Understanding precipitate evolution during friction stir welding of Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloy through in-situ measurement coupled with simulation

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) imparts both heat and deformation to the metal being joined, producing profound microstructural changes that determine the weld properties. In the case of welding of aerospace aluminium alloys, the most important change is the modification of the size, nature, and fraction of strengthening precipitates. To understand these changes requires the ability to measure the microstructural evolution during the welding...