Material flow and microstructural evolution during friction stir spot welding of AZ31 magnesium alloy

Material flow and local texture evolution during friction stir spot welding (FSSW) of AZ31 magnesium alloy was characterized by varying tool rotation rates. Texture at various locations of the welded region was measured using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Material flow is significantly influenced by tool rotation rate with a conical step spiral pin tool, and FSSW introduces a unique basal fiber texture in the welded region. Results indicate that local texture evolution is dominated by shear deformation through material flow. The tool shoulder applies both shear and compressive deformation to the upper region material; however, the rotating pin introduces only shear deformation to the adjacent material. As the tool rotation rate increases, the effect of both tool shoulder and pin becomes more prominent by introducing a higher degree of basal pole tilt with respect to the initial rolling texture at the periphery of the pin, but less tilt in the upper region beneath the tool shoulder undersurface. The equiaxed fine grain structure in the stir zone appears to result from the twinning-induced dynamic recrystallization and discontinuous dynamic recrystallization.