International Journal of Advances in Science and Technology, Vol. 3, No.

6, 2011

Investigations on Friction Stir Weldments of AA6351-T4 Alloys Due to the Weld Direction
1
1

P.Moulali, 2Y.Suresh Babu

Assistant Professor, Dept.of Mechanical Engg, Santhiram Engineering College, Nandyal, Kurnool(Dt.), A.P. moulali_p3@yahoo.co.in,
2

Assistant Professor, Dept.of Mechanical Engg, RGMCET, Nandyal, Kurnool(Dt.), A.P. suresh_yem165@yahoo.co.in,

Abstract
The aim of this research is to study the behaviour of AA6351 T4 weldments obtained by Friction Stir Welding (FSW) process. The complex behaviour of the material after friction stir welding by forward and reverse welding methods was assessed by hardness and tensile tests. Substantial softening is found in forward welding and improved hardness is observed in reverse welding process at minimum rotational speed of the tool. Reverse welding shows superior tensile strength whereas a drop in strength efficiency is observed in forward welding. Graphs were also plotted for the weld cycle time and weld bead width against the rotational speed of the tool during forward and reverse welding.

Keywords: Friction Stir Welding, AA6351 T-4, Forward & Reverse Welding, Tensile Strength,
Hardness

1. Introduction
Fusion welding of aluminium alloys has several difficulties which reduce productivity and quality of the welded joints. These problems are the formation of porosity, usual in all aluminium alloys, the hot cracking tendency, typical of some alloys of the series 2000, 6000 and 7000, noticeable loss of strength in the weld metal and thermally affected zone and a significant distortion, which increases with increasing heat-input. Friction stir welding (FSW) is a solid state joining process developed recently which allows minimizing the problems mentioned above offering several advantages over conventional welding methods, including better mechanical properties, low residual stress and reduced occurrence of defects. In this process, a rotating tool consisting of a shoulder and a probe is plunged into the joint and traversed along the joint line to form a weld. A typical friction stir weld consists of a thermo-mechanically-affected zone which includes dynamically recrystallized zone and the extensively deformed but not recrystallized surrounding region, the heat affected zone and the unaffected base material. FSW was invented, developed and patented by the Welding Institute (TWI), Cambridge, UK in 1991. This method overcomes the difficulty like hot cracking, porosity or distortion which happens quite often in fusion welding. During welding, the material is frictionally heated to a temperature, at which it becomes more plastic. The heat of friction and the plastic flow arising from the rotating tool produce significant micro structural changes, which leads to a local variation in the mechanical properties of the weld. Very few researchers have reported about the influence of the direction of weld on the behaviour of the weldments mechanical properties joined by friction stir welding. The aim of this research is to study the effect of the weld direction on the mechanical properties of friction stir welded joints in the aluminium alloy AA 6351 T4.

Literature Review
Seongin Hong et. al have studied the fatigue crack propagation behavior of Friction stir welded Al-MgSi alloys. They have reported that the experimental investigation reveals that the fatigue crack grows in two ways. Firstly, the crack grows along the dynamically recrystallized zone and propagates perpendicular at a constant crack tip driving force. The results have been substantiated based on

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International Journal of Advances in Science and Technology, Vol. 3, No.6, 2011 residual stress measurement and fractographic observation [1]. A.K.Shukla and W.A.Baeslack observed the micro structural evolution in friction stir welded Al-Cu-Li alloy using transmission electron microscopy. This communication discusses micro structural evolution, dissolution and coarsening of precipitates relating to micro hardness profile of the weld. The hardness profile of the advancing side and the photo macrograph showing the TEM specimen locations are used to support the results obtained [2]. H.W.Zhang et.al studied the material flow in friction stir welding under different process parameters. The results indicate that the distribution of the equivalent plastic strain correlates well with the distribution of the microstructure zones in the weld. The work claims that the material flow can be accelerated with the increase of the translational velocity and the angular velocity of the pin in FSW tool. A swirl exists in the advancing side and the material flow in the swirl on the advancing side becomes faster with the increase of translational velocity [3]. Colligan, Li et.al and Gurra et.al studied the material flow in FSW which is useful for investigating the FSW mechanism. The nugget of the friction stir weld is composed of a series of half ellipsoid regions. Xu. Et. al developed a numerical model to capture the main thermo-mechanical features occurring in the FSW process for the further investigation of the mechanism in FSW. The microstructure of the friction stir erlded 7050-T651 was investigated by Su. Et. al. The metallurgical, hardness and quantative disperse X ray measurements were performed by Suttin et. al. to show a segregated, banded microstructure consisting of alternating hard particle rich and hard particle poor region in the friction stir weld. The super plastic behavior of the welded sections and one of the base metal were compared by Salem et. al. The feasibility of FSW for joining copper was demonstrated by Lee and Jung. C.A.W.Olea et. al experimentally investigated the sub structures of friction stir welded joints in AA6056 Al Alloy in T4 and T6 temper conditions. They investigated in terms of grain structure, dislocation density and second phase particles at the different zones of the welded joints. The results compared with the unaffected base material aims in understanding the metallurgical phenomena controlling the micro structural evolution associated with the friction stir weld process for temper condition. Major emphasis was placed on the evaluation of the second phase particles formation and evolution at weld zone [4]. L.Ceschini et.al identified the effect of friction stir welding on microstructure of the AA7005/10 vol. %Al2O3P composite. They observed the micro structural characterization evidenced a substantial grain refinement of aluminum alloy matrix due to dynamic recrystallization induced by plastic deformation and frictional heating during welding and a significant reduction of the particles sizes due to abrasive action of the tool, in the FSW zone. D.P.P. Booth et.al had a detailed microstructural study of the friction stir welding process used to join 13mm gauge 2024-T351 aluminium alloy plates together using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Electron Backscatter Diffraction (EBSD). DSC was used to explain the hardness results at a number of regions across the weld in terms of co-cluster dissolution and reformation and S phase formation, coarsening and dissolution. The onion rings structure found in the nugget weld was shown to be the result of a combination of the slight grain size variations and a change in nature and size of the particles present (i.e. intragranular versus intergranular). The variation in corrosion properties and hardness of the rings is discussed in terms of the local microstructure and quench sensitivities [5]. R.W.Fonda et.al has revealed, for the first time, the grain and texture development occurring around the tool in friction stir welding. They have shown how the shear deformation field and the thermal environment surrounding the tool contribute to the grain refinement process and texture development occurring ahead of the tool, and how those characteristics evolve as the material is swept around the tool. Understanding the fundamental mechanisms of micro structural evolution involved in FSW will provide a foundation for further advances in weld property predictions and process development, expanding the use of this important technique into a growing number of potential Naval and commercial applications [8].

Experimental setup and experimentation

The base material used for this investigation is AA 6351- T4 aluminum Alloy with the standard composition has been presented in Table.1 followed by the procured lab tested composition in Table.2. The raw material is cut into pieces with the size of 150 x 60 x 4 mm for processing. A vertical axis CNC milling machine is converted into a Friction Stir Welding (FSW) machine with an attachment of work holding fixture.

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Chemical composition:
Table.1 Standard chemical composition
Si Fe Cu Mn Mg Zn Ti Al

0.07- 1.3

0.5

0.1

0.4 - 0.8

0.4 -0.8

0.2

0.2

Remaining

Table.2 Experimental Chemical composition of the work piece

Si 0.93 Fe 0.36 Cu 0.10 Mn 0.57 Mg 0.55 Zn 0.134 Ti 0.0140 Al Remaining

Table.3 Mechanical Properties

Temperatur e Tensile strength (MPa) Yield strength (MPa) Elongatio n Hardnes s Shear Strength (MPa) Fatigue Strength (MPa)

Alloy

T4 635 1 T6

250 310

150 285

20 14

95

200

90

Table.4 Physical Properties

Density 2.70 g/cm3 Melting Point 555C Modulus of Elasticity 70 GPa Electrical Receptivity 0.038x10-6 .m Thermal Conductivity 172 W/m.K Thermal Expansion 46x10-6 /K

Table.5 Experimental Conditions W/ P No 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rotational Speed (rpm) 850 850 900 900 950 950 1000 1000 Feed (mm/min) 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 Welding Position Forward Welding Reverse Welding Forward Welding Reverse Welding Forward Welding Reverse Welding Forward Welding Reverse Welding

Machine Specifications Vertical Axes CNC 3 - Axes Machining Center, Model BME 45, Spindle Drive Servo Motor, Spindle Range 10 to 6000 rpm, Tool Holder ISO 40, Cutting Fluid N/A, Tool Material HSS (hardened), Movement 610 x 450 mm, Bed Size 800 x 500 mm. Experimental setup with FSW process in progress is shown in fig,7. The two work pieces to be welded, with square mating edges, are fixture (clamped) on a rigid back plate. The fixture prevents the work pieces from spreading apart or lifting during welding. The welding tool, consisting of a shank, shoulder and pin is then rotated to a prescribed speed and oriented normal with respect to the work piece. The tool is slowly plunged into the work piece material at the butt line, until the shoulder of the tool forcibly contacts the upper surface of the material and the pin is a short distance from the back plate. A downward force is applied to maintain the contact and a short dwell

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International Journal of Advances in Science and Technology, Vol. 3, No.6, 2011 time is observed to allow for the development of the thermal fields for preheating and softening the material along the joint line. At this point, a lateral force is applied in the direction of welding (travel direction) and the tool is forcibly traversed along the butt line, until it reaches the end of the weld. Upon reaching the end of the weld, the tool is withdrawn, while it is still being rotated. As the pin is withdrawn, it leaves a keyhole at the end of the weld. Friction stir welding was used to control local properties in structural metals including aluminum and other nonferrous and ferrous alloys. The pin may have a diameter one-third of the cylindrical tool and typically has a length slightly less than the thickness of the work piece. The pin is forced or plunged into the work piece until the shoulder contacts the surface of the work piece. As the tool descends further, its shoulder surface touches the top surface of the work piece and creates heat. As the temperature of the material under the tool shoulder elevates, the strength of the material decreases.

Results and Discussion Table.6 Brinells Hardness Test (Forward Welding)

W/P No 1 3 5 7 BHN (Parent Material) 110 100 107 109 BHN 50mm from reference end on weld zone 68.2 63.6 58.4 61.2 % of Parent material Strength 62 63.6 54.7 56.2 BHN 100mm from reference end on weld zone 61.2 47.3 51.9 56.3 % of Parent material Strength 55.6 47.3 48.5 51.6

Rotational Speed Vs Brinell's Hardness Number for Forward Welding

Brinells Hardness Number

120 100 80 60 40 20 0 850 900 950 1000 Rotational Speed (rpm) BHN, 50mm from reference point BHN, 100mm from reference point BHN, Parent Material

Fig. 1 Rotational Speed Vs BHN (Forward Welding) The Brinells Hardness number observed during friction stir welding of AA 6351 in forward welding processes are tabulated in Table.6. The hardness is tested in Brinells Hardness testing machine for every parent material as it is expected that hardness variation on the material surface is inherent and is influenced by the metallurgical parameters during solidification of the material. The hardness is also tested along the weld seam at two points from a reference point which is held common for all work pieces. The first test point A lies 50mm from the reference point and second test point B lies 100m from the reference point with a view that the pieces is equally divided into 3 parts. The results obtained during forward welding are plotted against the rotational speed of the spindle (FSW Tool). It is observed that the parent material shows variation in hardness even then the work pieces are cut from a same sheet. This hardness is compared with the weldment hardness along the seam of weld for different speed followed during performing the experiment. It is pragmatic that the weldment hardness in AA6351 varies from 47.3 to 63.6 percentage of the parent material. The maximum hardness of 63.6 percentage of the parent material has occurred in the minimum speed condition used.

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International Journal of Advances in Science and Technology, Vol. 3, No.6, 2011 Table.7 Brinells Hardness Test (Reverse Welding)
Work Piece Number 2 4 6 8 BHN (Parent Material) 87.7 103 107 115 BHN 50mm from reference end on weld zone 56.8 34.3 55.8 60.1 % of Parent material Strength 64.7 33.4 52.2 52.2 BHN 100mm from reference end on weld zone 64.2 55.3 56.8 61.8 % of Parent material Strength 73.2 53.6 53.2 53.8

Rotational Speed Vs Brinells Hardness Number for Reverse Welding

Brinells Hardness NUmber

140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 850 900 950 1000 Rotational Speed (rpm) BHN Parent Material BHN, 50mm from reference point BHN, 100mm from reference point

Fig. 2 Rotational Speed Vs BHN (Reverse Welding) The results obtained during reverse welding are tabulated in Table.7 and the BHN is plotted against the rotational speed of the spindle (FSW Tool). It is observed that the parent material shows variation in hardness even then the work pieces are cut from a same sheet. This hardness is compared with the weldment hardness along the seam of weld for different speed followed during performing the experiment. It is perceived that the weldment hardness in AA6351 varies from a minimum of 33.4 to a maximum of 73.2 percentage of the parent material. The maximum hardness of 73.2 percentage of the parent material has occurred in the minimum speed condition used as same as in the case of forward welding. This gives a strong indication that the hardness of friction stir weldments, both in forward and reverse welding processes seems to approach the hardness of the parent material at slow rotational speeds of the spindle with tool. The slow rotational speed indicates the speed which is just above the speed that requires creating the frictional heat for fusing the aluminum AA 6351 work pieces together to form a metallurgical bond after welding. Table.8 Tensile Test Observations
Work Piece Number Width X Thick Diameter of Test Bar (mm) Yield Load (KN) Forward Welding Tensile Strength (N/mm2)) Work Piece Number Reverse Welding Tensile Strength (N/mm2)

1 3 5 7

35 x 4 35 x 4 35 x 4 35 x 4

14.60 14.70 20.30 5.50

110 112 156 42

2 4 6 8

110 112 167 30

Rotational Speed Vs Breaking Load

25

Breaking Load (KN)

20 15 10 5 0 850 900 950 (rpm) 1000 Rotational Speed Forward Welding Reverse Welding

Fig. 3 Rotational Speed Vs Breaking Load (Forward and Reverse Welding)

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Rotational Speed Vs T ensile Strength

Tensile Strength (N/sq.mm)

180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 850 900 950 1000 Rotational Speed (rpm)

Forward Welding Reverse Welding

Fig. 4 Rotational Speed Vs Tensile Strength (Forward and Reverse Welding) Table.8 shows the observations made during the tensile test conducted on the AA6351 specimens in an Universal testing machine. The Tensile test is conducted on the AA 6351 friction stir weldments in a Universal Testing Machine as per ASTM standards to determine the breaking load and yield strength of the weldment. The obtained results are observed and analyzed by plotting graphs for the Breaking load Vs Rotational speed and Yield strength Vs Rotational speed of the FSW tool. The breaking load and yield strength follows the same nature as the maximum tensile strength is being observed for reverse welded specimens at 950 rpm. The tensile strength is found to be almost constant up to certain rotational speed, attains a peak increasing exponentially and starts decreasing drastically. Table.9 Weld Bead Width (Forward Welding & Reverse Welding) Weld Bead Width (mm) Forward Welding 6.5 6.8 7.4 8.0 Weld Bead Width (mm) Reverse Welding 6.8 7.2 8.1 8.5

Work Piece Number 1 3 5 7

Work Piece Number 2 4 6 8

Rotational Speed Vs W eld Bead Length

9

Weld Bead Length (mm)

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 850 900 950 1000 Rotational Speed (rpm) Forward Welding Reverse Welding

Fig. 5 Rotational Speed Vs Weld Bead Width (Forward and Reverse Welding) The weld bead width observed during friction stir welding of AA 6351 in forward and reverse welding processes are tabulated in Table.9 The width of the weld bead is measured after cleaning the weld and heat affected zone with diluted Nital solution for clear visual inspection using marking gauges, copper wire, steel rule and Vernier caliper. The observations made on the weld bead width, clearly indicates that with increase in rotational speed the weld bead width increases, makes no difference whether the method followed is forward or reverse welding. From this it is observed that the rotational speed of the tool makes the metal to a state of high velocity in the localized weld zone thereby the width of the fusion weld bead gets increased.

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International Journal of Advances in Science and Technology, Vol. 3, No.6, 2011 Table.10 Weld Cycle Time (Forward & Reverse Welding) Work Piece Number 1 3 5 7 Forward Welding Cycle Time (seconds) 11.03 11.07 11.07 11.16 Work Piece Number 2 4 6 8 Reverse Welding Cycle Time (seconds) 11.01 11.06 11.04 11.10

Rotational Speed Vs Welding cycle Time

Welding Cycle Time (sec)

11.2 11.15 11.1 11.05 11 10.95 10.9 850 900 950 1000 Rotational Speed (rpm) Forward Welding Reverse Welding

Fig. 6 Rotational Speed Vs Welding Cycle Time (Forward and Reverse Welding) The weld cycle time observed during friction stir welding of AA 6351 in forward and reverse welding processes are tabulated in Table.10 The cycle time taken to complete the weld seam of length 150mm is plotted against the rotational speed of the spindle. It is observed that with increase in rotational speed the cycle time taken to complete the weld seam length increases almost linearly for forward and reverse welding processes. This indicates that with increase in rotational speed the heat generated by friction for welding is more when compared to lower speeds, there by increasing the local fluid flow comparatively fast to form a metallurgical bond. Conclusions 1. The Brinells hardness number for the weldments along the seam was found to vary with the rotational speed of the tool. At low rotational speeds, hardness of the weldments are found to be nearly 70% of the parent material in case of forward welding and 75% in case of reverse welding. 2. The tensile strength of the weldments tested in UTM is found be maximum at 950 rpm for both forward and reverse welding conditions. Sudden increase and decrease in tensile strength is found in between 950 and 1000 rpm. This indicates that for AA 6351 alloys the best suited range of rotational speed of the FSW tool to achieve considerable tensile strength is around 900 rpm for the selected thickness. 3. The weld bead width is found to increase with the rotational speed in both the types of welding conducted. 4. The weld cycle time for completing the seam length of 150mm is found to reduce with increase in tool rotational speed.

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Fig. 7 Experimental setup with fixture and Welding Cycle in progress (Forward and Reverse Welding)

References
1. Seongin Hong, Sangshik Kim, Chang Gil Lee, Sung-Joom Kim, Fatigue Crack Propagation behaviour of friction stir welded Al-Mg-Si alloys, Journal of Science Direct, Sep 2006, pp 1007 1010. 2. A.KShukla, W.A.Baeslack III, Study of Microstuctural Evolution in Friction -Stir welded thin sheet Al-Cu-Li alloy using transmission electron microscopy, Journal of Science Direct, Jan 2007, pp 513 516. 3. H.W.Zhang, Z.Zhang, J.T.Chen, 3D Modelling of material flow in friction stir welding under different process parameters Journal of Material Processing Technology, Sep 2006, pp 62 70. 4. C.A.W.Olea, L.Rolda, J.F.Dos Santos, T.R.Strohaecker, A Sub structural of friction stir welded joints in an AA6056 Al-alloy in T4 and T6 temper conditions, Journal of Material Science and Engineering, Dec 2006, pp 52 62. 5. L.Ceschini, I Boromei, G.Minak, A.Morri, F.Tarterini, Microstructure, tensile and fatigue properties of AA6061/20 Vol% Al2O3P friction stir welded joints, Journal of Composites, Applied Science and Engineering, Apr 2006, pp 1200 1210. 6. H.J.Liu, J.C.Feng, H.Fujii, K.Nogi, Wear Characteristics of a WC Co tool in friction stir welding, of AC4A+30 Vol % SiCp composite, International Journal of Machine Tools and Manufacture, Nov 2004, pp 1635 1639. 7. SA. P. Reynolds and W. D. Lockwood, Constitutive Properties of Microstructural R egions in Friction Stir Welds, AeroMat '99, Dayton Convention Center, Dayton, Ohio, (Jun. 1999). 8. R.W. Fonda, J.F. Bingert, and K.J. Colligan, Microstructural Development in Friction Stir Welding, Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos Nat ional Laboratory3Concurrent Technologies Corporation. 8. A.P Reynolds, W.J. Arbegast et al., "Material Flow And Average Strain Rates In Friction Stir Welds", presented at the 11th Annual Advanced Aerospace Materials and Processes Conference and Symposium, ASM International, Seattle WA, March 14-15, 2000 9. W. J. Arbegast, Z. Li and P. J. Hartley, Abnormal Grain Growth of Autogenous and Hybrid 2195 Friction Stir Welds, presented at 13th Annual Advanced Aerospace Materials and Processes Conference and Symposium, ASM International, Orlando, Florida, June 9-12, 2002 10. L. Litynska, R. Braun, G. Staniek, C. Dalle Donne and J. Dutkiewicz, TEM study of the microstructure evolution in a friction stir-welded AlCuMgAg alloy, Materials Chemistry and Physics, 81 (2003), 293-295 11. C. Dalle Donne, E. Lima, J. Wegener, A. Pyzalla and T. Buslaps, Investigations on residual stresses in friction stir welds, 3rd International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding, 27 -28 September 2001, Kobe.

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International Journal of Advances in Science and Technology, Vol. 3, No.6, 2011 12. Staniek,G., Hillger, W. and Kurze, P, Metallographic and Non-Destructive Investigation of Friction Stir welded and Coated Aluminium Alloys, DVS-Sondertagung DVS-Verlag, 2000, pp. 36-41. 13. Ozekcin A., Jin H.W., Koo J.Y., Bangaru N.V., Ayer R., Vaughn G., Steel R., Packer S., A Microstructural study of friction stir welded joints of carbon steels, International Journal of Offshore and Polar Engineering, Vol. 14, No. 4, December 2004, pp.284 -288. 14. Murr, LE; Liu, G; McClure, JC., Dynamic recrystallization in friction -stir welding of aluminium alloy 1100. Journal of Materials Science Letters, 1997, Vol. 16, pp. 1801 -1803. 15. Rhodes, CG; Mahoney, MW; Bingel, WH; Spurling, RA; Bampton, Effects of friction stir welding on microstructure of 7075aluminium. Scripta Materialia, 1997, Vol. 36 , No. 1, pp. 6975 16. Threadgill, P., Friction stir welds in aluminium alloys preliminary microstructural assessment. TWI Bulletin, March/April 1997 TWI, Abington, UK (1997). 17. Karlsson, J; Karlsson, B; Larsson, H; Karlsson, L; Svensson, Microstructur e and properties of friction stir welded aluminium alloys. INALCO 98 Joints in Aluminium, 7th International Conference Pre-prints (Volume 2) Cambridge, UK, 15th April, 1998; pp221230. 18. Murr, LE; Liu, G; McClure, JC, A TEM study of precipitation an d related microstructures in friction-stir-welded 6061 aluminium. Journal of Materials Science, 1998, Vol. 33, pp. 1243 1251. 19. Murr, LE; Li, Y; Trillo, EA; Flores, RD; McClure, JC, Microstructures in friction -stir welded metals. Journal of Materials, Processing and Manufacturing Science, 1998, Vol. 7, pp. 145-161. 20. Strangwood, M; Berry, JE; Cleugh, DP; Leonard, AJ; Threadgill, Characterisation of the thermo-mechanical effects on microstructural development in friction stir welded age hardening aluminium-based alloys. First International Symposium on Friction Stir Welding, Thousand Oaks, California, USA, 14-16 June, 1999. Proceedings published by TWI, Abington 1999. 21. Yang, HS., Microstructural development in friction stir welding of aluminium alloys. Proceedings of International Conference on Aluminium Alloys 6, Vol. 3, pp. 1483 -1488. 16. Mishra R.S., Ma Z.Y., Friction stir welding and processing, Materials Science and Engineering R 50 (2005) 178, Elsevier, 2005. 22. Rhodes, CG; Mahoney, MW; Bingel, WH; Spurling, RA; Bampton, Effects of friction stir welding on microstructure of 7075 aluminium. Scripta Materialia, 1997, Vol. 36, No. 1, pp. 69 75. 23. D.P.P. Booth, M.J. Starink and I. Sinclair Analysis of Local Microstructure and Hardness of 13mm gauge 2024-T351 AA Friction Stir Welds Materials Research Group, School of Engineering Sciences, University of Southampton, SO17 1BJ. 24.T. Ghidini, C. Dalle Donne, Fatigue crack propagation assessment based on residual stresses obtained through cut-compliance technique, Fatigue & Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures 30(3), 214-222 (2007) 25. Biallas, T. Vugrin, J. Schneider, Einfluss des Root-Flaws auf das, W.-B. Lee, M. Schmcker, U. Alfaro Mercado, G. Biallas, S.-B. Jung Interfacial reaction in steel-aluminum joints made by friction stir welding Scripta Materialia 55(4), 355-358 (2006) 26. S. Dalkilic, G. Biallas, FSW joints of an aluminium base metal matrix composite and a monolithic aluminium alloy Proc. 6th Int. Symp. on Friction Stir Welding, 10.-13. Oktober 2006, Saint-Sauveur (Montreal), pdf-File, TWI UK (2006). 27. R. Braun, U. Alfaro Mercado, G. Biallas, Investigation on strength and corrosion behaviour of friction stir welded similar and dissimilar aluminium alloys , Materials Science Forum 519521, 1113-1118 (2006) 28. A.-L. Lafly, G. Biallas, D. Allhaux, F. Marie, C. Dalle Donne, Effect of friction stir welding technology and aging condition on fatigue crack growth of 6056 -T78 aluminum alloy, Proc. 9th Int. Fatigue Congress, 15.-19. Mai 2006, Atlanta GA, pdf-file, Elsevier UK (2006) 29. H. Uzun, C. Dalle Donne, A. Argagnotto, T. Ghidini, C. Gambaro , Friction stir welding of dissimilar Al 6013-T4 to X5CrNi18-10 stainless steel, Materials & Design 26(1), 41-46 (2005) 30. U. Alfaro-Mercado, T. Ghidini, C. Dalle Donne, Fatigue of precorroded 2024-T3 friction

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International Journal of Advances in Science and Technology, Vol. 3, No.6, 2011 stir welds: Prediction and experiment in Friction Stir Welding and Processing III, 31. T. Vugrin, M. Schmcker, G. Staniek, Root flaws of friction stir welds An electron microscopy study in Friction Stir Welding and Processing III, K.V. Jata, M.W. Mahoney, R.S. Mishra and T.J. Lienert (Eds.), TMS, Warrendale PA, 277-284 (2005) 32. K.V. Jata, M.W. Mahoney, R.S. Mishra and T.J. Lienert (Eds.), TMS, Warrendale PA Friction stir welding of dissimilar Al 6013-T4 to X5CrNi18-10 stainless steel Materials & Design, 26 (2005), 41-46 33. U. Alfaro-Mercado, T. Ghidini and C. Dalle Donne, Fatigue of precorroded 2024-T3 friction stir welds: Prediction and experiment Friction Stir Welding and Processing III, 34. Dalle Donne, C. and Raimbeaux, G.:,Residual Stress Effects on Fatigue Crack Propagation in Friction Stir Welds, 10th International Conference on Fracture, ICF 10, Elsevier Science Publ., 2001 Acknowledgements The authors profusely thank Prof. Abhijith Dutta for his constant encouragement, guidance and support afforded by him during the execution of this research work.

1] P.Moulali was born in Nagampalli, A.P, India. He received the B.Tech (Mechanical Engineering) degree from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad in the year 2006 and M.Tech ( Advanced Manufacturing Systems) from the same University, Hyderabad in the year 2008.He was currently working as an Assistant Professor and H.O.D for the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Santhiram Engineering College, Nandyal. (Email id: moulali_p3@yahoo.co.in, ). His field of interest includes Manufacturing Technology etc.

2] P.Suresh Kumar was born in Atmakur, A.P, India. He received the B.Tech (Industrial and Production Engineering) degree from the S.K. University, Anantapur in the year 2004 and M.Tech ( CAD/CAM ) from the same University, Hyderabad in the year 2008. He was currently working as an Assistant Professor in Department of Mechanical Engineering at RGMCET, Nandyal. (Email id: suresh_yem165@yahoo.co.in ). His field of interest includes Manufacturing Technology etc.

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