Mechanical properties of the inertia friction welded aluminum/stainless steel joint

Mechanical properties of aluminum alloy/stainless steel joint including tensile strength, bending angle, impact toughness, and fatigue property were evaluated, and the effects of friction pressure and rotational speed were also discussed in this work. Results showed that the intermetallic compound (IMC) layer was formed at the bonding interface of the joint, and a thicker IMC layer was observed in the outer region of the joint, and the thickness decreased slightly in the edge region. The thickness of the IMC layer increased with increasing rotational speed. As friction pressure increased, the tensile strength of the joint gradually increased. Joint strength reached to the maximum tensile strength of 323 MPa when the rotational speed and friction pressure were 1100 rpm and 180 MPa, respectively. With the increase of friction pressure, the bending angle of the joint first increased and then decreased. The bending angle reached to 94°, and the welded joint had the excellent bending ductility. The average impact-absorbing energy of joints was 14.47 J, and the maximum fatigue cycle number of joints could reach to 1.25 × 105.