Friction stir welding of carbon steels

In order to determine the effect of the carbon content and the transformation on the mechanical properties and microstructures of the FSW carbon steel joints, three types of carbon steels with different carbon contents (IF steel, S12C, S35C) were friction stir welded under various welding conditions. Compared with IF steel, the microstructures and mechanical properties of the carbon steel joints are significantly affected by the welding conditions. The strength of the S12C steel joints increases with the increasing welding speed (decreasing the heat input), while the strength of the S35C steel joints shows a peak near 200 mm/min. This can be explained by the relationship between the peak temperature and the A(1) and A(3) points. When friction stir welding is performed in the ferrite-austenite two-phase region, the microstructure is refined and the highest strength is then achieved. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.