Effect of refilling time on microstructure and mechanical properties of friction spot welded LY12 aluminum alloy

Friction spot welding (FSpW) was successfully used to produce joints of LY12 aluminum alloy. The effects of refilling time on microstructure and mechanical properties of FSpW joints were systematically studied. Results show that the cross-section of FSpW joint presents a basin-like morphology. A white bonding ligament exists in the center of the joint. The stir zone can be clarified into sleeve affected zone and pin affected zone based on different grain sizes. With increasing the refilling time from 2.0 s to 3.5 s, grains in the stir zone become coarser, microhardness of the joint decreases and tensile shear failure load of the joint firstly increases and then decreases. The maximum tensile shear failure load of 8 130 N is attained when the refilling time is 3.0 s. Shear-plug fracture mode and shear fracture mode can be observed in the tensile shear tests. The maximum hardness of 169.7 HV is attained in the joint center when the refilling time is 2.0 s.