Preliminary study of the mechanical characteristics implementation of friction stir welded AA2024 joints by adding pure copper

In the present paper, the mechanical properties of a AA2024 welded by Friction Stir Welding (FSW) were examined, both homogeneously and using a commercial pure copper sheet positioned between the edges to be welded in two configurations, T and C. The temperature trends reached during the FSW process were extrapolated through the development of a simulative model, to select the best combination of parameters to use in the experimental phase of the campaign. After that, the FSWed homogeneous and heterogeneous joints were executed and analysed. From the mechanical point of view, Rockwell B hardness tests and tensile tests were performed. It was possible to evidence a good relationship between the hardness distribution and the presence of the copper, especially at the nugget. On the contrary, the tensile tests executed orthogonally to the welding direction, showed a reduction of the tensile strength and of the real elongation percentage in the aluminium-copper heterogeneous FSWed joints.