Numerical and experimental studies on friction stir welding of 6061-T6 AA with Al2O3 powder particle reinforcement

Abstract

The present study focuses on the joining of aluminium alloy (6061-T6) with Al2O3 powder particle by friction stir welding (FSW) technique. The Al2O3 nanoparticles are added to the aluminium matrix by making the slot on the abutting interface of each plate and filling the gap with nanoparticles and clamping the samples tightly. Nanoparticles were added to the aluminium matrix for refining the grain size in the nugget zone (NZ) and heat-affected zone (HAZ). The microstructure and mechanical properties of the welded samples with nanoparticles are elaborated in detail. Addition of Al2O3 nanoparticles with 6061-T6 AA refines the grain size, and remarkable improvement in the mechanical properties of the joint in comparison to the same welding parameter welded samples without nanoparticles. The welding was done with a rotational speed of 800 rpm and a transverse speed of 55 mm/min. A level set (volume fraction) method was used to elaborate the mixing of powder particles with aluminium matrix. Numerical analysis of heat generation and material flow of the aluminium-based nanocomposite FSW was studied.