The effects of rotational and traverse speeds and SiC particles on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AA 5052 in friction stir welding

In this paper, the effect of variations in the traverse and rotational speeds of the welding tool on mechanical properties of friction stir welding of AA 5052 plates have been investigated. For this purpose, variations of microstructure, tensile properties and hardness of metals joined at rotational speeds of 500, 800 and 1000 rpm and traverse speeds of 41.5, 80 and 125 mm min(-1) have been studied. The results showed that the average grain size of the welded joint reduced with increasing rotational and traverse speeds, because of more intensive dynamic recrystallization. Micro-hardness and ultimate tensile strength increased with increasing rotational speed. The effects of adding of SiC particles on the microstructure and mechanical properties at optimum rotational and traverse speeds were examined.