Friction stir welding (FSW) is a relatively new solid-state joining process. This joining technique is energy efficient, environment friendly, and versatile. In particular, it can be used to join high-strength aerospace aluminum alloys and other metallic alloys that are hard to weld by conventional fusion welding. FSW is considered to be the most significant development in metal joining in a decade. Recently, friction stir processing (FSP) was developed for microstructural modification of metallic materials. In this review article, the current state of understanding and development of the FSW and FSP are addressed. Particular emphasis has been given to: (a) mechanisms responsible for the formation of welds and microstructural refinement, and (b) effects of FSW/FSP parameters on resultant microstructure and final mechanical properties. While the bulk of the information is related to aluminum alloys, important results are now available for other metals and alloys. At this stage, the technology diffusion has significantly outpaced the fundamental understanding of microstructural evolution and microstructure–property relationships.

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Friction Stir Welding and Processing

The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) is an independent organization devoted to the development of standards.

American Society for Testing and Materials

The current understanding of the fundamentals of recrystallization is summarized. This includes understanding the as-deformed state. Several aspects of recrystallization are described: nucleation and growth, the development of misorientation during deformation, continuous, dynamic, and geometric dynamic recrystallization, particle effects, and texture. This article is authored by the leading experts in these areas. The subjects are discussed individually and recommendations for further study are listed in the final section.

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Current issues in recrystallization: a review

This article presents an overview of the developments in stainless steels made since the 1990s. Some of the new applications that involve the use of stainless steel are also introduced. A brief introduction to the various classes of stainless steels, their precipitate phases and the status quo of their production around the globe is given first. The advances in a variety of subject areas that have been made recently will then be presented. These recent advances include (1) new findings on the various precipitate phases (the new J phase, new orientation relationships, new phase diagram for the Fe–Cr system, etc.); (2) new suggestions for the prevention/mitigation of the different problems and new methods for their detection/measurement and (3) new techniques for surface/bulk property enhancement (such as laser shot peening, grain boundary engineering and grain refinement). Recent developments in topics like phase prediction, stacking fault energy, superplasticity, metadynamic recrystallisation and the calculation of mechanical properties are introduced, too. In the end of this article, several new applications that involve the use of stainless steels are presented. Some of these are the use of austenitic stainless steels for signature authentication (magnetic recording), the utilisation of the cryogenic magnetic transition of the sigma phase for hot spot detection (the Sigmaplugs), the new Pt-enhanced radiopaque stainless steel (PERSS) coronary stents and stainless steel stents that may be used for magnetic drug targeting. Besides recent developments in conventional stainless steels, those in the high-nitrogen, low-Ni (or Ni-free) varieties are also introduced. These recent developments include new methods for attaining very high nitrogen contents, new guidelines for alloy design, the merits/demerits associated with high nitrogen contents, etc.

Recent developments in stainless steels

Human tissue is structured mainly of self-assembled polymers (proteins) and ceramics (bone minerals), with metals present as trace elements with molecular scale functions. However, metals and their alloys have played a predominant role as structural biomaterials in reconstructive surgery, especially orthopedics, with more recent uses in non-osseous tissues, such as blood vessels. With the successful routine use of a large variety of metal implants clinically, issues associated with long-term maintenance of implant integrity have also emerged. This review focuses on metallic implant biomaterials, identifying and discussing critical issues in their clinical applications, including the systemic toxicity of released metal ions due to corrosion, fatigue failure of structural components due to repeated loading, and wearing of joint replacements due to movement. This is followed by detailed reviews on specific metallic biomaterials made from stainless steels, alloys of cobalt, titanium and magnesium, as well as shape memory alloys of nickel–titanium, silver, tantalum and zirconium. For each, the properties that affect biocompatibility and mechanical integrity (especially corrosion fatigue) are discussed in detail. Finally, the most critical challenges for metallic implant biomaterials are summarized, with emphasis on the most promising approaches and strategies.

Metallic implant biomaterials

Hot torsion tests, in the range 250–450 °C and 0.05–5.0 s−1, were performed on AlZnMgCu alloys (7012 and 7075), which had been direct chill cast, homogenized and precipitation treated to give fine, well-dispersed precipitates. Additional tests were conducted on material that had been extruded, solution treated or precipitation treated at deformation temperature. The peak flow stress was related to the strain rate by the hyperbolic sine equation; the activation energy for precipitated alloys was close to that of the bulk self-diffusion of pure aluminium. For solution-treated metal, the peak stress was very high at low temperatures due to dynamic precipitation; as a consequence, the activation energy was about 50% higher than that of precipitated alloys. The ductility was almost independent of temperature in the investigated range, but decreased with rising strain rate. The ductility of the extruded alloys was almost double that of the as-cast material, with the exception of the solution-treated material where, at low temperature, the ductility of the extruded alloy was lower. The original grains were elongated with precipitates on the boundaries. The dynamically recovered subgrains exhibited sub-boundaries with a high density of fine precipitates and an interior network of dislocations also tied to precipitates.

Comparative hot workability of 7012 and 7075 alloys after different pretreatments

High-temperature plastic deformation and dynamic recrystallization of AZ31 extruded (EX) and heat treated (FA) alloy was investigated in the temperature range between 200 and 400 °C. High-temperature straining resulted in partial dynamic recrystallization above 250 °C; in the EX alloy recrystallization was complete at 300 °C, while a moderate grain growth was observed at 400 °C. The peak flow stress dependence on temperature and strain rate are described by means of the conventional sinh equation; the calculation of the activation energy for high temperature in the whole range of temperature deformation gives Q  = 155 kJ/mol, i.e. a value that was reasonably close but higher than the activation energy for self diffusion in Mg. The microstructure resulting from high-temperature straining was found to be substantially different in EX and FA alloys; in particular, the EX alloy was characterized by a lower flow stress, a higher ductility and by a finer size of the dynamically recrystallized grains. These results are then discussed on the basis of the “necklace” mechanism of dynamic recrystallization.

Analysis of high-temperature deformation and microstructure of an AZ31 magnesium alloy

The microstructure and the mechanical properties of the WE54 magnesium alloy reinforced by 13 vol.% of silicon carbide particulates were studied. The composite material was prepared using a powder-metallurgical technique. Compressive deformation properties of the composite were investigated in the temperature range from room temperature up to 300 °C. Transmission electron microscopy revealed cuboidal precipitates in the matrix. Various strengthening mechanisms originating from the matrix and the reinforcing particles are discussed.

Strengthening in a WE54 magnesium alloy containing SiC particles

The microstructure and mechanical properties of a friction stir welded 6056-T6 aluminum alloy plate were investigated by using polarized optical and transmission electron microscopy techniques. The microstructure revealed different grain morphologies in the thermo-mechanically affected zones, in proximity of the weld nugget; the advancing side had fairly elongated, bent grains, whilst the broader retreating side had more elongated, narrower grains. On both sides in approach to the nugget zone, grain subdivision rose with shear strain despite rising temperature. Overaged precipitates in both thermo-mechanically affected zones are associated with minima in hardness. Tensile tests showed yield and ultimate strength slightly lower across the weld compared to the parent material as well as a reduction in ductility of the weld region.

Microstructure and mechanical property studies of AA6056 friction stir welded plate

An investigation of the effect of creep exposure on the microstructure of a 9Cr–1Mo alloy for steam tubing was performed. The samples were machined from a tube, austenised at 1323 K for 15 min and air cooled to room temperature, followed by tempering at 1023 K for 1 h. Creep tests were performed at 848, 873, 898 and 923 K for different loading conditions. The conventional power law was used to describe the minimum creep rate dependence on applied stress; the stress exponent was found to increase when temperature decreased. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the crept samples showed that during creep both subgrain and particle size increased; the statistical analysis of the dimensions of the precipitates revealed a bimodal distribution of particles that coarsen during creep exposure at testing temperatures. A linear dependence of subgrain size on the inverse of the modulus compensated stress was used to describe the softening of the dislocation substructure. A similar relationship was found to be also valid for particle carbides.

E. Evangelista

Papers

Comparative hot workability of 7012 and 7075 alloys after different pretreatments

Analysis of high-temperature deformation and microstructure of an AZ31 magnesium alloy

Strengthening in a WE54 magnesium alloy containing SiC particles

Microstructure and mechanical property studies of AA6056 friction stir welded plate

Evolution of microstructure in a modified 9Cr–1Mo steel during short term creep