Effect of D/T P ratio on stir zone characteristics of friction stir-welded high-strength low-alloy steel plates

Abstract

In this study, the effect of tool shoulder diameter (D) to the plate thickness (T_p) ratio on tensile and impact toughness properties of friction stir-welded naval grade high-strength low-alloy steel was investigated. A naval grade high-strength low-alloy steel of 5 mm thick plates was welded with tool rotational speed of 600 r/min and welding speed of 30 mm/min using tungsten-based alloy tools having D/T_p ratio varying from 4 to 6. Microstructural characteristics of the weld joints were analyzed using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy along with the evaluation of tensile properties. From this investigation, it was found that the joint fabricated using a D/T_p ratio of 5 (25 mm shoulder diameter) exhibited superior mechanical properties compared to other joints.

Keywords

High-strength low-alloy steel friction stir welding tool profile tensile properties impact toughness microstructure

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