Microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir spot welded AA5052-H112 aluminum alloy

The influences of the pin geometry and rotational speed on the microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the AA 5052-H112 FSSW joint were investigated. Results showed that hook height and fully bonded region (FBR) width were significantly dependent by both pin geometry and rotational speeds. Both pin geometry and tool rotational speed had an apparent influence on the strength of the weld. At 900 and 1400 rpm, the strength of welds prepared using a cylindrical pin was higher compared to that of a step pin. For the step pin, the cross-tension strength of the welds increased as rotational speed increased. For cylindrical pin, the tensile/shear and cross-tension loads achieved the maximum values of 3589 and 3419 N at 1400 rpm, respectively. Under tensile/shear loading, shear and tensile/shear fractures were observed. On the other hand, under cross-tension loading, two types of fracture modes, namely nugget debonding and nugget pull-out were detected.