Microstructural Investigation of Friction-Stir-Welded 7005 Aluminum Alloy

This paper is aimed to investigate the microstructure of 7005 aluminum sheets joined by friction-stir welding as well as their mechanical properties. Specimens with ten different sets of welding parameters were studied. Tensile test and fracture analysis determined that the joint of the best quality was obtained at the rotation speed of 1000 rpm matching with the travel speed of 200 mm/min, and the travel speed has more impact on the ultimate tensile strength. Optical microscope observation was applied to this high-quality specimen and gave evidence to explaining the formation of the onion ring structure. Electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) technique was employed to characterize the textures and revealed the evolution of microstructures during friction stir processing. The EBSD results showed that the grains maintain their original orientations at relatively low deformation while the orientations rotate under increasing strain. Accumulated rotation will turn the textures into mixed shear components, which finally results in grain refinement and contributes to the high quality of the joint.