Microstructural Evolution in the Stir Zone of a Friction-Stir-Processed Microalloyed Al-Mn-Cu Alloy

The study investigates the microstructure evolution in the stir zone produced by the friction stir processing (FSP) of a heat-treated microalloyed Al-Mn-Cu alloy in the area subjected to the highest temperature, strain, and strain rate. The samples were studied using electron microscopy and atom probe tomography (APT) to obtain structural and chemical information from the macro to the nano scale. FSP refines the dendritic Al-rich solid solution grains through dynamic recrystallisation in the range of a few micrometres. The primary intermetallic phases were dispersed to the particles in the 0.5–3 µm range and transformed mainly into a more stable τ1-Al29Mn6Cu4 phase. The fraction of dispersed particles after FSP increased due to the precipitation from the solid solution during cooling. The nanoscale quasicrystalline precipitates in the matrix, formed upon heat treatment, dissolved entirely during FSP, while the strong coarsening of the L12 precipitates occurred due to high temperatures in the stir zone. After FSP, the hardness of the stir zone was nearly identical for specimens in the as-cast and heat-treated conditions.