Friction stir spot welding of interstitial free steel with incorporating silicon carbide nanopowders

In the present work, friction stir spot welding (FSSW) was applied to interstitial free (IF) steel sheets having a thickness of 1 mm. The silicon carbide (SiC) nanopowders were then added to the joint in order to enhance the mechanical properties and also to prevent the grain growth in the stir zone (SZ). The impact of welding parameters on the welds quality, were also investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), microhardness profiles, and tensile shear analyses revealed that adding the SiC nanopowders to the welds led to remarkable increase in the mechanical properties and hardness of the produced welds.