ENHANCED MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE AND REFINED INTERMETALLIC LAYER IN UNDERWATER FRICTION-STIR-WELDED AA5083–Cu DISSIMILAR JOINTS
Keywords:
underwater friction stir welding, AA5083 aluminum, pure copper, dissimilar joints, intermetallic compounds, mechanical properties, microstructural refinement, SEM analysis
Abstract
This research investigates the underwater friction stir welding (UWFSW) of dissimilar AA5083 aluminum and pure-copper plates, aiming to enhance the mechanical performance through precise control of the process parameters and the suppression of excessive intermetallic compound (IMC) formation. The UWFSW was performed using a CNC vertical milling machine under full immersion to regulate the heat input and improve the joint’s integrity. The optimized parameters yielded a maximum tensile strength of 7.5 MPa, impact strength of 7.5 J, and peak microhardness of 111 VH, outperforming conventional dry FSW joints. Optical microscopy and SEM analyses revealed a defect-free joint with a fine equiaxed grain structure in the stir zone, minimal deformation in the parent zones, and a uniform IMC layer of 2–5-µm thickness along the Al–Cu interface. The underwater cooling effect restricted grain coarsening and prevented void formation, resulting in enhanced metallurgical bonding. The study confirms that UWFSW offers a superior route to producing high-strength, corrosion-resistant Al–Cu dissimilar joints, making it highly suitable for marine, cryogenic, and high-performance electrical applications.
References
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16 S.S. Sabari, M. Balasubramanian, and S. Malarvizhi, “Experimental and numerical investigation on underwater friction stir welding of armour grade AA2519-T87 aluminium alloy,” Def. Technol., 12(4), 324–333 (2016).
17 A.M. El-Kassas and I. Sabry, “A comparison between FSW, MIG, and TIG based on total cost estimation for aluminum pipes,” Eur. J. Adv. Eng. Technol., 4, 158–163 (2017).
18 I. Sabry, A.H.I. Mourad, and D.T. Thekkuden, “Comparison of mechanical characteristics of conventional and underwater friction stir welding of AA 6063 pipe joints,” Int. Rev. Mech. Eng., 14(1), 64–70 (2020).
19R.A.S. Castro, J.M.C. Rodrigues, P.M.G.P. Moreira, and P.M.S.T. de Castro, “Friction stir welding on T-joints: Residual stress evaluation,” Rev. Assoc. Port. Anal. Exp. Tensões, 1646, 7078 (2011).
20M.A. Mofid, A. Abdollah-Zadeh, and F. Malek Ghaini, “The effect of water cooling during
dissimilar friction stir welding of Al alloy to Mg alloy,” Mater. Des., 36, 161–167 (2012).
2Li, J., Wang, Y., and Zhang, X., “Investigation of mechanical properties of dissimilar friction stir welded AA1060-T2 and copper joints,” J. Manuf. Process, 64, 74–80 (2021).
3Sahu, P., and Sahu, P., “Prediction of mechanical properties and hardness of friction stir welding of Al 5083/pure Cu using ANN, ICA, and PSO model,” Discover Appl. Sci., 4, 102 (2022), https://doi.org/10.1007/s42452-022-04989-y.
4Ouyang, J., Yarrapareddy, E., and Kovacevic, R., “Microstructural evolution in the friction stir welded 6061 aluminum alloy (T6-temper condition) to copper,” J. Mater. Process. Technol., 172(1), 110–122 (2006).
5Gad Allah, A. A., Ibrahim, M. M., and El-Bagoury, N., “Review on underwater friction stir welding of aluminum alloys,” Emerg. Mater. Res., 13(1), 15–29 (2024).
6Kishta, P., and Upadhyay, A., “Friction stir welding of non-heat treatable Al alloys: Challenges and improvement opportunities,” Crystals, 13(4), 576 (2023), https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst13040576.
7Pandey, S., and Menaka, M., “Microstructural and mechanical behavior of underwater friction stir welded aluminum matrix composites,” J. Mater. Eng. Perform., 31(10), 7680–7693 (2022), https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-022-06832-2.
8Kathiresan, G., Ragunathan, S., and Prabakaran, M., “Microstructural characterization of friction stir welded AA5083 aluminum alloy joints,” ITEGAM-JETIA, 9(43), 64–70 (2023), https://doi.org/10.5935/jetia.v9i43.910.
9Ashok, J., and Gupta, A. V. S. S. K. S., “Parametric effect on mechanical, microstructural, and corrosion behaviour of friction stir welded AA5083–AA7075 alloys,” Int. J. Interact. Des. Manuf., 18, 3849–3860 (2024), https://doi.org/10.1007/s12008-024-01850-x.
10Baghel, S. S., and Soni, P. K., “Mechanical and metallurgical characterization of friction stir welded AA2024 to pure copper using specific variables and positioning,” Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng. B: J. Eng. Manuf. (2024), https://doi.org/10.1177/09544062231217610.
11Ramamurthy, M., Balasubramanian, P., Senthilkumar, N., and Anbuchezhiyan, G., “Influence of process parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welds of AA2014 and AA6063 aluminium alloys using response surface methodology,” Mater. Res. Express, 9(2), 026528 (2022), https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-1591/ac5777.
12Kolli, V. S., Ashok, V., and Kumar, M., “Multi-response optimization of AA5083 aluminum alloy friction stir welding parameters using Taguchi–VIKOR method,” J. Eng. Appl. Sci., 72(1), 112 (2025), https://doi.org/10.1186/s44147-024-00572-x.
13Saravanakumar, R., Rajasekaran, T., Pandey, C., and Menaka, M., “Influence of tool probe profiles on the microstructure and mechanical properties of underwater friction stir welded AA5083 material,” J. Mater. Eng. Perform., 31, 8433–8450 (2022), https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-022-07044-4.
14Premkumar, P., Sriram, S. V., Pious Sunil, R., and Sivaganesan, K., “Mechanical properties and microstructure of underwater friction stir welded AA5083–Cu dissimilar plates,” In: Lazar, P., Palani, I. A., Kumar, M. (eds) High-performance Sustainable Materials and Structures, ICAMMS 2024, Sustainable Civil Infrastructures. Springer, Cham (2024), https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-72527-2_14.
15Papahn, S., Moradi, H., Hashemi, R., and Shokrollahi, H., “Effect of surface preparation on friction stir welding quality of aluminum–copper joints,” J. Mater. Eng. Perform., 32(2), 1012–1021 (2024), https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-023-08123-7.
16 S.S. Sabari, M. Balasubramanian, and S. Malarvizhi, “Experimental and numerical investigation on underwater friction stir welding of armour grade AA2519-T87 aluminium alloy,” Def. Technol., 12(4), 324–333 (2016).
17 A.M. El-Kassas and I. Sabry, “A comparison between FSW, MIG, and TIG based on total cost estimation for aluminum pipes,” Eur. J. Adv. Eng. Technol., 4, 158–163 (2017).
18 I. Sabry, A.H.I. Mourad, and D.T. Thekkuden, “Comparison of mechanical characteristics of conventional and underwater friction stir welding of AA 6063 pipe joints,” Int. Rev. Mech. Eng., 14(1), 64–70 (2020).
19R.A.S. Castro, J.M.C. Rodrigues, P.M.G.P. Moreira, and P.M.S.T. de Castro, “Friction stir welding on T-joints: Residual stress evaluation,” Rev. Assoc. Port. Anal. Exp. Tensões, 1646, 7078 (2011).
20M.A. Mofid, A. Abdollah-Zadeh, and F. Malek Ghaini, “The effect of water cooling during
dissimilar friction stir welding of Al alloy to Mg alloy,” Mater. Des., 36, 161–167 (2012).
Published
2026-02-05
How to Cite
1.
Kannan P, Premkumar N, Arul M, Dinesh S. ENHANCED MECHANICAL PERFORMANCE AND REFINED INTERMETALLIC LAYER IN UNDERWATER FRICTION-STIR-WELDED AA5083–Cu DISSIMILAR JOINTS. MatTech [Internet]. 2026Feb.5 [cited 2026Aug.10];60(1):81–89. Available from: https://mater-tehnol.si/index.php/MatTech/article/view/1550
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