Materialwiss. Werkstofftech. 2020, 51, 811–816 DOI 10.1002/mawe.

201900234 811

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Challenges in dissimilar friction stir welding of
3 aluminum 5052 and 304 stainless steel alloys
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Herausforderungen beim artfremden Reibrührschweißen von
7 Aluminiumlegierungen 5052 und 304 rostfreiem Stahl
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10 V. Chitturi1, S.R. Pedapati1, M. Awang1
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12 In this study, dissimilar friction stir welding of aluminum 5052 and stainless steel
13 304 has been carried out with different process parameters. This investigation pro-
14 vides a better insight regarding the defect formation of the weld joints with tilt an-
15 gles ranging from 0 ° to 2.5 °. The experiments were conducted according to Ta-
16 guchi L9 orthogonal array by changing the tool rotational speed, and welding
17 speed. The tool pin was kept 70 % towards the aluminum with the tool rotational
18 speed ranging from 800 min 1 to 1200 min 1 with a varying traverse speed of
19 5 mm/min to 15 mm/min. The bottom part of the stir zone was perfectly welded
20 without any defects. Tunnel defect was detected just above the bottom welded
21 surface. Microstructural analysis reveals that the weld between both materials is
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formed on the retreating side, whereas on the advancing side, the weld was
formed with void defects. Mostly, the stir zone is filled with irregular shaped alumi-
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num and steel parts which were detached from the base material. Several other
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defects such as voids, cracks, and fragmental defects were observed in the stir
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zone irrespective of the process parameters. It was observed from the ex-
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perimental investigations that the tunnel defect can be reduced by increasing the
27 tilt angle.
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29 Keywords: Friction stir welding / aluminum / steel / defects / dissimilar welding
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31 Schlüsselwörter: Rührreibschweißen / Aluminium / Stahl / Defekte / artfremdes
32 Schweißen.
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35 1 Introduction and 7xxx have been tested to get the best set of pa-
36 rameters in order to obtain a sound joint [2–6]. But,
37 There is a need for dissimilar friction stir welding when it comes to friction stir welding of dissimilar
38 of aluminum and steel alloys in the areas of auto- materials, the research field is still trying to find the
39 mobile, aerospace, and transportation where weight answers for some of the unanswered questions. Re-
40 of the material plays a major role. In 1991, the search on friction stir welding of dissimilar materi-
41 Welding Institute has introduced a new concept als like aluminum-magnesium, aluminum-steel,
42 called friction stir welding in solid state joining of aluminum-copper etc. opened a door to overcome
43 materials [1]. Friction stir welding at the initial the challenges in dissimilar friction stir welding [7–
44 stage was introduced to weld aluminum alloys, al- 9]. Friction stir welding of aluminum and steel al-
45 most all the different series like 2xxx, 5xxx, 6xxx, loys is difficult because of their different mechan-
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47 1 Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Department of Me- Corresponding author: V. Chitturi, Universiti Teknologi
48 chanical Engineering, Seri Iskandar, 32610, PE- Petronas, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Seri
49 RAK, MALAYSIA Iskandar, 32610, PERAK, MALAYSIA,
50 E-Mail: [email protected]

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812 V. Chitturi et al. Materialwiss. Werkstofftech. 2020, 51, 811–816

1 ical properties and especially because of the huge 2 Experimental procedure

2 difference in their melting points.
3 Process parameters like tool offset, tool rota- The base metals used in the present study are alu-
4 tional speed, traverse speed, and tilt angle play a minum 5052 and stainless steel 304. The aluminum
5 major role in obtaining a defect free weld with ac- alloy plate was machined into rectangular welding
6 ceptable joint strength. While joining AA5052 H32 sample size of 150 mm (Length) × 100 mm (width)
7 and HSLA steel, a maximum tensile strength of × 5 mm (thickness). The butt welds were performed
8 188 MPa was achieved with a tool offset of 2 mm along the longitudinal direction of the samples with
9 towards the aluminum side [10]. In order to avoid counterclockwise rotations of welding tool with ax-
10 the defects caused while stirring, zinc was used as a ial pressure of 7.5 kN being applied using CNC
11 filler material to obtain a sandwich like joint be- friction stir welding machining center. It has been
12 tween AA6061 and 316 stainless steel alloys which observed in the previous studies that tool geometry
13 helped in achieving a defect free joint [11]. and the shoulder plunge depth are the main factors
14 X5CrNi18-10 stainless steel is butt welded to alu- affecting the mechanical properties of friction stir
15 minum 6013-T4 and has been tested for different welding joints [10–15]. Based on the studies, pre-
16 mechanical properties to confirm the efficiency of liminary experiments were conducted to identify
17 the weld. Microstructural characterization was con- the proper process parameters before conducting
18 ducted to find out the mixing of the materials hap- the experiments to study the effect of rotation speed
19 pened in different weld zones [12]. Apart from the (min 1), welding speed (mm/min), and type of
20 process parameters, the other factors that are in- welding tools. Once the tool geometry is identified,
21 volved in defining the strength of the joint are tool trial experiments are planned with working range of
22 pin profile and tool geometry, which create the re- parameters and the ranges of the process parame-
23 quired heat input. An overlap joint was formed be- ters are fixed according to the visual inspection of
24 tween DX54 steel and AA5754 alloys which im- the welded joint.
25 proved the quality of welds when compared to the The tool rotational speed is varied from
26 interlocking that happens with conventional lap 800 min 1–1200 min 1 with a range of traverse
27 joint. The welding was done in multiple passes speed of 5 mm/min–15 mm/min. The tilt angle
28 such that a wave shaped interface was forms which ranges were from 0 °–2.5 ° by keeping the pin
29 gives the desired heat input forming a better hook length constant. The welding tool used was tung-
30 than the normal lap joint [13]. sten rhenium (W Re) with a shoulder diameter of
31 Though the researchers were able to obtain 20 mm, the diameter of the pin being 5 mm, and
32 sound joints, the formation of defects in the dissim- length being 4.5 mm. Once the ranges are fixed,
33 ilar friction stir welding of aluminum and steel al- then the number of experiments were conducted ac-
34 loys was never properly reported. The formation of cording to Taguchi L9 orthogonal array, Table 1.
35 tunnel defects and their effect on the joint strength To generate the required heat input to develop the
36 of aluminum 5186 and mild steel plates was re- weld between the plates the pin was inserted 70 %
37 ported, and the effect of process parameters was on the aluminum side and the steel is placed on the
38 discussed [14]. The effect of tool tilt angle on weld advancing side during the welding. Once the weld-
39 nugget zone and the lack of filling at small tile an- ing was finished, if there was any excess flash that
40 gles were observed, when increasing the axial load was produced during the friction stir welding, being
41 parallel with the increase in tilt angle which helped machined, that would be easy for the specimens to
42 to reduce the void defects that formed. Controlling be cut for further analysis. Electrical discharge ma-
43 the various parameters of friction stir welding along chining was used to cut the samples in 20 mm ×
44 with tool geometry gives the defect free joints. The 20 mm dimension for the microstructural character-
45 research on dissimilar friction stir welding of ization. Microstructural studies were carried out by
46 AA5052 and 304 stainless steel and the challenges scanning electron microscopy. The specimens were
47 in overcoming the defects was never reported. The finely polished with 3 μm diamond paste and dried,
48 aim of the present research is to address the type of then, etched by Nital and Kellar etching agents to
49 defects that are formed during the welding. observe the microstructure of 304 steel and
50

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 Materialwiss. Werkstofftech. 2020, 51, 811–816 Friction stir welding of aluminum 5052 and 304 stainless steel alloys 813

1 Table 1. Process parameters according to Taguchi L9 3 Results and discussion

2 orthogonal array.
3 S.No Label Tool Traverse Tilt 3.1 Visual examination of friction stir welds
4 rotational speed angle
5 speed Firstly, the visual inspection is done on the welded
6 (min 1) (mm/min) (degree) zone to check for the surface defects. There were
7 no surface defects on samples E1, E4, and E7,
1 E1 800 5 0 which were with different rotational speeds and tilt
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9 2 E2 800 10 1.5 angles as, Figure 1. We can observe the change in
10 3 E3 800 15 2.5 the shape of the nugget zone with the increasing
11 speed and tilt angle. In E1, the weld is smooth and
4 E4 1000 5 1.5
12 has no flash on the sides. When it comes to E4 and
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5 E5 1000 10 2.5 E7, with tilt angles of 1.5 ° and 2.5 °, we can ob-
14 6 E6 1000 15 0 serve that there is a pattern formed at nugget zone
15 7 E7 1200 5 2.5 with aluminum exactly being in the middle and the
16 steel is being distributed on either sides of the stir
8 E8 1200 10 0
17 zone.
18 9 E9 1200 15 1.5
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20 3.2 Macrostructural views of the weld
21 AA5052 welded joints. The etching time was 15 s
22 to 30 s. The macrostructures of the welded samples in the fig-
23 ures will give us a good perception about the welded
24 zone. We can see formation of tunnel defect which is
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50 Figure 1. Friction stir welding surface of joints E1, E4, E7.

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814 V. Chitturi et al. Materialwiss. Werkstofftech. 2020, 51, 811–816

1 because of excess heat input which led to melting of 3.3 Microstructural views of the weld zone
2 aluminum and it was thrown out of the nugget zone
3 while stirring was happening, Figure 2. Irrespective From the microstructural characterization, it was con-
4 of the process parameters, there was a tunnel defect firmed that the weld region on the retreating side was
5 observed at the nugget zone. When the tilt angle was without any defects and we can observe the weld de-
6 increased from 0 ° to 2.5 °, the tunnel defect was re- fects, like voids and pores, on the advancing side. It
7 duced, and voids were formed on the retreating side. can be clearly observed that void defects happening at
8 The stir zone is trying to form a hook like structure the nugget zone because of the uneven distribution of
9 between the aluminum and steel to complete the steel, which is due to the less heat input, Figure 3.
10 weld. It is evident that weld is stronger on the retreat- Even though the tilt angle was increased to 1.5 ° from
11 ing side with less defects, Figure 2. On the other 0 °, there is not much difference in the scattering of
12 hand, the weld on the advancing side has some void steel particles, Figure 4. The bottom part of the stir
13 defects because of less heat input and insufficient stir- zone is also perfectly welded just below the tunnel
14 ring. As 70 % of the pin is inserted on the aluminum defect. With the increased tilt angle, the tunnel defect
15 side, the weld zone is mostly of aluminum settling on was reduced, but it was replaced by small voids, Fig-
16 the top with steel fragments scattered in the nugget ure 5.
17 zone.
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50 Figure 2. Macrostructures of the weld zones of E1, E4, E7.

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 Materialwiss. Werkstofftech. 2020, 51, 811–816 Friction stir welding of aluminum 5052 and 304 stainless steel alloys 815

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12 Figure 3. Scanning electron microscopy images of E1 (a) Nugget zone (b) Retreating side.
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26 Figure 4. Scanning electron microscopy images of E4 (c) Nugget zone (d) Retreating side.
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Figure 5. Scanning electron microscopy images of E7 (e) Bottom of weld (f) Nugget zone.
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43 4 Conclusions The microstructural change in the stir zone is because
44 of the less heat input and uneven scattering of the
45 AA5052 and 304 stainless steel plates were butt steel fragments, and the pin is plunged on the alumi-
46 welded with friction stir welding with different proc- num side with an offset of 70 %. Scanning electron
47 ess parameters. Formation of tunnel defects can be microscopy shows that there are tunnel and voids
48 seen in all the specimens. The scattering of aluminum formed in the nugget zone and could be reduced by
49 and steel fragments in the stir zone are observed increasing the tilt angle.
50 when the welds are performed without a tilt angle.

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816 V. Chitturi et al. Materialwiss. Werkstofftech. 2020, 51, 811–816

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2012, 47, 66. Received in final form: December 18th 2019
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