INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION
1.1 FRICTION STIR WELDING

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a revolutionary solid state welding technique invented at
the Welding Institute (WI) in 1991. The FSW process operates below the solid us temperature of
the metals being joined and hence no melting takes place during the process. This process is a
derivative of the conventional friction welding and is being used to produce continuous welded
seams for plate fabrication. Since its invention in 1991, continuous attempts have been made by
researchers to understand, use and improvethis process.

Fig 1.1 Schematic representation of FSW Principle

Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid state welding process, which is suitable for joining
dissimilar metals Al and brass since it could minimize the formation of brittle IMCs without any
melting of base metals under the action of stirring effect and a lower heat input. Previous
studies mainly focused on the joining of Al to copper, but few works have been conducted to
dissimilar Al and brass welding. Few research results on joining Al and brass could be found by
using FSW process.
Al alloys 5052, 5083 and 5086 are commonly called workhorses from the structural
standpoint of view with good strength. As a result, joining of 5xxx series Al alloy to brass will be
more sensitive to welding parameters due to the presence of Mg and possible formation of

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thicker IMCs in the weld zone. Al alloy AA5052 has found application in the manufacture of truck
and trailer components, aircraft components and boat hulls.
Aluminum (Al) and brass (Cu-Zn alloy) are two typical engineering metals which have
high potential for use in the power plants, heat transfer systems, radiators and electrical
applications. Compared to pure copper, brass offers very useful properties, such as higher
plasticity, strength, formability, wear resistance and corrosion performance. These advantages
make the brass an excellent candidate for using in some parts of components, such as brass
tubes, power plant condensers and petrochemical heat exchangers. The brass exhibits good
deformability, machinability and weld ability, and moderate ductility, which is more suitable to
meet the requirement for the use in such components.

Friction stir welding (FSW) process is a proven method for joining. In general, the
process is carried out by plunging a rotating FSW tool into the interface of two rigidly clamped
sheets until the shoulder touches the surface of the material being welded and traverse along
the weld line. Welding is done with the frictional heat produced betweenthe FSW tool and work
piece, which is the primary source of heat. The secondary heat source is the plastic deformation
heat of the deforming work piece. The frictional heat and deformation heat are utilized for
bonding under the applied axial force. The process was duly named FSW, and TWI filed for
world-wide patent protection in December of that year. TWI is a world famous institute in the UK
that specializes in materials joining technology. Consistent with the more conventional methods
of friction welding, which have been practiced since the early 1950s, the weld is made in the
solid phase, that is, no melting is involved. Compared to conventional friction welding, FSW
uses a rotating tool to generate the necessary heat for the process. Since its invention, the
process has received world-wide attention and today two Scandinavian companies are using
the technology in production, particularly for joining aluminum alloys. Also, FSW is a process
that can be automated. It is also a cleaner and more efficient process compared to conventional
techniques.
In recent years, fabrication of hybrid lightweight structural components has been
attracting much attention due to their economic and technical advantages. Replacing part of
brass with Al alloys is of great interest to build a resource-efficient society since the earth is rich
in Al element. In addition, Al alloys could reduce materials cost and total weight while
maintaining thermal and electrical conductivity. Welding technique has been considered as an
effective method to obtain Al/brass joint. However, joining of Al to brass poses great challenges
because of their large differences in physical and chemical characteristics. Formation of brittle

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intermetallic compounds (IMCs) easily occurs when using conventional fusion welding
technique, which deteriorates electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of Al/brass
joints. Therefore, it is essential to control the formation and growth of Al-Br IMCs when
employing other alternative joining techniques.

1.2.1 Working Principle

FSW a cylindrical tool with a profiled probe is rotated and slowly plunged into the joint
line between two pieces butted together. The parts have to be clamped onto a backing bar in a
manner that prevents the abutting joint faces from being forced apart. Frictional heat is
generated between the wear resistant welding tool and the material of the work pieces. This
heat causes the latter to soften without reaching the melting point and allows traversing of the
tool along the weld line. The maximum temperature reached is of the order of 0.8 of the melting
temperature of the material. The plasticized material is transferred from the leading edge of the
tool to the trailing edge of the tool probe and is forged by the intimate contact of the tool
shoulder and the pin profile. It leaves a solid phase bond between the two pieces.
1.2.2 Process Parameters

FSW process is a complex process; it has many process parameters on which the weld
quality depends on. The main parameters are tool material and its geometry, welding speed,
tool rotation speed, axial force, and work piece materials. The tool shape determines the
heating, plastic flow, and forging pattern of the plastic weld metal and hence the weld
morphology. The tool material determines the rate of friction heating, tool strength, and working
temperature and hence decides which materials can be friction stir welded.
Tool rotation speed is one of the main factors affecting frictional heat. If the rotating
speed is too low, the frictional heat is not enough to induce plasticized flow, which leads to
defects in the weld. Along with an increase of the rotating speed, frictional heat increases. The
plasticized layer increases from the top to the underside, resulting in smaller defects in the weld
region. When the rotating speed reaches a certain limit, the possibilities of defect formation
decrease.

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Fig 1.3 Process Parameters of FSW

Another main factor is welding speed. When the welding speed is too small, the frictional
heat makes the temperature in the weld too high. The weld surface will be irregular. When the
weld speed increases further, the material just below the tool softens to such a degree that it
acts as a lubricant, lowering the friction and thus the heat input. This will reduce the
temperature. Thus, in FSW, the bulk temperature does not increase beyond a certain point. But
the high temperatures near the surface would result in poor surface finish due to incipient
melting of this layer.
Preheating or cooling can also be important for some specific FSW processes. For
materials with high melting point such as steel and titanium or high conductivity such as copper,
the heat produced by friction and stirring may be not sufficient to soften and plasticize the
material around the rotating tool. Thus, it is difficult to produce continuous defect-free weld. In
these cases, preheating or additional external heating source can help the material flow and
increase the process window.
On the other hand, materials with lower melting point such as aluminum and
magnesium, cooling can be used to reduce extensive growth of recrystallized grains and
dissolution of strengthening precipitates in and around the stirred zone.

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1.2.4 Practical Implications:

In recent years, dissimilar joints have been increasingly applied in power generation,
military uses, and electrical industries due to their technical and economic advantages. The
typical case was the joining between aluminum (Al) and brass (Br). On the one hand, both of
these two alloys are excellent candidates for heat transfer systems and electrical applications
due to their specific properties such as high thermal and electrical conductivities, good
combination of strength and ductility, and excellent resistance to corrosion.
On the other hand, compared with brass, aluminum has lower density as well as price,
which become the motivation of substituting Al-brass joint for brass-brass joint. However, these
two dissimilar metals are difficult to join with conventional fusion welding due to the formation of
brittle intermetallic compounds (IMCs). Additionally, the work temperature during fusion welding
exceeds the boiling point of zinc in brass, leading to its evaporation, which will result in color
change and formation of large pores. More serious is that zinc vapor is toxic and can be harmful
to the health of welding operators. Therefore, there is an urgent need for qualified solid-state
welding techniques in joining aluminum to brass.

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Fig 1.4 Applications of FSW

1.2.5 Applications of FSW

Ship building
Fish freezer and deck panels, Helicopter landing Platforms
Aerospace
Space shuttle external tank, wings, fuselage panels, floor panels
Automotive
Engine cradles and suspension struts, bonnet (hood) and rear doors, Radiators
Railways
Roof panels, floor panels, car bodies
Fabrication
Vacuum vessels and valves, ship propellers, hunting knives, heat exchangers.
1.2.6 Applications of joining Aluminium to Brass by Friction Stir Welding
Power plants
Heat transfer systems
Radiators
Electrial Applications