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Influence of Welding Combined Plastic Forming on Microstructure Stability and Mechanical Properties of Friction Stir-Welded Al-Cu Alloy

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Abstract

A new tailor-welded process, which combines stages of welding, plastic forming, and heat treatment strengthening, was developed to produce a friction stir-welded (FSW) Al-alloy joint. The Al-Cu sheets were FSW under different welding parameters and then were plastic-deformed. The microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of the FSW joint were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and tensile tests. It was found that high heat input during FSW and low solution temperature suppress the abnormal grain growth (AGG) of the joint due to the differential in grain size and grain boundary energy. The microstructure heterogeneity of the FSW joint is effectively improved, as no AGG occurs. The retention of fine equiaxed grains and the increase in the density of precipitates result in excellent mechanical properties. The increase in the strength and micro-hardness of the joint mainly depends on the plastic deformation prior to aging treatment.

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Acknowledgments

This study is financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (51405358, 51775397), China Automobile Industry Innovation and Development Joint Fund (U1564202), the 111 Project (B17034) and Open Fund of Shanghai Key Laboratory of Digital Manufacture for Thin-Walled Structures. The authors would like to take this opportunity to express their sincere appreciation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hubei Key Laboratory of Advanced Technology of Automobile Components, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, People’s Republic of China

    Z. L. Hu & M. L. Dai

  2. Hubei Collaborative Innovation Center for Automotive Components Technology, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, 430070, People’s Republic of China

    Z. L. Hu & M. L. Dai

  3. School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Wuhan Donghu University, Wuhan, 430212, People’s Republic of China

    Q. Pang

Authors
  1. Z. L. Hu
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  2. M. L. Dai
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  3. Q. Pang
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Correspondence to Q. Pang.

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Hu, Z.L., Dai, M.L. & Pang, Q. Influence of Welding Combined Plastic Forming on Microstructure Stability and Mechanical Properties of Friction Stir-Welded Al-Cu Alloy. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 27, 4036–4042 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-018-3495-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-018-3495-3

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