Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of the Al–Cu dissimilar joint enhanced by stationary-dynamic shoulder friction stir welding

Material mixing and intermetallic compounds (IMCs) are the key factors that affect the mechanical properties of dissimilar metal joints. In this paper, a feasible method of stationary-dynamic shoulder friction stir welding has been developed, which reduces the mixing of materials and inhibit the growth of IMCs during the Al-Cu welding process. The stationary-dynamic shoulder was composed of a stationary shoulder with a larger diameter and a rotational shoulder with a smaller diameter. While the stationary shoulder provided the upsetting force to guarantee the weld formation, the rotational shoulder served for material stirring and heat input. Compared with conventional friction stir welding, the mechanical properties of joints obtained by the new method were significantly improved. The maximum tensile strength was 243 MPa, which was equivalent to 90 % of Cu base metal and 54 % of Al base metal. Furthermore, the evolution of IMCs across the transition layer was analyzed in depth. The results indicated that, with an increase in the rotation speed, the IMCs layer gradually became thicker. However, when the thickness reached a certain level, it promoted the generation of micro-cracks on IMCs and reduced the strength of the joint. According to thermodynamic and kinetic analysis, IMCs were formed with respect to Al2Cu-Al4Cu9 sequence, which was consistent with transmission electron microscopy results.