Effect of Pin Profile on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Friction Stir Welded AZ31B Magnesium Alloy

Abstract

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid state welding technique which was developed primarily for joining soft metal alloys. The aim of the present work was to develop a defect free friction stir joint of magnesium AZ31B sheets and to investigate the microstructural and mechanical properties of the weld. Two types of tool pins namely cylindrical and truncated conical pin profiled tools have been used to analyze its effect on the weld quality. Mechanical properties of different zones were determined by Vickers hardness test and Impact energy absorption test. Microstructure of the welded specimens was analyzed and mean grain size and grain number were measured.