Wear Mechanism for H13 Steel Tool During Friction Stir Welding of CuCrZr Alloy

Abstract

Wear affects shape and size of the friction stir welding (FSW) tool, and leads to unexpected weld properties and shorter tool life. Understanding wear mechanisms during FSW is important to prevent or reduce tool wear and ensure longer tool life for joining of high melting point metallic (HMPM) materials. Severe tool wear is a consequence of extreme thermo-mechanical environment around the tool during welding. The macroscopic and microscopic investigations of wear mechanism are conducted by performing 3D profilometer and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Analysis of the scratch formation on the tool surface is used to ascertain the presence of abrasive wear mechanism. Adhesive wear is confirmed by investigating the tool–workpiece interface layer, which features diffusion of copper. This understanding of tool wear mechanism during FSW of high melting point metallic materials will enable selection of better tool materials and improved weld properties.

Pankaj Sahlot

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Dr. Pankaj Sahlot is Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering Department at Pandit Deendayal Energy University Gandhinagar, India. In PhD, He worked on experimental and numerical study of tool wear during Friction stir welding (FSW) under the guidance of Dr. Amit Arora at IIT Gandhinagar, India. He also visited University of North Texas Denton, USA for six months as a visiting researcher during PhD. His research work related to experimental and numerical study of Friction Stir Welding processes has been published in various reputed journals and conferences. He received award for Academic Excellence from Prof. C. N. R. Rao during M.Tech at IIT Hyderabad, India.