Effect of friction stir welding process parameters and post-weld heat treatment on the corrosion behaviour of AA6061-O aluminum alloys

Abstract

THE aim of the present work is to study the effect of rotation and welding speeds as well as the T4 and T6 post-weld heat treatments (PWHT) on the corrosion behavior of AA6061-O aluminum plates joined using friction stir welding (FSW). The corrosion properties of welded joints were studied by Potentiodynamic polarization and Immersion tests. The results showed that both T4 and T6 PWHT improves the corrosion resistance of stirred zones compared to base alloy. However, joints of T4 showed lower corrosion resistance compared to T6. Increasing welding speed or reducing rotation speed increased the corrosion resistance of joints.