Basal plane texture and flow pattern in friction stir weld of a magnesium alloy

The microtextures in a friction-stir-welded magnesium (Mg) alloy, AZ61, with a nugget-shaped stir zone were analyzed by orientation imaging microscopy (OIM). The base material had a (0002) <uvi0> texture ((0002) parallel to the sheet plane, <uvi0> parallel to the welding direction). Friction stir welding produced texture components different from those of the base material in the stir zone. Except for the upper surface of the plate, most of the stir zone had a texture with a strong tendency for the (0002) basal Plane to align with the surface of the hard pin of the welding tool. Formation of this texture component was attributable to shear deformation arising from the rotation of the hard pin. The (0002) planes tended to align with an ellipsoidal surface in the nugget-shaped stir zone. The present study suggests that the nugget shape, which is a characteristic feature of the stir zone, is strongly related to formation of the ellipsoidal surface described by the (0002) basal plane.