A new method of hybrid friction stir welding assisted by friction surfacing for joining dissimilar Ti/Al alloy

Abstract

A new method of friction surfacing assisted hybrid friction stir welding (FS-HFSW) technique was developed to improve the joint efficiency and avoid the pin abrasion for joining of dissimilar Ti/Al joints. The FSW tool with enlarged head and concave end-face was designed to broaden the lap width and promote material flow. The maximum tensile load reached 12.2 kN, representing 85.3% of the parent Al alloy, with a ductile fracture locating at the heat affected zone of base Al. The excellent bonding of Ti and Al was based on the combined effects of nanoscale TiAl3 IMCs layer and complex mechanical inter-locking.