Review on Friction Stir Processed TIG and Friction Stir Welded Dissimilar Alloy Joints
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metals Review Review on Friction Stir Processed TIG and Friction Stir Welded Dissimilar Alloy Joints Sipokazi Mabuwa * and Velaphi Msomi Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, P.O. Box 1906, Bellville 7535, South Africa; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +27-219538778 Received: 18 October 2019; Accepted: 10 December 2019; Published: 17 January 2020 Abstract: There is an increase in reducing the weight of structures through the use of aluminium alloys in different industries like aerospace, automotive, etc. This growing interest will lead towards using dissimilar aluminium alloys which will require welding. Currently, tungsten inert gas welding and friction stir welding are the well-known techniques suitable for joining dissimilar aluminium alloys. The welding of dissimilar alloys has its own dynamics which impact on the quality of the weld. This then suggests that there should be a process which can be used to improve the welds of dissimilar alloys post their production. Friction stir processing is viewed as one of the techniques that could be used to improve the mechanical properties of a material. This paper reports on the status and the advancement of friction stir welding, tungsten inert gas welding and the friction stir processing technique. It further looks at the variation use of friction stir processing on tungsten inert gas and friction stir welded joints with the purpose of identifying the knowledge gap. Keywords: friction stir welding; tungsten inert gas welding; friction stir processing; dissimilar aluminium alloys joints; dissimilar metal joints 1. Introduction Aluminium alloys are known to be good candidates for different applications in various fields like aerospace, food packaging, automotive industries, etc. Their good candidacy came from the fact that these metals are light in weight, have good mechanical properties, good corrosion resistance, etc. Various aluminium alloys possess different mechanical and thermal properties and these differences are influenced by the alloying elements used in producing each alloy [1,2]. Most industries are opting towards using dissimilar alloys in producing various components. This option is meant to reduce the costs that are involved in using similar alloys [3]. In as much as this approach is a cost-saving measure, however, there are also challenges associated with it. This includes the welding technique suitable at welding dissimilar alloys. The most used welding techniques involve tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding and friction stir welding (FSW). The TIG welding technique has been dominant in joining similar and dissimilar aluminium alloys until the birth of FSW. There have been some challenges that were involved in joining dissimilar alloys through TIG technique. Those challenges include porosity, solidification cracking, thermal residual stresses, etc. These challenges have led to the discovering of the post-processing technique called friction stir processing. Friction stir processing (FSP) is a technique used to modify the microstructure of a metal through the use of a non-consumable rotating tool. FSP originated from friction stir welding which was initially established by The Welding Institute. FSP uses the same principle as FSW but does not join metals rather modifies the local microstructure in the near-surface layer of metals [4]. Figure1 shows the schematic diagram of FSP and FSW techniques. Metals 2020, 10, 142; doi:10.3390/met10010142 www.mdpi.com/journal/metals Metals 2020, 10, 142 2 of 18 Metals 2020, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 18 (a) (b) FigureFigure 1. ( 1.a) ( FSWa) FSW (friction (friction stir stir welding) welding) and and ( (bb) )FSP FSP (Friction (Friction stir stir processing) processing) technique. technique. FSPFSP works works by by plunging plunging a a specific specific cylindricalcylindrical non-consumable non-consumable tool tool into into the theplate plate and kept and kept stationary for a few seconds. This is done so as to allow the stabilization in an input temperature stationary for a few seconds. This is done so as to allow the stabilization in an input temperature required for processing. The rotating tool gets released so that it travels along the surface of the metal required for processing. The rotating tool gets released so that it travels along the surface of the metal being processed. The tool travels from the start to the end of the plates resulting in the attainment of beingthe processed. processing. The When tool the travels processing from is thefinished, start the to thetool endis then of theunplunged, platesresulting leaving a small in the hole, attainment or of therather processing. travels to When an offset the distance processing to avoid is finished, leaving a the hole. tool The is side then in unplunged, which the tangential leaving velocity a small hole, or ratherof the travels tool surface to an is o parallelffset distance to the traverse to avoid direct leavingion is acalled hole. the The advancing side in whichside, and the the tangential non-parallel velocity of theside tool is surfacecalled the is retreating parallel to side the [5,6]. traverse direction is called the advancing side, and the non-parallel side is calledThis thepaper retreating is aiming side at [reviewing5,6]. the works that deals with the processing of similar and dissimilarThis paper joints is aiming produced at reviewing by the TIG the and works FSW thatwelding deals techniques. with the processing of similar and dissimilar joints produced by the TIG and FSW welding techniques. 2. Review on Friction Stir Welding, TIG Welding and Friction Stir Processing 2. Review on Friction Stir Welding, TIG Welding and Friction Stir Processing 2.1. Friction Stir Welding of Similar and Dissimilar Alloys 2.1. FrictionRecent Stir studies Welding have of Similar revealed and that Dissimilar the material Alloys positioning during FSW of dissimilar plays an important role towards the strength of the weld. The good weld is produced when the hardest Recent studies have revealed that the material positioning during FSW of dissimilar plays material is positioned on the retreating side while keeping the softer one on the advancing side an importantduring welding role towards[7,8]. In an the attempt strength towards of the analyzing weld. the The impact good of weld material is produced positioning when during the FSW hardest materialdissimilar is positioned alloys, various on the studies retreating have been side performed while keeping in this regard. the softer Dilip oneet al. on[9] have the advancingperformed side duringthe weldingFSW of AA2219-T87 [7,8]. In an and attempt AA5083-321 towards with analyzing the aim of the performing impact of the material microstructural positioning analysis during of FSW dissimilarthe joint. alloys, The weaker various material studies (AA2219-T87) have been performedwas positioned in this on the regard. advancing Dilip side et al.while [9] the have stronger performed the FSWmaterial of AA2219-T87(AA5083-H321) and was AA5083-321 kept on the retreating with the side. aim The of performing microstructural the analysis microstructural revealed that analysis of thethe joint. joint The andweaker the retreating material side (AA2219-T87) were dominated was by positioned the material on which the advancing was placed side on the while advancing the stronger materialside (AA2219-T87). (AA5083-H321) The was microhardness kept on the value retreating correspo side.nding The to the microstructural weaker material analysis was observed revealed on that the retreating side where most tensile failure occurred. the joint and the retreating side were dominated by the material which was placed on the advancing Friction stir welding of the 3 mm thick AZ31B magnesium alloy and AA5052-H32 was side (AA2219-T87). The microhardness value corresponding to the weaker material was observed on performed by Taiki et al. [10]. The aluminium plate was positioned on the advancing side and the retreatingmagnesium side (Mg) where plate moston the tensileretreating failure side during occurred. welding. There was a variation in welding speed andFriction tool speed. stir welding The microstructure of the 3 mm analysis thick AZ31B revealed magnesium that the joint alloy was and dominated AA5052-H32 by the was AA5052- performed by TaikiH32. et It al.was [10 also]. The noted aluminium from the microstructural plate was positioned analysis on that the the advancing dominating side AA5052 and magnesium had refined (Mg) plategrains on the compared retreating to parent side during material welding. although There the hardness was a variationvalue dropped in welding compared speed to AA5052-H32 and tool speed. The microstructurebase metal. Hardness analysis distributions revealed of that the thecross-se jointction was revealed dominated that bythe the intermetallic AA5052-H32. compounds It was also noted(IMCs) from partly the microstructural existed in the stir analysis zone (SZ). that theAll dominatingthe samples failed AA5052 at the had center refined of the grains jointcompared during to parenttensile material tests althoughanalysis. This the failure hardness location value showed dropped that compared the joint was toAA5052-H32 dominated bybase the material metal. Hardnessthat was positioned on the advancing side during welding. distributions of the cross-section revealed that the intermetallic compounds (IMCs) partly existed Cavaliere & Panella, [11] conducted a study on the effect of tool position