Copper/brass laminates bonded by friction stir welding as method to study material flow

In this investigation, an attempt has been made to understand the material flow in friction stir welding. This has been done by friction stir welding stacked laminates of pure Cu and 60/40 brass to observe the patterns formed. Due to the difference in colour of the Cu and brass, visualization of the material flow was investigated. Results showed that in a longitudinal cross section of the FSW laminates, three distinct zones were apparent each with different attributes. The material properties and microstructure of the different zones were studied using a combination of SEM and EDX. Optical microscopy was also employed to study the microstructural changes that had occurred. 3 point bend tests were used in order to study the strength of the FSW laminates.