Heat-Affected Zone Liquation Cracking Resistance of Friction Stir Processed Aluminum-Copper Alloy AA 2219

In the current work, the effect of friction stir processing on heat-affected zone (HAZ) liquation cracking resistance of aluminum-copper alloy AA 2219 was evaluated. In Gleeble hot-ductility tests and longitudinal Varestraint tests, the FSPed material, despite its very fine dynamically recrystallized equiaxed grain structure, showed considerably higher susceptibility to HAZ liquation cracking when compared to the base material. Detailed microstructural studies showed that the increased cracking susceptibility of the FSPed material is due to (i) increase in the amount of liquating θ phase (equilibrium Al₂Cu) and (ii) increase in the population of grain boundary θ particles. An important learning from the current work is that, in certain materials like alloy 2219, the use of FSP as a pretreatment to fusion welding can be counterproductive.