Joining phenomena and joint strength of friction welded joint between pure aluminium and low carbon steel

Abstract This paper describes the joining phenomena and joint strength of friction welded joints between pure aluminium (P-Al) and low carbon steel friction welds. When the joint was made at a friction pressure of 30 MPa with a friction speed of 27·5 s−1, the upsetting (deformation) occurred at the P-Al base metal. P-Al transferred to the half radius region of the weld interface on the low carbon steel side, and then it transferred toward the entire weld interface. When the joint was made at a friction time of 0·9 s, i.e. just after the initial peak of the friction torque, it had ∼93% joint efficiency and fractured on the P-Al side. This joint had no intermetallic compound at the weld interface. Then, the joint efficiency slightly decreased with increasing friction time. The joint had a small amount of intermetallic compound at the peripheral region of the weld interface when it was made at a friction time of 2·0 s. When the joint was made at a friction time of 0·9 s, the joint efficiency decreased with increasing forge pressure, and all joints were fractured at the P-Al side. Although the joint by forge pressure of 90 MPa had hardly softened region, it had ∼83% joint efficiency. To clarify the fact of decreasing joint efficiency, the tensile strength of the P-Al base metal at room temperature was investigated, and the tensile test was carried out after various compression stresses and temperatures. The tensile strength of the P-Al base metal has decreased with increasing compression stress at any temperature. Hence, the fact that the joint did not achieve 100% joint efficiency was due to the decrease in the tensile strength of the P-Al base metal by the Bauschinger effect. To obtain higher joint efficiency and fracture on the P-Al side, the joint should be made without higher forge pressure, and with the friction time at which the friction torque reaches the initial peak.