Influence of Tool Traverse Speed on Structure, Mechanical Properties, Fracture Behavior, and Weld Corrosion of Friction Stir Welded Joints of Aluminum and Stainless Steel

Abstract

Herein, the effect of traverse speed on friction stir welding (FSW) of aluminum (Al) and stainless steel (SS 304) plates is studied. The microstructure of the joint sample is examined using optical microscope and scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy. The intermetallic compound detected at the interface of friction stir welded (FSWed) joint is Al3Fe. X‐ray diffraction results reveal the formation of intermetallic compound like Al3Fe, Al5Fe2, AlFe, and Al13Fe4. Tensile results show that with the increase in tool traverse speed, the tensile strength increases to reach a maximum value and then decreases. The maximum tensile strength achieved is ≈75% of Al base metal at tool traverse speed of 75 mm min−1. Maximum hardness is observed at the Al|SS‐304 interfaces due to the presence of intermetallics. Interfacial hardness for slower tool traverse speed is higher when compared to higher traverse speed. The electrochemical behavior of the FSWed joint is measured using potentiodynamic polarization test so as to understand the corrosion failures of the FSWed joints. FSWed samples at higher traverse speed shows inferior corrosion resistance when compared to the slower traverse speed.

Electrochemical Investigation of the Effect of Process Parameters on the Corrosion Behavior of Aluminum-Cladded Pressure Vessel Steel Using a Friction Stir Diffusion Cladding Process

“…It was noticed that increasing the tool traverse speed resulted in an increase in the corrosion current (I corr ). Murugan et al [26] have reported similar findings on the corrosion current of dissimilar aluminum to stainless steel friction stir welds, and the behavior was explained by the impact of tool traverse speed on grain refinement. Rambabu et al [27] investigated the effect of FSW process parameters on the corrosion resistance of Al 2219 alloy: they reported that high and low levels of tool rotational speeds (1400 and 1000 rpm) resulted in a degradation in the corrosion resistance, while a low welding (traverse speed) i.e., 600 mm/min resulted in the best corrosion resistance.…”

Influence of Friction Stir Weld Parameters on the Corrosion Susceptibility of EN AW‐7075 Weld Seam and Heat‐Affected Zone

“…[17] The influence of FSW parameters on different types of aluminum alloys with regard to mechanical and corrosion properties has been widely studied. [22][23][24][25][26] In this context, it has been pointed out that the heat input can be minimized by lowering the rotation speed while, at the same time, maintaining the traverse speed for better corrosion behavior. However, having sufficient frictional heat is crucial for providing the required temperature to influence corrosion behavior positively.…”

Friction Stir Welding of Dissimilar Al 6061-T6 to AISI 316 Stainless Steel: Microstructure and Mechanical Properties

“…In the continuous development of hybrid structure components, the need for the joining of aluminum alloys to stainless steel (SS) is a great challenge. Much research has been conducted to study the possibility and feasibility of FSW as a green process to weld aluminum alloys to stainless steel [42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51]. Sound joints were obtained in different combinations of Al/SS, for example, pure Al/AISI 304 [43], Al 5083/AISI 316L [44][45][46], 5052/AISI 304 [47], Al 5050/AISI 304 [20], and (Al 1100, Al 1060, and Al 2219)/AISI 321 [49][50][51].…”