Effect of rotation speed on microstructure and mechanical properties of bobbin tool friction stir welded AZ61 magnesium alloy

The 5-mm-thick AZ61 magnesium alloy was friction stir welded by using the specially designed bobbin tool with various rotation speeds. Defect-free welds were successfully obtained with rotation speed ranging from 550 to 600 rev min⁻¹. Grain size in different regions of the joints varied depending on the rotation speed. The hardness value of the joint is uniform. The defective joint fractured in the weld nugget zone with the lowest tensile strength, while the fracture location of the defect-free joints changed to the heat affected zone. The impact energy of weld nugget zone is higher than that of the heat affected zone, and the impact energy of the two zones in defect-free joint both decreased with increasing rotation speed.