Microstructural Analysis and Mechanical Behaviour of Copper CDA 101/AISI-SAE 1010 Dissimilar Metal Welds Processed by Friction Stir Welding

In this work, low-carbon steel AISI-SAE grade 1010 with copper grade CDA 101 was joined by friction stir welding (FSW) using a tapered pin profiled tool. The rotational speed of the tool is 900 rpm, a traverse rate of 30 mm/min, and an axial force of 5 kN were used to produce the joints. The microstructural analysis and mechanical properties of the weld joints have been successfully examined. The optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were performed to examine the macropatterns and micropatterns of the welded joints. The tensile and hardness test was performed to evaluate the mechanical behaviours of the FSW joints. The fine ferrite grain features with uniform size were obtained in the microstructure of the nugget zone (stir zone). It is purely influenced by the alternating dynamic rearrangement (recrystallization) mechanism. High hardness was identified in the stir zone, even as the slightest stability was established in the heat-affected zone. The tensile investigation proposed that all the joints explored just lesser unbending nature than the parent material. The tensile strength of 181.5 MPa, the hardness of 144 VHN, and elongation of 14.03% were observed for the welded samples. The better properties for the weld joints were attained at 900 rpm spindle speed and tool traverse speed of 30 mm/min. The FSW is an attractive material joining process for both similar and dissimilar materials compared to other conventional types of joining processes, such as aerospace, marine engineering, shipbuilding, and industrial sector applications.

Keywords:
Copper; low-carbon steel; friction stir welding; mechanical properties; microstructure