Characteristics of the kissing-bond in friction stir welded Al alloy 1050

Initial oxide layer on the butt surface fragments during friction stir welding (FSW) often remaining as a faint zigzag-line pattern on the cross section. When remnants of the oxide layer often adversely affects the mechanical properties in the weld, it is called as “kissing-bond”. The present study systematically examines the effect of oxide array on the bend property in the root region of friction stir (FS) welded Al alloy 1050 by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to clarify the identity of “kissing-bond”.