Enhancing metallurgical and mechanical properties of friction stir lap welding of Al–Cu using intermediate layer

In this paper, the material behaviour and mechanical characteristics of lap joint friction stir welding (FSW) between dissimilar alloys, namely, Cu and Al, is investigated. In order to produce welds of a higher quality, a layer of Cu is anodised on the aluminium alloy. The mechanical and the microstructural characterisations are performed on the welds, which are produced using various welding parameters. Scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy is used to identify the elemental compositions of phases that are formed. The results reveal that the use of the copper anodised layer prevented formation of brittle intermetallic compounds due to the direct FSW of 6061 aluminium alloy to copper and, as a result, enhanced the weld metallurgical and mechanical properties.