Microstructure and texture investigation on electrically assisted friction stir welded titanium alloy

Microstructure, texture and mechanical properties of electrically assisted friction stir welding (EFSW) of Ti6Al4 V alloy were investigated. The base material (BM) and the heat-affected zone (HAZ) have a coarse equiaxed structure, and the fine equiaxed structure was observed in the stir zone (SZ). The boundary between the SZ and the HAZ changed abruptly from the FSW joint to the EFSW joint to make it smooth. The BM and the HAZ have a strong prismatic texture {10 (1) over bar0} and the texture of the SZ is randomly distributed. Hardness of the joints was explained by grain size, loss rate of elemental Al and dislocation density, as well as the advantages of the EFSW process in terms of improving mechanical properties as influenced by microstructure and texture.