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Effect of Tool Rotational Speed and Mechanisms Associated with Microstructure Evolution and Intermetallics Formation in Friction Stir Welding of Aluminum Alloy to Titanium Alloy

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Abstract

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a promising technology for joining dissimilar metal alloys, such as aluminum alloy (Al 2024) and titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V). However, optimizing FSW parameters to enhance joint strength and reliability remains a challenge. To address this, this manuscript presents a novel concept of using tool rotational speed as a key parameter to investigate joint formation mechanisms and associated mechanisms in FSW. The study found that tool rotational speed significantly affects the deformation and mechanical mixing of the two metals in the weld nugget. Optimal tool rotational speed produces a defect-free weld with superior mechanical properties. The fragmentation of joint interfaces and the formation of new particles of different sizes in titanium lead to deformation and fracture mechanisms. X-ray tomography results demonstrate that fine particles are evenly dispersed in the Al matrix compared to coarse particles. Moreover, the study provides valuable insights into the microstructural development in Al, attributed to dynamic recovery (DRV), continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX), and particle-stimulated nucleation (PSN). The type of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) formation is not affected by the tool rotational speed, and a proposed mechanism of IMCs formation is presented from a thermodynamic perspective. Overall, this study improvises the current understanding of joint formation mechanisms in FSW and suggests using tool rotational speed as a parameter for optimizing FSW parameters for enhanced joint strength and reliability.

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Data Availability Statement

The raw/processed data required to reproduce these findings cannot be shared at this time as the data also form part of an on-going study. However, I am open to shear any data on request.

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Acknowledgment

Author would like to thank Professor Satish Vasu Kailas, Professor Satyam Suwas, and Advanced Facility for Microscopy and Microanalysis (AFMM) at Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, and Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad, for providing the facilities.

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This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Arbegast Materials Processing and Joining Laboratory (AMP), South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Rapid City, SD, USA

    Amlan Kar

  2. Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India

    Amlan Kar & Kuldeep Singh

  3. Pinetree PosMagnesium Co. Ltd., Suncheon-si, Jeollanam-do, Korea

    Lailesh Kumar

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The author contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by AK. The first draft of the manuscript was written by AK, and the author commented on previous versions of the manuscript. The author read and approved the final manuscript.

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Kar, A., Singh, K. & Kumar, L. Effect of Tool Rotational Speed and Mechanisms Associated with Microstructure Evolution and Intermetallics Formation in Friction Stir Welding of Aluminum Alloy to Titanium Alloy. J. of Materi Eng and Perform (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-023-08407-1

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