Effects of Rotation Rates on Microstructure, Mechanical Properties, and Fracture Behavior of Friction Stir-Welded (FSW) AZ31 Magnesium Alloy

Three rotation rates were selected for friction stir welded (FSW) rolled AZ31 plates, at a constant welding speed of 100 mm/minutes. As the rotation rate was increased from 800 and 2000 to 3500 rpm, the nugget shape varied from a basin- or ellipse-shaped homogeneous structure to a two-layer structure. The grain characteristic was similar in the nugget zones (NZs) at 800 and 2000 rpm, with the column-rotated basal plane. However, at 3500 rpm, the equiaxed fine grains and column-rotated basal plane were found in the lower zone of the two-layer structure, while elongated coarse grains and the basal plane with little inclination comparable to that in the parent material (PM) were detected in the upper zone. Tensile tests indicated that the fracture behaviors of the FSW AZ31 joints at 800 and 2000 rpm were similar with the weak zones being located at the NZ middle and along the boundary between the NZ and the thermo-mechanically affected zone, while contrasting fracture features were found at 3500 rpm. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the joints increased as the rotation rate increased, with the highest UTS being about 95 pct of the PM at 3500 rpm. The variations in the strength and fracture behavior of the joints with the rotation rate were accounted for by the variation in the texture.