Tensile and Fatigue Analysis Based on Microstructure and Strain Distribution for 7075 Aluminum FSW Joints

In order to study on tensile and fatigue fracture mechanism of friction stir welded (FSW) joints, the tensile and fatigue behavior of FSW joints are studied based on the microstructure and strain distribution. The large plastic deformation and fracture occurred in the thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) on retreating side in tension tests. High contents of shear texture and small angle grain boundary reduce the tensile mechanical property of TMAZ material. The fatigue weak area for FSW joints is affected by the loading condition. The strain concentration in the welded nugget zone (WNZ) and base material makes the fatigue fracture liable to happen in these areas for the FSW joints under the stress ratios of 0.1 and -0.3. When the fracture occurred in WNZ, the crack initiation mainly occurred in clusters of hardened particles, while when the fracture happened in base material, the crack initiation mainly occurred near the pit. The crack in WNZ propagated in an intergranular pattern and the crack in the other areas extended in a transgranular mode, leading to a higher crack growth rate of WNZ than of other regions.