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Friction stir welding of thermoplastics with a new heat-assisted tool design: mechanical properties and microstructure

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Abstract

Traditional tools in friction stir welding (FSW) of thermoplastics fail to achieve high quality and strong welds. In this paper, a new heat-assisted stationary shoulder FSW tool design, which provides constant tool temperature during the process using a controllable hot air gun, is introduced. Effect of the process parameters, including tool temperature, rotational speed, and traverse speed, on the microstructure and mechanical properties of polypropylene sheets was investigated using Taguchi method and analysis of variance. Welded joints showed tensile strength up to 96% and elongation at break up to 99% of the base material. Samples with high mechanical performance showed a wider stir zone within thin flow layers, which arranged in a regular pattern, under polarized microscopy. Differential scanning calorimetry demonstrated that higher tool temperature results in lower degree of crystallinity. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the sample with high mechanical properties has a craze-free fracture surface. However, the sample with the lowest mechanical properties produced a corrugated fracture surface full of crazes.

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Abbreviations

PP:

Polypropylene

FSW:

Friction stir welding

HDPE:

High-density polyethylene

ABS:

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene

RPM:

Rotation per minute

DoE:

Design of experiment

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

DSC:

Differential scanning calorimetry

SEM:

Scanning electron microscope

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, 15875-4413, Iran

    Ali Moochani & Hamid Omidvar

  2. Department of Polymer and Color Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, 15875-4413, Iran

    Seyed Reza Ghaffarian

  3. Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Centre for Materials and Coastal Research, Institute of Materials Research, Materials Mechanics, Solid State Joining Processes, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502, Geesthacht, Germany

    Seyed Mohammad Goushegir

Authors
  1. Ali Moochani
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  2. Hamid Omidvar
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  3. Seyed Reza Ghaffarian
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  4. Seyed Mohammad Goushegir
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Correspondence to Hamid Omidvar.

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Recommended for publication by Commission XVI - Polymer Joining and Adhesive Technology

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Moochani, A., Omidvar, H., Ghaffarian, S.R. et al. Friction stir welding of thermoplastics with a new heat-assisted tool design: mechanical properties and microstructure. Weld World 63, 181–190 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-018-00677-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-018-00677-x

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