Friction stir welding, a comparatively new joining technique, is mainly used for welding aluminum alloys. In the present work, an attempt has been made to study the effect of weld parameters of friction stir welding of marine grade 5083 aluminum alloy. Several test runs were conducted to assess the effects of tool rotating speed and tool traverse speed on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the welded joint. It was observed that the tool traverse speed has a significant effect on the end properties of the welded joint. Grain refinement was observed in the thermomechanically affected zone (TMAZ), which led to improved mechanical properties of the welded joint. However, an increase in welding speed keeping rotational speed constant led to deterioration of mechanical properties. The study strongly indicates a possibility of achieving a superior welded joint in marine grade 5083 aluminum alloy with adequate selection of process parameters.

Keywords:
rotational speed, aluminum alloy, TMAZ, traverse speed, metals & mining, proceedings, FSW, Friction Stir Welding, grain size, alloy
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2009. The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers
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