Effects of bottom plate in friction stir welding of AA6061-T6

The effects of 40 mm width bottom plates on the microstructural modifications and the mechanical properties of a 6 mm thick FSW AA6061-T6 joint have been investigated. The bottom plates are placed partially at the weld zone to absorb and dissipate heat during the welding process. An axial load of 5 to 7 kN, a rotational speed of 500 rpm, and a welding speed of 50 mm/min are employed as welding parameters. The size of the nugget zone (NZ) and heat-affected zone (HAZ) in the weld joints obtained from AISI 1040 steel bottom plate is more significant than that of weld joints obtained using copper bottom plate due to lower thermal conductivity of steel. Also, the weld joints obtained using copper bottom plate have fine grain microstructure due to the dynamic recrystallization. The friction stir welded joints obtained with copper bottom plate have exhibited higher ductility of 8.9% and higher tensile strength of 172 MPa as compared to the joints obtained using a steel bottom plate.