Microstructure and properties of friction stir welded 2219 aluminum alloy under heat treatment and electromagnetic forming process

Among available processing technologies of heat-treatable aluminum alloys such as the 2219 aluminum alloy, the use of both friction stir welding (FSW) as joining technology and electromagnetic forming (EMF) for plastic formation technology have obvious advantages and successful applications. Therefore, significant potential exists for these processing technologies, both of which can be used on the 2219 aluminum alloy, to manufacture large-scale, thin-wall parts in the astronautic industry. The microstructure and mechanical properties of 2219 aluminum alloy under a process which compounded FSW, heat treatment, and EMF were investigated by means of a tensile test as well as via both an optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results show that the reduction of strength, which was caused during the FSW process, can be recovered effectively. This can be accomplished by a post-welding heat treatment composed of solid solution and aging. However, ductility was still reduced after heat treatment. Under the processing technology composed of FSW, heat treatment, and EMF, the forming limit of the 2219 aluminum alloy decreased distinctly due to the poor ductility of the welding joint. A ribbon pattern was found on the fractured surface of welded 2219 aluminum alloy after EMF treatment, which was formed due to the banded structure caused by the FSW process. Because of the effects of induced eddy current in the EMF process, the material fractured, forming a unique structure which manifested as a molten surface appearance under SEM observation.