Issue 24

H.S. Patil et alii, Frattura ed Integrità Strutturale, 24 (2013) 151-160; DOI: 10.3221/IGF-ESIS.24.16 151 Effect of weld parameter on mechanical and metallurgical properties of dissimilar joints AA6082–AA6061 in T 6 condition produced by FSW H. S. Patil Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pacific School of Engineering, Surat, India hspatil12@rediffmail.com S. N. Soman Department of Metallurgy & Material Engineering, Faculty of Engineering & Technology, M. S. University of Baroda, India A BSTRACT . The effect of processing parameters on the mechanical and metallurgical properties of dissimilar joints of AA6082–AA6061 produced by friction stir welding was analysed in this study. Different FSW samples were produced by varying the welding speeds of the tool as 50 and 62 mm/min and by varying the alloy positioned on the advancing side of the tool. In all the experiments the rotating speed is fixed at 1600rpm. All the welds were produced perpendicularly to the rolling direction for both the alloys. Microhardness (HV) and tensile tests performed at room temperature were used to evaluate the mechanical properties of the joints. In order to analyse the microstructural evolution of the material, the weld’s cross-sections were observed optically and SEM observations were made of the fracture surfaces. The corrosion tests of base alloy and welded joints were carried out in 3.5%NaCl solution at a room temperature. Corrosion current and potential were determined using potentiostatic polarization measurements. It was found that the corrosion rates of welded joints were higher than that of base alloy. K EYWORDS . FSW; Aluminium alloys AA6082-AA6061; Mechanical and metallurgical characterization. I NTRODUCTION odern aerospace concepts demand reductions in both the weight as well as cost of production of materials. Under such conditions, welding processes have proven most attractive, and programs have been set up to study their potential. Car manufacturers and shipyards are also evaluating new production methods. Increasing operating expenses are driving manufacturers to reduce weight in many manufacturing applications, particularly in aerospace sector. The goal is to reduce the costs associated with manufacturing techniques to result in considerable cost and weight savings by reducing riveted/fastened joints and part count. One way of achieving this goal is by utilising a novel welding technology known as Friction Stir Welding (FSW). Friction stir welding is a solid-state joining process developed and patented by the The Welding Institute (TWI) in 1991 by Thomas et al and it is emerged as a welding technique to be used in high strength alloys (2xxx, 6xxx, 7xxx and 8xxx series) for aerospace, automotive and marine applications that were difficult to join with conventional techniques[1,2]. This technique is attractive for joining high strength aluminium alloys since there is far lower heat input during the process compared with conventional welding methods such as Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) or Metal Inert Gas (MIG). This solid state process leads to low distortion in long welds, excellent mechanical properties in the weld and heat-affected zone, no fumes or spatters, low shrinkage, as well as being energy efficient. Furthermore, other cost reductions are realized in that the process uses a non-consumable M