Effects of postweld aging on the microstructure and properties of bobbin tool friction stir-welded 6082-T6 aluminum alloy

Samples of 6082-T6 aluminum alloy were subjected to bobbin tool friction stir welding (BT-FSW), and the joints were treated by postweld natural aging (PWNA) and postweld artificial aging (PWAA). The microstructure, microhardness, and tensile properties of the aged and as-welded specimens were investigated. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations revealed that a large number of Guinier-Preston (GP) zones precipitated in the form of a network on the stir zone (SZ) after PWNA for 60 d, and a large number of β″ phases precipitated in the matrix for after PWAA for 6 h. As the aging time increased, the microhardness of the SZ and the thermomechanically affected zone (TMAZ) increased significantly, and the hardness of the SZ after PWAA for 6 h was close to that of the base metal (BM). With increasing PWNA time, the strength and strain increased slightly. When the PWAA time increased, the strength clearly increased, with a maximum value of 279.9 MPa after 6 h, while the strain decreased.