article · Journal of Materials Research and Technology
Joining dissimilar metals such as aluminium and titanium is challenging because brittle compounds can form at the interface. Friction stir lap welding was used to join AA6061-T6 aluminium alloy and Ti6Al4V titanium alloy, focusing on how tool rotational speed influences joint quality. The rotational speed proved critical because it governs heat generation, material plasticity, and the growth of intermetallic compounds. Running the welding tool at a lower speed of 600 revolutions per minute produced joints with the highest shear strength of 3.5 kilonewtons and peak hardness of 384 Vickers. In contrast, increasing the speed to 1000 revolutions per minute reduced strength to 2.5 kilonewtons. Higher rotational speeds generated excessive heat, creating pores, microcracks, and brittle phases like TiAl and TiAl3 that caused brittle failure, whereas lower speeds produced a resilient hybrid ductile and brittle fracture surface.
Combining aluminium and titanium into single components is valuable for engineering structures that demand both low weight and high strength. Finding reliable welding settings prevents weak, brittle connections between these two incompatible metals. This research shows that controlling tool speed minimises harmful chemical reactions at the joint interface, guiding manufacturers on how to produce stronger, more dependable welded metal assemblies.
This early-stage experimental research provides specific operational parameters for welding aluminium to titanium alloys using friction stir techniques. Manufacturing and fabrication specialists seeking lightweight, high-integrity joints could apply these findings to optimise their joining processes. While the abstract demonstrates successful laboratory-scale lap welding, further development and industrial testing would be needed before implementation in commercial manufacturing workflows.
AI-generated from the published abstract. Always read the original work before citing.
Dissimilar friction stir lap welded joints of AA6061-T6 and Ti6Al4V were successfully welded using suitable parameters, and the effect of tool rotational speed was studied to investigate the influence on mechanical properties, microstructure, and fracture mechanisms. It was observed that tool rotational speed has a great effect on the strength of the welded joint, as it controls the amount of heat input and plasticity at Al/Ti interface as well as the formation of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) and different brittle phases that were formed at the Al/Ti mixture. The maximum shear strength of 3.5 KN was achieved using low rotational speed of 600 rpm and maximum hardness of 384 HV, while minimum shear strength of 2.5 KN was attained at 1000 rpm with minimum hardness of 343.2 HV. Hybrid fracture surface was produced at lower rotation speed which had both brittle and ductile characteristics, while brittle fracture mechanisms were observed at high rotational speed due to the concentration of brittle IMCs layers, TiAl, and TiAl3 phases at the interface due to the excessive heat input which causes pores and cracks and thus deteriorating joint strength.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.jmrt.2021.01.026
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