Open AccessMicrostructure and mechanical properties of friction-stir welded interstitial-free steel using WC tool
Author(s) -
Mrinmoy Sinha,
Atul Kumar,
Ajay Tripathi,
S. K. Chourasiya
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
iop conference series. materials science and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1757-899X
pISSN - 1757-8981
DOI - 10.1088/1757-899x/1136/1/012068
Subject(s) - welding , materials science , friction stir welding , microstructure , metallurgy , vickers hardness test , tensile testing , indentation hardness , ultimate tensile strength , composite material
In the present work, interstitial-free steel plates were joined using friction-stir welding. The weld integrity was found to be in excellent condition. This work emphasises the evolution of microstructure and the enhancement of mechanical properties by friction-stir welding. The microstructural characterisation using optical image microscopy revealed the refinement of grains in the nugget zone. Vicker’s hardness test stopped to a maximum of ~91 VHN in the nugget zone compared to ~40 VHN in the base material. The tensile test of the welded sample concluded that the samples fractured in the region away from the nugget zone and towards the base material. The results are conclusive that friction-stir welding is an excellent approach for joining interstitial-free steel components for automotive applications.