Effect of the surface preparation techniques on the EBSD analysis of a friction stir welded AA1100-B4C metal matrix composite

Abstract Aluminum based metal matrix composites (MMCs) have been used in various automobile, aerospace and military industries. Yet characterization of the microstructure in these materials remains a challenge. In the present work, the grain structure in the matrix of B 4 C particulate reinforced MMCs and their friction stir welds is characterized by using optical metallography and the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) technique. Optical metallography can partially reveal the grain structure in the matrix of AA1100-16 vol.% B 4 C composite. The EBSD technique has been successfully applied to characterize the grain structure in the AA1100-16 vol.% B 4 C friction stir welds, which provides a powerful tool to follow the microstructural evolution of MMC materials during friction stir welding (FSW). Both mechanical polishing and ion beam polishing are used for the EBSD sample preparation. The effect of the sample preparation on the EBSD data acquisition quality is studied. Some typical examples, such as the identification of grains and subgrains, grain size distribution, deformation fields and the texture components are given.

[1]  R. Fonda,et al.  Development of grain structure during friction stir welding , 2004 .

[2]  Mukul Kumar,et al.  Electron Backscatter Diffraction in Materials Science , 2000 .

[3]  P. Prangnell,et al.  Grain structure formation during friction stir welding observed by the ‘stop action technique’ , 2005 .

[4]  P. Gougeon,et al.  Microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welded AA6063–B4C metal matrix composites , 2009 .

[5]  P. Prangnell,et al.  Stability of nugget zone grain structures in high strength Al-alloy friction stir welds during solution treatment , 2003 .

[6]  Lawrence E Murr,et al.  Characterization of tool wear and weld optimization in the friction-stir welding of cast aluminum 359+20% SiC metal-matrix composite , 2004 .

[7]  L. Ceschini,et al.  Microstructure, tensile and fatigue properties of AA6061/20 vol.%Al2O3p friction stir welded joints , 2007 .

[8]  Alexander Von Strombeck,et al.  Friction stir welding of an AA6061/Al2O3/20p reinforced alloy , 2006 .

[9]  A. Kokabi,et al.  Evaluation of microstructure and mechanical properties in friction stir welded A356 + 15%SiCp cast composite , 2006 .

[10]  M. Lieblich,et al.  Matrix grain characterisation by electron backscattering diffraction of powder metallurgy aluminum matrix composites reinforced with MoSi2 intermetallic particles , 2010 .

[11]  Lawrence E Murr,et al.  Tool wear in the friction-stir welding of aluminum alloy 6061 + 20% Al2O3: A preliminary study , 2001 .

[12]  Emin.  Structure and single-phase regime of boron carbides. , 1988, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[13]  Lorella Ceschini,et al.  Effect of friction stir welding on microstructure, tensile and fatigue properties of the AA7005/10 vol.%Al2O3p composite , 2007 .

[14]  N. Fredj,et al.  Recrystallization mechanisms in 5251 H14 and 5251 O aluminum friction stir welds , 2007 .

[15]  P. Threadgill,et al.  Friction stir welding of aluminium alloys , 2009 .

[16]  Tracy W. Nelson,et al.  Microstructure evolution during FSW/FSP of high strength aluminum alloys , 2005 .

[17]  John F. Bingert,et al.  Texture variations in an aluminum friction stir weld , 2007 .

[18]  L. Ceschini,et al.  Fatigue properties of friction stir welded particulate reinforced aluminium matrix composites , 2010 .

[19]  Rajiv S. Mishra,et al.  Friction Stir Welding and Processing , 2007 .

[20]  S. L. Semiatin,et al.  Continuous dynamic recrystallization during friction stir welding of high strength aluminum alloys , 2000 .

[21]  O. Engler,et al.  Introduction to texture analysis : macrotexture, microtexture and orientation mapping , 2000 .

[22]  L. Murr,et al.  Intercalation vortices and related microstructural features in the friction-stir welding of dissimilar metals , 1998 .

[23]  W. M. Rainforth,et al.  Quantifying crystallographic texture in the probe-dominated region of thick-section friction-stir-welded aluminium , 2008 .

[24]  W. M. Rainforth,et al.  Properties of mechanically milled and spark plasma sintered Al-15 at.% MgB2 composite materials , 2008 .

[25]  T. Nelson,et al.  Crystallographic Texture in the Friction-Stir-Welded Metal Matrix Composite Al6061 with 10 Vol Pct Al2O3 , 2009 .