Effect of Interfacial Microstructure Evolution on Mechanical Properties and Fracture Behavior of Friction Stir-Welded Al-Cu Joints

Abstract

The interfacial microstructure evolution of Al-Cu joints during friction stir welding and post-welding annealing and its influence on the tensile strength and the fracture behavior were investigated in detail. An obvious interface including three sub-layers of α-Al, Al2Cu, and Al4Cu9 intermetallic compound (IMC) layers is generated in the as-FSW joint. With the development of annealing process, the α-Al layer disappeared and a new IMC layer of AlCu formed between initial two IMC layers of Al2Cu and Al4Cu9. The growth rate of IMC layers was diffusion controlled before the formation of Kirkendall voids, with activation energy of 117 kJ/mol. When the total thickness of IMC layers was less than the critical value of 2.5 μm, the FSW joints fractured at the heat-affected zone of Al side with a high ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of ~100 MPa. When the thickness of IMC layers exceeded 2.5 μm, the joints fractured at the interface. For relatively thin IMC layer, the joints exhibited a slightly decreased UTS of ~90 MPa and an inter-granular fracture mode with crack propagating mainly between the Al2Cu and AlCu IMC layers. However, when the IMC layer was very thick, crack propagated in the whole IMC layers and the fracture exhibited trans-granular mode with a greatly decreased UTS of 50-60 MPa.