Mechanical Properties and Micro Structural Characterization of Friction Stir

Welding applied to Marine Steels and Comparing

It with Conventional TIG Welding.
Abstract
With the impending development of FSW tools for steel with useful lifetimes,
attention has turned to the mechanical properties of the welds that can be made in a range
of industrially significant steels. Comparative study will be undertaken to examine the
use of friction stir welding on shipbuilding steels. This study will help us to make an
assessment of the distortion induced in fabricating plates by the FSW welding technique
and will provides initial comparative data on weld tensile strength, toughness and fatigue
life of Friction Stir Welding to Tungsten Inert Gas welding.

Friction-stir welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining process (the metal is not

melted) that uses a third body tool to join two facing surfaces. Heat is generated between
the tool and material which leads to a very soft region near the FSW tool. It then
mechanically intermixes the two pieces of metal at the place of the joint, then the
softened metal (due to the elevated temperature) can be joined using mechanical pressure
(which is applied by the tool), much like joining clay, or dough. It is primarily used
on aluminum and most often on extruded aluminum (non-heat treatable alloys), and on
structures which need superior weld strength without a post weld heat treatment.
A constantly rotated non consumable cylindrical-shouldered tool with a profiled
probe is transversely fed at a constant rate into a butt joint between two clamped pieces of
butted material. The probe is slightly shorter than the weld depth required, with the tool
shoulder riding atop the work surface.

Friction stir welding is recognized as the process brings benefits in terms of weld
integrity, durability, fatigue life and reduced cost when compared with tungsten inert gas
welding techniques. Until recently, the transfer of this capability into the steel sector was
stalled by the relatively poor performance and high cost of the tools required. This
situation is now changing, with PCBN tools becoming available those are capable of
producing industrially useful lengths of welds in steel. Friction stir welding (FSW) is
therefore a joining technique of interest to Shipbuilders who are attempting to identify
low distortion joining methods that will allow cost-effective fabrication of steel sheets.
Using conventional arc welding methods such as Tungsten Inert Gas Welding (TIG)
causes significant amount of distortion that relate to increased costs associated with fit
up, fabrication and installation. However any adopted welding technique must also
produce joints with at least comparable tensile, fatigue and impact performance.
Tools must be tough and both stronger and harder than the materials being
welded so that they have the ability to remain intact even in the rigorous service
environment they are subjected to. They also must be chemically inert and immiscible to
their service environment to prevent chemical wear in the tool and contamination of the
weld. It is important to mention that tool failure does not mean that the tool must be worn
down to the nub or shattered, it simply means that the tool can no longer create
acceptable welds. Tool materials are growing ever more advanced to combat these issues,
but a new concern arises with cost.
Ceramic tools are known for their superior hardness and subsequent resistance to
abrasive wear, but are also known for their susceptibility to brittle shattering under high
loads or impacts. A common, and probably the best, ceramic tool used in HSHT materials
is polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN). PCBN is second in hardness only to
diamond, making it ideal for the abrasive service environment encountered in FSW.
Subsequent steps will be carried out and comparison will be made based on the
data such as tensile strength, toughness and fatigue life of work piece material welded
using both the above mentioned processes.