Friction stir welding of AZ31 magnesium alloys processed by equal channel angular pressing

Equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) is an effective thermo-mechanical process to make ultrafine grains. An investigation was carried out on the friction stir welding (FSW) of ECAPed AZ31 magnesium alloys with a thickness of 15 mm. For different process parameters, the optimum FSW conditions of ECAPed AZ31 magnesium alloys were examined. The basic characterization of weld formation and the mechanical properties of the joints were discussed. The results show that the effect of welding parameters on welding quality was evident and welding quality was sensitive to welding speed. Sound joints could be obtained when the welding speed was 37.5 mm/min and the rotation speed of the stir tool was 750 r/min. The maximum tensile strength (270 MPa) of FSW was 91% that of the base materials. The value of microhardness varied between advancing side and retreating side because of the speed field near the pin of the stir tool, which weakened the deformed stress field. The value of microhardness of the welding zone was lower than that of the base materials. The maximum value was located near the heat-affected zone (HAZ). Remarkable ductile character was observed from the fracture morphologies of welded joints.