Effects of Preheating on Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Friction Stir Welded Thin Low Carbon Steel Joints

Friction stir welding of a low carbon steel plate having thickness 0.5 mm was performed with preheating the base material to increase the joining performance. The rotational speed of the tool was set from 1500 to 2000 rpm with a constant travel speed of 15 mm/min and preheating temperatures of 50 to 150 °C. The tensile strength of 340 MPa was achieved for the preheated specimen compared to 310 MPa for the non-preheating specimen at the welding speed of 15 mm/min. Electron microscope images of the preheated joint revealed plasticised material flow and dynamic recrystallisation, which resulted in the grain refinement that had increased the joining strength. The weld thinning issue was almost eliminated in the preheated welded specimen. However, by increasing the preheat temperature further, the tensile strength decreases due to the formation of defects from excessive heat. The preheated sample fractured at the base metal, revealing a ductile fracture mode.