Friction stir welding of ultrafine grained Al alloy 1100 produced by accumulative roll-bonding

Friction stir welding (FSW) was applied to an accumulative roll-bonded (ARBed) Al alloy 1100. FSW resulted in reproduction of fine grains in the stir zone and small growth of the ultrafine grains of the ARBed material just outside the stir zone. Consequently, FSW effectively prevented the softening in the ARBed alloy. (C) 2003 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.