Thermal diffusivity modeling for aluminum AA6060 plates during friction stir welding
Mohamed Serier, Raad Jamal Jassim, Raheem Al‐Sabur, Arshad Noor Siddiquee
Abstract
In the last three decades, a significant turning point occurred in the history of welding technology through friction stir welding (FSW) technology. As a solid-state welding, FSW successfully welded similar metals and extended them to include welding of dissimilar materials, composites, and polymers. Heat diffusivity affects the weld heat generated and, thus, the heat-affected zone's nature and the weld joint's efficiency. In this article, the thermal diffusivity of AA6060-T5 aluminum alloy welded was modelled by FSW, and experimental results verified the results. The study proved that thermal diffusivity is an essential factor in the performance of this type of alloy during FSW. The weld zone's thermal conductivity and density decrease slightly with increasing temperature. Furthermore, to obtain a good weld joint, the thermal diffusivity must be reduced, which is done by keeping the melting temperature of the metal in the HAZ zone. Furthermore, The temperature of the A 6060-T5 aluminum just below the FSW tool shoulder can approach its melting temperature when a forging force of 5 KN is applied.