Three-dimensional numerical and experimental investigation on friction stir welding processes of ferritic stainless steel

A three-dimensional thermomechanical simulation of friction stir welding (FSW) processes is carried out for ferritic stainless steel by utilizing an Eulerian finite volume method under the steady state condition, and the simulation result is compared directly with both the measured temperature histories during FSW and the microstructural changes after FSW. Based on a viscoplastic self-consistent approach for polycrystal, the texture development in the FSWed material is determined from the velocity gradients along the streamlines in the material flow field. The simulation results show that the heat is generated mainly near the interface between the tool and the workpiece, and that the viscosity changes drastically in the vicinity of the boundary between the stir zone and the thermomechanically affected zone. From the predicted streamlines, it can be indicated that the strong material flow mainly develops on the retreating side of the tool. Also, the simulation results show that the shear deformation texture is significantly developed in the FSWed region. The measured temperatures and microstructural characteristics agree fairly well with the predicted data.