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Microstructure Development in Copper Welded by the FSW-Process

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Therese Källgren and
Rolf Sandström
Therese Källgren
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
Rolf Sandström
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden
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Abstract

To ensure safe storage of nuclear fuel waste, copper canisters are proposed as corrosion barrier. One alternative for sealing the copper canisters is Friction Stir Welding (FSW). During the joining process friction heat and mechanical deformation appear between the rotating tool and the material being welded. Liquid metal will not form, since this is a solid state welding process. Three distinct microstructural zones are developed namely the nugget, the thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) and heat-affected zone (HAZ). The nugget is in the centre of the weld, where the pin is located and where severe plastic deformation occurs that leads to recrystallisation. Surrounding the nugget, the TMAZ is only partially recrystallised, due to lower temperature increase and deformation compared to the nugget. The third zone, HAZ, surrounds the TMAZ. The initial nugget can have a classic round aluminium nugget image, when the welding conditions are cold, but the steady state nugget, is wider near the shoulder and shorter in the weld root.

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References

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