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

Perspectives on Titanium Science and Technology

Dynamic and post-dynamic recrystallization under hot, cold and severe plastic deformation conditions

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

A review of dynamic recrystallization phenomena in metallic materials

Morphology and Crystallography of the Precipitation of Austenite at Ferrite Grain Boundaries in Two-Phase Stainless Steel

The deformation microstructure produced by heavy cold rolling (from 70 % to 95 % reduction) of pearlitic structure with various amounts of rolling and the tensile strength of the cold rolled sheets were studied in the plain carbon steels with various carbon contents (0.6, 0.76, and 1.0 mass % C). The deformation microstructure was classified into the following three types; 1) Irregularly Bent Lamella (IBL): lamellae originally inclined with large angles to the rolling plane and irregularly bent after deformation, 2) Coarse Lamella with Shear band (CLS) : the rhomboidal blocks of weakly deformed lamellae bounded by shear band, 3) Fine Lamella (FL): heavily deformed lamellae aligned parallel to the rolling direction with fine interlamellar spacings. As rolling reduction increases, the proportion of FL increases. The tensile strength of cold rolled specimens increases with rolling reduction. Work hardening with respect to true strain by cold rolling is similar to that obtained by wire drawing. After 92 % cold rolling of 1.0 mass%C steel, the tensile strength over 2 500 MPa was achieved.

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Deformation microstructure and tensile strength of cold rolled pearlitic steel sheets

Microstructure and Mechanical Behaviour of Ferrous Martensite

The dynamic recrystallization behavior of austenite in an 18-8 stainless steel and an 18 Ni maraging steel was studied mainly by microstructural observations of the specimens which were water-quenched immediately after the tensile deformation to various strains at temperatures ranging from 800 to 1200 °C and at strain rates of 10'3 10-~ s-1, The changes in austenite grain size and hardness at room temperature due to the dynamic recrystallization were also studied. The deformation conditions for the occurrence of dynamic recrystallization in both steels were made clear as a function of deformation temperature

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Dynamic Recrystallization of Austenite in 18-8 Stainless Steel and 18 Ni Maraging Steel

The effect of ausforming on formation of upper bainite structure was investigated in Fe–9Ni–(0.15–0.5)C (mass%) alloys, focusing on the crystallographic feature of bainitic ferrite. The specimens were ausformed at 1073 or 873 K by 50% compressive reduction after austenitizing, and transformed at 623 K. Lath-shaped upper bainite structures similar to lath martensite are formed at 623 K. A bainite packet is partitioned into blocks of all the six variants of the K–S orientation relationship satisfying the same parallel close-packed plane relationship. In both of the non-ausformed and ausformed specimens, bainite blocks are coarsened with increasing carbon content. In the Fe–9Ni–0.15C alloy, the effect of ausforming on the bainite block width is small. For higher carbon alloys (Fe–9Ni–0.3C and 0.5C), bainite blocks are remarkably coarsened by the ausforming. In contrast, the ausforming refines lath martensite blocks in the Fe–9Ni–0.15C alloy but has a small effect in higher carbon alloys.

Tadashi Maki

Papers

Morphology and Crystallography of the Precipitation of Austenite at Ferrite Grain Boundaries in Two-Phase Stainless Steel

Deformation microstructure and tensile strength of cold rolled pearlitic steel sheets

Microstructure and Mechanical Behaviour of Ferrous Martensite

Dynamic Recrystallization of Austenite in 18-8 Stainless Steel and 18 Ni Maraging Steel

Crystallography of ausformed upper bainite structure in Fe–9Ni–C alloys