AZ31 and Three-Dimensional FE Modeling and Simulation of the Hot Splitting Spinning Process, INTECH Open Access Publisher, Osaka, 2011

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Engineering, Shiraz University, Zand Ave., Shiraz, Fars, 7193616511, Iran

    Seyed Mohammad Arab, Seyed Ahmad Jenabali Jahromi & Seyed Mojtaba Zebarjad

Authors
  1. Seyed Mohammad Arab
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Seyed Ahmad Jenabali Jahromi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Seyed Mojtaba Zebarjad
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seyed Mojtaba Zebarjad.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Arab, S.M., Jahromi, S.A.J. & Zebarjad, S.M. The Effect of Friction Stir Processing by Stepped Tools on the Microstructure, Mechanical Properties and Wear Behavior of a Mg-Al-Zn Alloy. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 25, 4587–4597 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-016-2291-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-016-2291-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation