Magnesium alloys are a popular research topic for structural applications because they have a lower density than conventional structural materials, including steel, titanium, and aluminum; however, the reliability and safety of their mechanical properties must be further proven. An important mechanical property for this purpose is fracture toughness, which is the measure of the material's resistance to crack propagation. In this study, a model of an experiment to investigate the fracture toughness of a magnesium alloy WE43 before and after friction stir processing (FSP) is developed, and the results are compared to those produced by a digital image correlation (DIC) system during an experiment from another paper. The model results of the material before FSP matched well with the DIC results, but the model of the material after FSP only partially matches the DIC results. In addition, a theoretical approach to calculating the standard fracture toughness value, KIc, from the modeling results is proposed, and is found to be a conservative approach.

This thesis investigates using friction stir welding to repair common surface defects found in aluminum-silicon sand castings. Wherein, the effect of welding parameters: weld RPM, weld speed, and number of weld passes, were evaluated using hardness, porosity density, welding temperature, microstructure refinement as metrics. Therefrom, the results strongly suggest friction stir welding: reduces porosity size, reduces porosity density in a specific area, increases average hardness, improves hardness uniformity, increases surface roughness, redistributes microstructure features in a manner that theoretically improves strength, and maintains a welding temperature less than 660 degrees Celsius.

This research demonstrates the use of friction stir welding (FSW) to join dissimilar (Al-Mg) metal alloys. The main challenges in joining different, dissimilar metal alloys is the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds (IMCs) in the stir zone affecting mechanical properties of joint significantly. In this present study, FSW joining process is used to join aluminum alloy AA2139 and magnesium alloy WE43. The 9.5 mm thick plates of AA2139 and WE43 were friction stir butt welded. Different processing parameters were used to optimize processing parameters. Also, various weldings showed a crack at interface due to formation of IMCs caused by liquation during FSW. A good strength sound weld was obtained using processing parameter of 1200 rev/min rotational speed; 76.2 mm/min traverse speed; 1.5 degree tilt and 0.13 mm offsets towards aluminum. The crack faded away as the tool was offset towards advancing side aluminum. Mostly, the research was focused on developing high strength joint through microstructural control to reduce IMCs thickness in Al-Mg dissimilar weld joint with optimized processing parameter and appropriate tool offset.

Master's thesis deals with consideration possibility of conventional and unconvetional welding methods of wrought magnesium alloys. Methods of Friction Stir Welding, Pulsed Nd:YAG laser and Continuous Fiber laser was used to join magnesium alloy sheets AZ31, AZ61, ZE10 and ZE41. For studying influence of processing parameters on microstructure and mechanical properties were used methods of light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, tensile tests and microhardness measurements. The results of tensile tests show that from the point of view of keeping ultimate tensile strength is the best methods for welding magnesium alloys Friction Stir Welding. Compared with Nd:YAG laser, fiber laser give better properties of welds. From comparing microstructure and mechanical properties . It wasn't found publications about Friction Stir Welding of magnesium ZE alloys or about FSW sheets with thickness only 0,8 mm and 1,6 mm.

The penchant towards development of high performance materials for light weighting engineering systems through various thermomechanical processing routes has been soaring vigorously. Friction stir processing (FSP) - a relatively new thermomechanical processing route had shown an excellent promise towards microstructural modification in many Al and Mg alloy systems. Nevertheless, the expansion of this process to high temperature materials like titanium alloys and steels is restricted by the limited availability of tool materials. Despite it challenges, the current thesis sets a tone for the usage of FSP to tailor the mechanical properties in titanium alloys and steels. FSP was carried out on three near beta titanium alloys, namely Ti6246, Ti185 and Tiβc with increasing β stability index, using various tool rotation rates and at a constant tool traverse speed. Microstructure and mechanical property relationship was studied using experimental techniques such as SEM, TEM, mini tensile testing and synchrotron x-ray diffraction. Two step aging on Ti6246 had resulted in an UTS of 2.2GPa and a specific strength around 500 MPa m3/mg, which is about 40% greater than any commercially available metallic material. Similarly, FSP on an ultra-high strength steel―Eglin steel had resulted in a strength greater than 2GPa with a ductility close to 10% at around 4mm from the top surface of stir zone (SZ). Experimental techniques such as microhardness, mini-tensile testing and SEM were used to correlate the microstructure and properties observed inside SZ and HAZ's of the processed region. A 3D temperature modeling was used to predict the peak temperature and cooling rates during FSP. The exceptional strength ductility combinations inside the SZ is believed to be because of mixed microstructure comprised of various volume fractions of phases such as martensite, bainite and retained austenite.

With the desire to lighten the frame while keeping or increasing the strength, Advanced High-Strength Steels (AHSS) have been developed for use in the automotive industry. AHSS meet many vehicle functional requirements because of their excellent strength and acceptable ductility. But joining AHSS is a challenge, because weldability is lower than that of mild steels. Friction stir spot welding (FSSW) is a solid state joining process that can provide a solution to the weldability issues in AHSS, but FSSW has not been studied in great detail for this application. In this work, Si3N4 tools were used for FSSW experiments on DP 980 steel with 1.2mm thickness. Joint strength was measured by lap shear tension testing, while thermocouples were used for the temperature measurements. A finite element model was developed in order to predict material flow and temperatures associated with FSSW. Since a 3D model of the process is very time consuming, a novel 2D model was developed for this study. An updated Lagrangian scheme was employed to predict the flow of sheet material, subjected to the boundary conditions of the fixed backing plate and descending rotating tool. Heat generation by friction was computed by including the rotational velocity component from the tool in the thermal boundary conditions. Material flow was calculated from a velocity field while an isotropic, viscoplastic Norton-Hoff law was used to compute the material flow stress as a function of temperature, strain and strain rate. Shear stress at the tool/sheet interface was computed using the viscoplastic friction law. The model predicted welding temperatures to within 4% of the experiments. The welding loads were significantly over predicted. Comparison with a 3D model of FSSW showed that frictional heating and the proportion of total heat generated by friction were similar. The position of the joint interface was reasonably well predicted compared to experiment.

The effects of weld temperature, travel speed, and backing plate thermal diffusivity on themechanical properties of a weld have been studied. A face centered cubic experiment of designwas completed in which the response variables were yield strength, minimum hardness in the HAZ, and charpy impact toughness. Three models were created from the data gathered usinga stepwise regression in order to see the effects of each parameter. For the yield strength andminimum hardness it was found that only travel speed and backing plate thermal diffusivities werestatistically significant to the properties. The charpy impact toughness saw that all three parameterswere statistically significant to its value. In all three models the travel speed had the greatest affecton the material properties.

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is an emerging joining technology in which basic process understanding is still inadequate. Knowledge of FSW parameter relationships is needed to better understand the process and implement proper machine control. This study utilized a 3-factor, 3-level factorial design of experiments to investigate relationships between key process inputs and measured output parameters. All experiments utilized 7075-T7 aluminum and a threaded pin tool with a 25.4 mm shoulder diameter, 4.76 mm pin length, and 7.9 mm pin diameter. Spindle speed, feed rate, and tool depth were varied throughout 54 welds while X, Y, and Z forces, X torque, three tool temperatures, and motor power were measured. Empirical models were developed to relate outputs to inputs. The relationships between inputs and outputs are nonlinear and require, at a minimum, a quadratic equation to reasonably model them. These models were further analyzed to explore possible control schemes. Tool depth was found to be the most fundamental means of controlling weld forces and tool temperatures. This research describes the input/output relationships enumerated above for FSW as well as a discussion of possible control schemes.

The heat input to the tool has been investigated for friction stir welding (FSW) of aluminum alloy AL 7075-T7351 over a wide range of process operating parameters using a combined experimental/numerical approach. In a statistical Design of Experiments fashion, 54 experimental welds (bead-on-plate) were performed at 27 different parameter combinations. Measured outputs during each of the welds included forces in all three coordinate directions and internal temperature of the rotating tool at three locations near the tool/workpiece interface. The heat input to the tool was also identified for each weld using infrared imaging temperature measurement techniques and the portion of the total mechanical power entering the tool was calculated. These values were subsequently analyzed to identify the effect of process operating parameters. Two-dimensional, axisymmetric numerical heat conduction models of the tool were then produced and the approximate spatial distribution of the heat input to the tool along the tool/workpiece interface was identified. Experimental values for the heat input to the tool ranged from 155 W to 200 W, comprising 2.8% to 5.1% of the total mechanical power. Regression equations developed for the two values show that each is a function of the process operating parameters. Heat conduction models of the tool show that the approximate spatial distribution of the heat input to the tool along the tool/workpiece interface is one where the heat input is distributed non-uniformly along the interface, with 1% entering the tool at the pin, 20% entering at the base of the pin, and the remainder entering the flat portion of the shoulder. This distribution was valid for the majority of process operating parameter combinations tested. The maximum predicted temperature for the simulations occurred in the pin. This result was verified by the experimental tool temperature measurements. Insights gained into the FSW process from the combined experimental/numerical investigation were then discussed.

In order to develop a better understanding of the property, microstructure evolution and thermal history of FSW Inconel 718's, the strain, strain rate and thermal cycles need to be determined. In order to estimate the strain field of a deformed body, a displacement function needs to be determined. A 3D deformation model was developed to determine the displacement coefficients. A rectangular box created in this model deforms following a linear displacement function. Three orthogonal planes cut this deformed box, which leads to three deformed planes. The shape parameters (L, H, θ¹ and θ²) on the three orthogonal planes can be expressed as the functions of displacement coefficients. Although the displacement coefficients can not be expressed in the forms of the shape parameters symbolically, a numerical solution can be found using numerical optimization methods. The shape parameters were obtained by assuming the displacement coefficients (three cases). Then, the numerical optimization was carried out to determine the displacement coefficients. The solved displacement coefficients are the same as the assumed ones, which shows that this inverse problem can be solved, and this model is robust to determine the displacement function numerically. This model was used to estimate the strain and strain rate at the boundary of the nugget zone of Friction Stir Welding (FSW) Inconel 718. A numerical/experimental methodology was developed to estimate the thermal history in the stir zone of FSW Inconel 718.The thermocouple experiment was conducted to measure the thermal cycles in Heat Affected Zone (HAZ). Using the measured temperature in HAZ and a numerical model, the peak temperature (1039 ºC) and cooling rate (58.18 ºC/s) were determined. The microstructure in different regions was characterized and co-related with the thermal cycles. In order to understand the microstructure evolution in the stir zone, the strain rate (12.612 s-1) was estimated using the mathematical model as mentioned above. According to the estimated thermal history and strain rate, the assumption that the dynamic recrystallizaiton occurred during FSW was made. The grain size in the nugget zone affects the hardness. The relationship among the microstructure, mechanical properties, and thermal cycles was discussed.