In this research, Copper (Cu) donor material assisted friction stir welding (FSW) of AA6061-T6 alloy was studied. Cu assisted FSW joints of AA6061-T6 alloy were prepared at a constant tool rotational rate of 1400 rpm and various welding speeds at 1 mm/s and 3 mm/s. The Cu donor material of different thickness (i.e., 20%, 40%, and 60%) with respect to the workpiece thickness was selected to assist the FSW joining at the plunge stage. It is observed that the downward force generated in the FSW process was gradually decreased after introducing Cu donor material with incremental thicknesses with respect to workpiece at the plunge stage. Post-weld analysis was characterized in terms of microstructure, and mechanical properties. The results of microstructure analysis at the stir zone (SZ) show the formation of ner grains due to dynamic recrystallization and plastic deformation. Microhardness tests reveal that the hardness decreased from the base metal (BM) to the SZ across the heat affected zone (HAZ) and thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ). The lowest value of hardness appeared in the TMAZ and HAZ where tensile failure occurs. With increasing welding speed, the average hardness in the SZ decreased due to lower heat input and faster cooling rate. Tensile test plots show no signi cant change in ultimate tensile strength with or without Cu donor material. Fractography of tensile tested samples shows both ductile and brittle like structure for given welding parameters. This proposed work of FSW with Cu donor material is promising to increase tool life due to the decrement of the downforce during plunge and throughout the welding stage. Meanwhile, the inclusion of donor material did not compromise the weld quality in terms of the mechanical properties and micro-hardness.
What Is Your Main Contribution To The Field?The main contribution in this research is on the novel and solid experimental approaches to examine whether donor material can assist friction stir welding (FSW) processes. To investigate this research question, Copper (Cu) was adopted as the donor material to assist the FSW of Al 6061. Through comparing experiments with and without donor material inclusion in FSW, it was found that the donor material induces drastic decreasing in downward force during FSW processes, which will increases the lifetime of the FSW tools. Meanwhile, the post-weld analysis identi ed no signi cant change occurred in the mechanical properties and microstructure of the welded joints, which is desired for industrial applications. The implementation of the donor material is promising to increase the lifetime of the FSW tools without compromising the mechanical properties FSW joints. The proposed approach is also economical for industrial application due to its effective potential to enhance the life of friction stir tools.
What is novel? In theory, in experimental techniques, or a combination of both?This paper presents the novel experimental approach of introducing a Copper (Cu) donor material during the initial stage of friction sti...