The Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of the Aluminum Alloy (AA 6061 T6) under the Effect of Friction Stirs Processing

Abstract

The following chapter study the friction stir processes (FSP) is used to improve the surface characteristics of the alloy AA6061-T6 on the surface topography, hardness, tension mechanical characteristics, and microstructures of aluminum alloy, the impacts of friction stir process tool travel and rotation speeds were investigated. All friction stir processes (FSW) in this investigation used a cylindrical tool without a pin that had a 20 mm diameter, rotated at different rotating speeds 800, 1000, 1250, and 1600 rpm, and at different travel speeds 32, 63, and 80 mm per minute. The examination of the current study’s data and the test results showed that in stir friction processes, hardness rises with cutting depth. The study of the crystal structure showed that the hardness increased by twice as much for two stages as it did for one stage. Additionally, it was observed that as cutting depth increased, the size of the granules representing engineering defects grew smaller. Additionally, in the case of two stages, the ratio of granule size to friction was twice as high as in the case of one step. According to the results, using a single-stage friction stir process increased yield strength by 18% and tensile strength by 9.5%, while using a two-stage friction stir process increased yield strength by 20.4% and tensile strength by 11.5% when compared to metal basis.