Samples of 6082-T6 aluminum alloy were welded by bobbin tool friction stir welding at different rotational speeds. The thermal cycles, microstructure, microhardness, and tensile properties of the specimens were investigated. The results show that the maximum temperature at the joint increases first and then decreases with increasing rotational speed, and the maximum temperature is 509 °C at 1000 r/min. The macromorphology of the cross-section of the joint is rectangular, and an ‘’S” line and gray-white texture can be observed. The stirred zone had much smaller equiaxed recrystallized grains. With increasing welding speed, the average grain size in the stirred zone region decreases. The microhardness distribution of the cross-section of all joints is W-shaped. When the rotational speed increases, the hardness of the heat-affected zone decreases gradually, and the hardness of the stirred zone increases. At 600 r/min, the strength is the lowest. The fracture location is between the stirred zone and the thermomechanically affected zone. When the rotational speed is increased, the fracture location is entirely located in the heat affected zone, and the fracture surface is dimple-like; the strength significantly increases and reaches a maximum at 800 r/min.

With the rapid development of various industries, the connection of copper and aluminum is in high demand. However, as a solid-phase connection technology, friction stir welding has a potential application prospect in the connection of copper and aluminum. This paper comprehensively summarizes the most recent 20 years of the literature related to the friction stir welding of copper and aluminum. The application significance of copper and aluminum connectors is introduced, and the research field of the friction stir welding of copper and aluminum is analyzed and explored from the aspects of welding technology, microstructure and mechanical properties, as well as innovations and improvements in the welding process. In view of the research status of this field, the authors put forward their views and prospects for its future, aiming to provide a basis for researchers in this field.

In this paper, the effect of different shapes of tool pin on the plastic flow of 2024-T6 aluminum alloy during friction stir welding was studied. In order to observe the plastic flow of materials more clearly, we chose the method of friction stir welding of dissimilar materials, considering the different corrosive characteristics of aluminum alloys made of different materials when exposed to the same corrosive liquid. By studying and comparing the temperature field, macro and microstructure, microhardness and tensile properties of welded joints, the results indicated that the metal in the weld nugget zone (WNZ) mainly came from the base metal of the advancing side, the thread being the driving force of the downward movement of the FSW plastic metal. The deep groove thread tool pin had the strongest ability to drive the metal downward. The conical cam thread tool pin had the strongest stirring effect on materials and the best metal fluidity. The macroscopic morphology, microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture morphology of different joints were analyzed, and the results showed that all joints could form an excellent union, with an onion ring pattern appearing in cross-section. The minimum grain size of the WNZ formed by the conical cam thread stirring head was 7~12 μm; the hardness was least at the junction of the heat affected zone (HAZ) and the thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ). However, the hardness of the weld formed by the conical cam thread at this point was higher than that of other stirring heads; the tensile strength of all joints was more than 80% of the BM, and the maximum tensile strength of the joint welded by the conical cam thread tool pin was 364.27 MPa, accounting for 86.73% of the base metal (BM). The elongation after break was 14.95%. Tensile fracture morphology analysis showed that all joints were fractured by plastic fracture.

In this paper, 5083 aluminum alloy and T2 copper were selected for the friction stir lap welding test. The effect of intermetallic compounds on the microstructure and properties of Al/Cu dissimilar metal lap joints was studied. The results showed that the circulating Al/Cu composite structure was formed on the advancing side of the lap joint, and the Al/Cu staggered hook-like structure and copper-rich region were generated on the retreating side. There was no typical ‘onion ring’ structure in the joint. Element diffusion occurred at the interface of the joint, forming a thin and uniform interfacial layer of Al/Cu intermetallic compounds, thus achieving a well-metallurgical bond at the Al/Cu interface. There were the intermetallic compounds Al₂Cu and Al₄Cu₉, without AlCu, in the lap joint. In addition, dynamic recrystallization occurred in the nugget zone, and higher dislocation density and dislocation entanglement were generated, which enhanced the deformation resistance in the nugget zone and increased the joint strength. The tensile test showed that the ductile–brittle mixed fracture occurred in the heat-affected zone on the advancing side of the aluminum plate, and the fracture had necking. The failure load of the lap joint was 4350 ± 30 N, about 80% of the aluminum base metal. The elongation of the Al/Cu dissimilar lap joint tensile specimen was 2.5%.

Samples of 4-mm-thick 6082-T6 aluminum alloy were subjected to friction stir welding (FSW), and the different lazy “S” morphology of joint cross section and weld surface was obtained corresponding to five groups' welding parameters. Based on the diffusion and kinetics equation of the oxygen–aluminum interface film, a vortex current model of lazy “S” motion trajectory composed of (A → B → C → D → E) five points which was affected thermomechanical action by temperature field, non-Newtonian fluid and stress field was provided. It was found that the oxygen–aluminum interface film theory not only explained the growth mechanism of lazy “S” and the phenomenon that the lazy “S” on the weld surface disappeared as the welding speed increases, but also clarified the reason why there is no significant difference in cross-section lazy “S” width. In addition, the vortex current model of the accumulation area at the back of the stirring tool illustrated the regularity of the movement trajectory forming of the cross-section lazy “S” and the variation of the position of the lazy “S” of the weld surface deviated from the weld centerline.