The influence of the ratio of rotational speed/traverse speed (ω/ν) on mechanical properties of AZ31 friction stir welds

The influence of different parameters such as welding pressure, rotational speed, and traverse speed on the weld properties has been evaluated earlier but there are some important parameters yet to be thoroughly investigated. In this study, an effort has been made to determine the influence of different ratios of rotational speed/traverse speed on mechanical properties of different zones of friction stir welded AZ31 magnesium alloy. Mechanical properties of different zones were determined by a shear punch test. It was found out that increasing the aforementioned ratio-leads to a slight decrease in yield and ultimate strength of the stir zone and the transitional zone. It was also observed that increasing rotational/traverse speed ratio increases the weld nugget size and decreases the incomplete root penetration. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.