Samer Jasim Mahmood
Abstract
This study has been conducted to investigate the effect of welding process parameter on the mechanical properties and microstructure of aluminum alloy 6061, using friction stir welding ...
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This study has been conducted to investigate the effect of welding process parameter on the mechanical properties and microstructure of aluminum alloy 6061, using friction stir welding (FSW) and Tungsten inert gas welding (TIG). Different friction stir welded specimens were produced by employing variable welding speed from 10 to 40 mm/min, and constant rotation speed at 900 rpm. Different mechanical tests and microstructure examination were performing to evaluate the joints. The experimental results indicate that the welding process parameters have significant effect on mechanical properties of the joints, the best result of the (FSW) weld achieve at 30 mm/min welding speed which give tensile strength 189 MPa, and 55% joint efficiency of the ultimate tensile strength of parent metal. Tungsten inert gas welded (TIG) give tensile strength 124 MPa with 37% efficiency of the ultimate tensile strength of parent metal. The profile of micro hardness tests is shown variation in the hardness through the welding zones the lowest value at heat affected zone which is 60 HB and the highest value at the nugget zone which is 80HB, but in the case of Tungsten inert gas welded (TIG) the micro hardness profile is constant though the welded zones and the value of the hardness is very low about 43. The microstructure examinations of the friction stir – welded (FSW) are shown three welded zones, first fine equated crystalline in the nugget zone, second highly elongated grain with very small cells in thermo mechanical affected zone and third slightly elongated coarse grain in heat affected zone. For Tungsten inert gas welding (TIG) the microstructure contain dendrite structure with black eutectic regions and significant amount of aluminum and silicon.
