FEATURES OF 2017A AND AlSi9Mg ALUMINUM ALLOYS FRICTION STIR WELDED WITH ROOT-SIDE HEATING

Abstract

Aluminum alloys 2017A and AlSi9Mg (hypo-eutectic silumin) were friction stir welded with a relatively high linear velocity (over 1 m/min) and use of an additional heat source from the root side of the weld. Macrostructure investigation (with high-resolution images) showed no effect of heating on weld quality. The welding process caused significant fragmentation of the secondary phases in the AlSi9Mg alloy. Furthermore, it was proven that the material above the weld nugget was not mixed and contained micro-defects that were not caused by welding. Also, it contained cavities on the boundaries between Si-particles and the matrix. Based on hardness distribution, a slight strengthening of the cast alloy was observed at the bottom and middle parts of the weld. However, the hardness of the 2017A alloy initially decreased and then increased due to natural aging. This means that the FSW process produced a metastable state in the alloy.