Towards qualification of friction stir welding to AA5083-O and AA5052-O aluminum alloys

Abstract

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is an excellent alternative for joining dissimilar and similar materials in comparison to conventional welding processes. In this sense, this work aims at qualifying FSW to similar AA5083-O and AA5052-O aluminum alloys, with 6.35 mm thickness, in a CNC machining center. Therefore, four welding experiments were undertaken. At first, two types of plate surface finish were considered before joining. Afterward, two tool probe geometries, and changes in the base material position were evaluated. Hence, the welds were mainly analyzed by metallography, tensile testing, and bending tests. Results showed that the machining step to oxides removal and plates alignment is beneficial for the weld processing and the factor that has significant influence to achieve suitable joints is the tool probe geometry. Finally, by obtaining an average ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of around 191 MPa, enhanced microhardness, and bent angle of approximately 150°, the best joint was chosen.