Effect of overlapping technique on the grain size distribution and grain orientation in friction stir processed aluminum alloys

Abstract

Friction stir processing (FSP) with the overlapping method is the best approach for achieving bulk surface modification in metals and alloys. In the current study, a bulk-area processing region was created in aluminum alloys using FSP with pin overlapping. The grain size distribution and texture orientations have been examined using the electron backscattered diffraction technique. The findings revealed that the grain size distribution is uniform throughout the processed region, but the texture orientation is varied from one pass to other overlapping passes. Finally, it was identified from the results that the overlapping technique does not affect the grain size but affects the texture orientations and their intensities in each overlapping pass.