Abstract
In almost every industry, polymer materials are in high demand in recent years due to their lightweight and easy formability. However, eco-friendly, cost-efficient and defect-free joining of polymers is a major concern. In this article, a novel approach is taken for friction stir welding of polypropylene by implementing a double-side welding technique. The effect of tool rotational speed on construction and properties of the welded joints are studied. The torque and forces exerted on the tool during double-side welding are compared with single-side welding. Cross-sectional morphology examination using optical and scanning electron microscope reveals defect-free sound welding by double-side weld with uniform material flow. The molecular bonds of the welded specimens are examined by FTIR analysis. The double-side welding technique yields superior joints in terms of tensile strength and flexural strength than the joints obtained by single-side welding.
Highlights
Nowadays, the application of lightweight materials is increasing gradually to meet the demand for reducing engineering product weight
6-mm polypropylene plates were joined by the friction stir welding (FSW) to study the influence of two different welding conditions such as single-side welding and doubleside welding on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the joints
& During the double-side friction stir welding of 6-mm polypropylene plates, the FSW tool encounters lower torque and forces than the single-side welding due to reduced amount of material interaction and uniform heating owing to short pin
Summary
The application of lightweight materials is increasing gradually to meet the demand for reducing engineering product weight. High specific strength, low manufacturing cost thermoplastic materials is gaining the attention of the manufacturing sector towards itself [1, 2]. In a wide pool of commercially available thermoplastics, polypropylene (PP) is one of the most lucrative choices in industrial application due to its very low cost, the high degree of processability and design freedom. One of the well-established techniques of thermoplastic joining is adhesive bonding. It requires joint preparation and surface cleaning and is problematic to handle and slow to cure. Later friction stir welding (FSW) was employed which provided better joint efficiency without emitting toxic gases [7].
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