Microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welded AA7075-T651 aluminum alloy thick plates

Friction stir butt welding of AA7075-T651 plates with thicknesses of 10 and 16 mm was investigated. Defect-free, full-penetration welds were obtained after careful process parameter selection. While the nuggets in both welds exhibited very fine recrystallized grains, and finer grains were observed in welds made on 10 mm thick plates. Microhardness surveys revealed that significant loss in hardness occurs in the heat-affected zone. The reduction in hardness due to the welding process is higher in the case of welds made on 16 mm thick plates. Welds made on 10 mm thick plates exhibited superior tensile properties compared with those made on 16 mm thick plates. Fracture during tensile test occurred in the heat-affected zone in both cases. TEM images of specimens revealed that the heat-affected zone consisted of widened precipitate-free zones along grain boundaries and partial dissolution of precipitates in the grain interiors. It is concluded that defect-free single pass welds can be made on AA7075-T651 thick plates using friction stir welding and the welds made on 10 mm thick plates exhibit high joint efficiency.