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Friction stir welding of novel T-phase strengthened Zn-modified Al–Mg alloy

  • Metals & corrosion
  • Published:
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Abstract

Friction stir welding is extensively used in aluminum alloys for advanced engineering applications. A current challenge for 5 ×  ×  × series alloys is their poor welding strength due to the lack of hardening precipitates. Here we report Zn-modified novel Al–Mg alloys with Zn/Mg ratio below 1.0. Compared with 5 ×  ×  × series alloys, the strength of the welded alloy can be increased by 100 MPa owing to the distribution of T-Mg32(AlZn)49 hardening precipitates during friction stir welding and the subsequent heat treatment after welding. Fine spherical T″ precipitates and coarsening polygonal T′ precipitates are both observed at the thermo-mechanically affected zone. The bimodal distribution of the precipitates and the widest precipitate-free zone weakened the strength of this region, and thus the welded alloys are fractured at this area. The novel alloy with T precipitates is expected to further stimulate the researchers to improve the properties of traditional 5 ×  ×  × series alloy.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 51971019 and 51571013 for the financial support of this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory for Advanced Metals and Materials, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, People’s Republic of China

    Di Zhang, Xu Wang, Yanlin Pan, Shengli Hou, Jishan Zhang & Linzhong Zhuang

  2. Beijing Laboratory of Metallic Materials and Processing for Modern Transportation, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, People’s Republic of China

    Di Zhang, Jishan Zhang & Linzhong Zhuang

  3. Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Special Welding, Harbin Institute of Technology At Weihai, Weihai, 264209, People’s Republic of China

    Li Zhou

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  1. Di Zhang
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Zhang, D., Wang, X., Pan, Y. et al. Friction stir welding of novel T-phase strengthened Zn-modified Al–Mg alloy. J Mater Sci 56, 5283–5295 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-020-05609-z

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