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.

Nitrided layers on 6082 aluminum alloy substrates and 1060 aluminum substrates are formed at atmospheric pressure using thermal nitrogen plasma, which only takes seconds to form a millimeter-level layer. The nitrided layers are composed of aluminum nitride (AlN) and aluminum solid solution phases. Microstructures in these nitrided layers can be divided into three regions from bottom to top: the transition region, the dendrite region, and the lamella region. These regions are formed in sequence. The formation mechanisms and processes of the three regions are discussed in detail. Furthermore, we found that Al melt is transported upward through the voids and the capillaries in the AlN structures, and reacts with N plasma in the melt surface. The growth of the AlN structures promotes this transport. With the increase of N₂ flow rates from 1 L/min to 7.5 L/min, both the hardness and the wear resistance of the nitrided layers are improved, and the nitrided layer becomes thicker.

Ti₃Al-Nb alloy (Ti-24Al-15Nb) was welded by a pulsed laser welding system without and with pure Nb filler metal. The results indicated that pure Nb filler metal had profound effects on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the laser-welded joints. The joint without filler metal consisted of the weld zone (α’₂ + B2), heat affected zone HAZ1 (α₂ + B2), HAZ2 (α₂ + O + B2) and base metal (α₂ + O + B2), and gas pores were generated in the weld resulting in the deterioration of the joint strength (330 MPa) and elongation (1.9%). When the Nb filler metal was used, the weld microstructure (NbTi solid solution + O + B2) was obtained, and the joint properties were significantly improved, which was associated with the strengthening effect of the NbTi solid solution, O phase precipitation and the slip transmission between O and B2 phases, and the restraining of the formation of martensite (α’₂) and gas pores in the weld. The strength (724 MPa) and elongation (5.1%) of the joint increased by 119.4% and 168.4% compared with those of the joint without filler metal, and the joint strength was able to reach 81.7% of the base metal strength (886 MPa). It is favorable to use pure Nb filler metal for improving the mechanical properties of laser-welded Ti₃Al-Nb alloy joints.