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Dipl.Ing.JakobHilgert
InstituteofMaterialsResearch
MaterialsMechanicsandJoining
SolidStateJoiningProcesses(WMP)
Geesthacht
20/03/2012
[afrin]
Review:
FrictionStirWeldingMagnesiumAZ31
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Content
Introduction
FSWofMagnesium
AZ31MagnesiumAlloy
MaterialPropertiesafterFSW
ProcessParameters
ProcessTemperature
Defects
FailureMode
DissimilarWelds
References
AZ31,355rpm160mm/min.
[johnson]
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Joining of magnesium alloys by conventional techniques is very difficult due to
theseveralproblemssuchas,cracking,expulsionandvoidintheweldZone[1],a
large heat affected zone (HAZ), porosity, evaporative loss of the alloying
elementsandhighresidualstresses[2]
FSW is capable of joining magnesium alloy without melting* it and thus can
eliminateproblemsrelatedtothesolidification
FSWofMagnesium
*)Thepossibilityoflocalmeltingisbeingdiscussed
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AZ31
[Carter]
0.2

Mn [wt%]
Bal. 1 3 AZ31B
Bal. 1 3 AZ31
Mg Zn[wt%] Al[wt%] Alloy
ThecommercialAZ31Bsheetmaterialisusedinmostinvestigations.Nominal
compositionsgivenbelow:
Examplesforapplicationsof
hotblowformedAZ31Bsheet
material.Itisinthe
automotiveindustrydueto
thehighweightsaving
potential
[Carter]
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AZ31
Example:basematerialmicrostructureofthemagnesiumwroughtalloyAZ31B
[Noster]
rollingdirection
t
h
i
c
k
n
e
s
s

d
i
r
e
c
t
i
o
n
Grainsize:
inhomogeneous
Mean:11m
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MaterialProperties after FSW
grainsize
PropertiesofFrictionStirWeldedAZ31Magnesiumalloyarereportedcontroversiallyin
literature.Afrinet.al.[1]havecompiledresultsofvariousauthorsstatingthatthegrain
sizeofFrictionStirweldedAZ31caneitherbeobservedtogrow [9]ortoshrink[8]as
comparedtothebasematerial.
[commin]
13mm
shoulder
10mm
shoulder
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MaterialProperties after FSW
microhardness
Themicrohardnessisreportedtoincreasebysome[8]andtodecreasebyothers[10].Theeffectof
FSWparametersonthematerialisalsodiscussedcontroversially.
[Wang]
[Satoshi]
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MaterialProperties after FSW
tensile strength
Weld 4.0 201 124 AZ31,FSW
Weld 3.5 201 127 AZ31,FSW
10.0 292 205 AZ31,parent
6.5 288 219 AZ31,parent
15 290 220 AZ31H24,typical
12 255 200 AZ31,typical
Fracturelocation Elongation[%] UltimateStress[MPa] ProofStress[MPa] Sample
Johnsonet.al.[4]reporttensilepropertiesofAZ31FSWweldsascomparedtothebase
material
69% 79% 23% 61%
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MaterialProperties after FSW
tensile strength
base
material
weld
[satoshi]
[Wang]
SomeAuthors[11]reportadecreaseoftensile
strengthoftheweldwithincreasingwelding
speedwhileothers[12]findnosucheffect.
Evenincreasingtensilestrengthwithincreasing
weldingspeedhasbeenreported[8,13]
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MaterialPropertiesafterFSW
parametersensitivity
The diversity of these results suggests a strong dependency of the
materialpropertiesonthewholeweldingsetup.
Global statements do not seem to be readily available. This is in
good agreement with the statements of Mishra et. al. [6] in the
magnesiumrelatedpartoftheirreviewonFSWandFSpW.
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ProcessParameters
Johnson et. al. [4] state that the processing parameters of
magnesium using FSW are found to be lower than those known for
aluminium. This is attributed to the close packed hexagonal
structureofthemagnesiumwithitslimitedslipsystems.
Additionallystickingofmaterialtothetool(coatedanduncoated)is
reportedtocausedefectsontheweldsurface.
fcc
(Aluminium)
hdp
(Magnesium)
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ProcessParameters
processwindow
Aprocesswindowhasbeensuggestedfor2mm thickplatesbyCommin et.al.[2].
WeldingspeedsV above200mm/min androtationalspeedsW of
areneededtoachievesoundwelds.Thequalityoftheseweldsis improvedwith
increasingload,weldingspeedandrotationalspeed.
mm
min
rpm 4000
V
W
2
2
>
Rotationalspeedsof250to2500rpm andwelding
speedsof60to450mm/min arereportedin
literature[6]
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ProcessTemperature
Measurements
[commin]
TemperatureMeasurementsandanalyticalfitsareavailable
formanyprocessparameters.
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ProcessTemperature
Modeling
Therelationshipbetweenprocessparameters(V=weldingspeedandW=rotationalspeed)
andthenuggettemperatureThasbeenreportedbyCommin et.al.[2].Amodel
developedbyAbregast et.al.[14]wasusedtofind:
WiththeempiricalconstantsK=0.8052andalpha=0.0442.Tmisthealloymeltingpoint
assumedat610C[15].
o
|
|
.
|

\
|

=
4
2
10 V
W
K
T
T
m
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Defects
[zhang]
Thedefectsinaweldatdifferentweldingspeeds.Thewhitearrowisdirectedto
theweldinglineatthebottomoftheweld.
40mm/min
200mm/min
250mm/min
600mm/min
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DefectModel
Zhanget.al.[7]haveproposedananalyticalmodelbasedontheweldingpressure
topredictdefectfreewelds:
WhentheweldingpressurePandtherotationalspeedv
r
arekeptataconstant
value,theweldingspeedv
w
mustbelessthanamaterialspecificvalue toavoid
theformationofpores.
Whentheweldingspeediskeptconstant,theweldingpressureandtherotational
speedmustlargerthenaspecificvalue.
o o
! !
> >
rate
w
r
r P
v
v
P
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FailureMode
Afrin et. al. [1] report that the majority of the welded tensile specimens fracture in the boundary
regionbetweenthestirzoneandtheTMAZ.Thefailuremodeis45 shearfracture.Thisisexplained
by the grain growth and the presence of oxides on the fracture surface. Both dimple and cleavage
like fracture are reported. This is in good agreement with results from Sunggon et. al. [5] which
additionallyreportthefracturetooccurpredominantlyontheadvancingside oftheweld.
[afrin]
[sunggon]
basematerial
FrictionStir
Welded
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FailureMode
[commin]
Typicalfractography offrictionstirweldsfailure(1000rpm,200mm/min)
oxides
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DissimilarWelds
When welding AZ31 to other magnesium alloys Johnson et. al. [4] found that it has a positive
influencetoplacetheAZ31ontheretreatingsideoftheweld.
Dissimilar welds of AZ31 to AA6040 aluminium alloy have been reported by Satoshi et. al. [10] and
recentlybyKostka et.al.[3].TheAZ31isplaceontheretreatingsideoftheweldhereaswell.
AZ31
AZ31 MgAlloy
AlAlloy
ASRS
ASRS
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DissimilarWelds
[kostka]
Figure2. Secondaryelectron
micrographoftheAA6040Alalloyand
AZ31Mgalloyinterface:(a)AZ31Mg
alloyinclusionincorporatedinthe
AA6040Alalloyandsurrounding
intermetallic phaseformationand(b)
moredetailedviewoftheintermetallic
compoundformed.
Figure1. Montageofbackscattered
electronmicrographsofthe
crosssection (shoulderflowarm)of
thefrictionstirzone(Advancingside
ofthetoolisontherightinthe
AZ31alloy).
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DissimilarWelds
Itissuggestedthattheintermetallic phasefoundatthejoininginterfaceare
formedinaverycomplexprocesswhereinthedominantmechanismhasnot
yetbeenrevealed.
[kostka]
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References
[1] N.Afrin,D.L.Chen,X.Cao,M.Jahazi,MaterialsScienceandEngineeringA472(2008)179186
[2] L.Commin,M.Dumont,J.E.Masse,L.Barrallier,Acta Materialia 57(2009)326334
[3] A.Kostka,R.S.Coelho,J.dosSantosandA.R.Pyzalla,ScriptaMaterialia60(2009)953956
[4] R.Johnson,P.Threadgill,MagnesiumTechnology2003EditedbyHowardI.KaplanTMS(TheMinerals,Metals&Materials
Society),2003
[5] L.Sunggon,K.Sangshik,L.Changgil,Y.ChangDong,andK.SungJoon,MetallurgicalAndMaterialsTransactionsA36A,(2005),
pp.16091612.
[6] R.S.Mishra,Z.Y.Ma,Mater.Sci.Eng.R50(2005)178.
[7] H.Zhang,S.B.Lin,L.Wu,J.C.Feng,Sh.L.Ma,MaterialsandDesign27(2006)805809
[8] X.H.Wang,K.S.Wang,Mater.Sci.Eng.A431(2006)114117.
[9] W.B.Lee,Y.M.Yeon,S.B.Jung,Mater.Sci.Technol.19(2003)785790.
[10] H.Satoshi,O.Kazutaka,D.Masayuki,O.Hisanori,I.Masahisa,A.Yasuhisa,Q.J.Jpn.Weld.Soc.21(2003)539545.
[11] W.B.Lee,Y.M.Yeon,S.K.Kim,Y.J.KimandS.B.JungIn:H.I.Kaplan,Editor,MagnesiumTechnology2002,TMS(2002),pp.
309312.
[12] S.Lim,S.Kim,C.G.Lee,C.D.Yim andS.J.Kim,Metall.Mater.Trans.A36(2005),pp.16091612.
[13] M.Pareek,A.Polar,F.Rumiche andJ.E.Indacochea,ProceedingsoftheSeventhInternationalConferenceonTrendsin
WeldingResearchPineMountain,GA,UnitedStates,May1620,2005,ASMInternational(2006),pp.421426.
[14] W.J.Arbegast,P.J.Hartley,in:ProceedingsoftheFifthInternationalConferenceofTrendsinWeldingResearch,Pine
Mountain,GA,June15,1998,p.541.
[15] magnesiumelektron.com
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