FRACTURE TOUGHNESS OF FRICTION STIR WELDED AA 5083 ALUMINUM ALLOY

In this present research, 6,5mm-thick 5083-O aluminum alloy was joined by friction stir welding (FSW) process at ambient temperature. The objective was investigated to establish effect of mechanical properties and fracture toughness behavior on samples from both the base material (BM) and the welded joint. Fracture toughness values were determined using single-edge notched bend (SENB) specimens that had fatigue pre-cracks, which were taken from both the BM and the welded metal. The fracture toughness tests were performed to define the crack-tip opening displacement at resistance curve (R-curve) with the values of J integral. The analyses conducted indicated an increase in toughness within the FSW joint compared to the base material.