Microstructural Characteristics and Mechanical Properties of Water Cooling Bobbin-Tool Friction Stir Welded 6063-T6 Aluminum Alloy

Abstract

In this study, a novel welding method called water cooling bobbin-tool friction stir welding (WBT-FSW) was developed. 4 mm-thick 6063-T6 aluminum alloy sheets were successfully jointed by WBT-FSW. Comparative studies on macro/microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of the WBT-FSW and conventional bobbin-tool friction stir welding (BT-FSW) joints were carried out. The results indicated that the water mist cooling can significantly decrease the welding temperature and improve both the weld formation and the mechanical properties of the joint. The tensile strength of the WBT-FSW joint was 11.4% higher than that of BT-FSW joint.