Influence of FSW parameters on formation quality and mechanical properties of Al 2024-T351 butt welded joints

The influence of R/v ratio on joint quality in 2024-T351 aluminum alloy was studied. Specimens were subjected to friction stir welding with the rotation rates of 750, 950 and 1180 r/min and welding speed between 73 and 190 mm/min, providing R/v ratio between 5.00 and 10.27. The welded joints were tested by means of both non-destructive (visual, penetrant and X-ray inspection) and destructive (metallographic, tension and hardness) testing. In all specimens typical zones are revealed, with corresponding differences in grain size. Tensile efficiency of the joints obtained is in the range of 52.2% to 82.3%. The results show that the best quality is obtained at R/v ratio of 8.06, 10.17 and 10.27. This behavior is attributed to the assumption that the material flows around the pin with an optimal speed, i.e. sufficient amount of material is available to fill the gap and prevent tunnel formation. R/v ratio also showed influence on hardness distribution, onion features and crack initiation/propagation zones.