Friction Stir Welding Of Magnesium Alloys - A Review

Vuppula Prasanna, Dr. A. Seshu Kumar,Dr. P. Ramesh Babu

Friction Stir Welding, Magnesium alloys.

The modern technologies are gaining more and more importance in almost every field and Manufacturing industry not an exception. More and more research has been going on related to welding techniques [1]. Friction stir welding is one of the latest welding techniques that have found a major part in automotive sector. Magnesium alloy one of the major raw material used in these industries due to its light weight, good thermal conductivity, excellent specific strength and stiffness, exceptional dimensional stability, high damping capacity, and high recycle ability [2]. Magnesium alloys can be divided into cast magnesium alloys and wrought magnesium ones in terms of difference in processing [3]. Main commercial magnesium alloys include the AZ series (Mg-Al-Zl), AM series (Mg-Al-Mn), AE series (Mg-Al-RE), EZ series (Mg-RE-Zn), ZK series (Mg-Zn—Zr), and WE series (Mg-RE-Zr)[4]. It is thi property which entices automobile manufacturers to replace denser materials, not only steels, cast irons and copper base alloys but even aluminium alloys by magnesium based alloys. Statistically, more than 90% of the magnesium alloy structural components are produced by casting process, especially by various die-casting processes. .Magnesium has a density two-thirds that of aluminium and only slightly higher than of fibre-reinforced plastics and possesses excellent mechanical and physical properties. Compared to using alternative materials, using Mg alloys results in a 22% to 70% weight reduction. Recent developments in coating and alloying of Mg improved the creep and corrosion resistance properties of magnesium alloys for elevated temperatures and corrosive environments. The introduction of this paper gives a detailed review about Friction Stir Welding of Mg alloys. This review work may be a ready reference for subsequent researchers.

10.22161/ijaers/3.12.22