Influence of Friction Stir Welding on Microstructure and Fatigue Life of 6082-T6 Aluminum Alloy

Influence of Friction Stir Welding on Microstructure and Fatigue Life of 6082-T6 Aluminum Alloy | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Influence of Friction Stir Welding on Microstructure and Fatigue Life of 6082-T6 Aluminum Alloy samir zahaf, CHAIB Mohamed, Bouchouicha Benattou, Mouloud Dahmane, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7217495/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 18 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This work investigates the effects of friction stir welding (FSW) on the microstructure and mechanical behavior of 6082-T6 aluminum alloy joints. A combination of mechanical testing (tensile strength, fatigue crack growth per ASTM E-647, and microhardness measurements) and advanced microstructural characterization (optical and scanning electron microscopy, elemental analysis via X-ray fluorescence) was used to evaluate the welded assemblies. The weld zones namely the stir zone (nugget), thermomechanically affected zone (TMAZ), heat-affected zone (HAZ), and base metal (BM) exhibited significant differences in grain structure and elemental distribution. Dynamic recrystallization was observed in the nugget, while grain coarsening and softening occurred in the HAZ, particularly on the advancing side. Fatigue tests revealed a decrease in crack growth resistance in the welded joint compared to the base metal, especially under high stress intensity factors. The presence of iron-rich inclusions in the weld region suggests material transfer from the tool, potentially affecting long-term joint performance. Although FSW provides a sound and defect-free joining process for this alloy, local mechanical weakening remains a concern. The findings emphasize the importance of optimizing process parameters to improve structural integrity and fatigue durability. FSW Microstructure Mechanical properties Fatigue crack growth Heat-affected zone (HAZ) Dynamic recrystallization Tool wear inclusions Full Text Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 18 Apr, 2026 Read the published version in The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Major Revisions Needed 01 Jan, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Dec, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 01 Aug, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 31 Jul, 2025 First submitted to journal 29 Jul, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7217495","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":494325902,"identity":"024b80a9-e93a-45b1-9315-722c63a3a1b4","order_by":0,"name":"samir zahaf","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAABB0lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFACHgaGCiDFxsDY+ODDDxsgk7HxAEEtZ8BamJsNZ/akgbQ0EKeFgYG9TZqH7TCYiVeLfPvZgx8O/LGL5pM+2CY5g+e83dr2w0BbamyicWlh7MlLljjYlpzbxpfYbPHB4nbytjOJQC3H0nIbcGhhZsgxkP7YwJzbxsPYeHMGz+1kswNALYwNh3FqYeN/Y/zjwJ96kJYGoF/OJZudf4hfC49EjpnEAbbDIC1NQC0H7MxuELBFQuKNmcXBtuMgLaBATk4wuwG0JQGPX+T7c4xvHPhTnTu/h/0hMCrt7M3OpwMZNTY4tWCARLDKBGKVg4A9KYpHwSgYBaNgZAAABTBmppHke+0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"universityy of hkamis meliana","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"samir","middleName":"","lastName":"zahaf","suffix":""},{"id":494325903,"identity":"926f61a6-369e-43fa-b910-1ca5ce340bcf","order_by":1,"name":"CHAIB Mohamed","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"CHAIB","middleName":"","lastName":"Mohamed","suffix":""},{"id":494325904,"identity":"6a64233a-469d-49aa-b937-098f945d91e0","order_by":2,"name":"Bouchouicha Benattou","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Bouchouicha","middleName":"","lastName":"Benattou","suffix":""},{"id":494325905,"identity":"a97f1a15-2f3d-443e-b0cf-74b1aaa4ed6b","order_by":3,"name":"Mouloud Dahmane","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mouloud","middleName":"","lastName":"Dahmane","suffix":""},{"id":494325906,"identity":"b372a3c7-8ac9-4166-9015-f5e2303fd9f1","order_by":4,"name":"Ghalem Mehdi","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ghalem","middleName":"","lastName":"Mehdi","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2025-07-25 22:49:12","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7217495/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7217495/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[{"content":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-026-17665-x","type":"published","date":"2026-04-18T15:57:52+00:00"}],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":107350750,"identity":"5899698b-dea5-4cbf-a80a-4debacd7683d","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-20 16:02:55","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":3609881,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"ArticleFSW.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7217495/v1_covered_153345bf-1d87-49ac-809e-09e1acb4a712.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"","formattedTitle":"Influence of Friction Stir Welding on Microstructure and Fatigue Life of 6082-T6 Aluminum Alloy","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"the-international-journal-of-advanced-manufacturing-technology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"jamt","sideBox":"Learn more about [The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology](https://www.springer.com/journal/170)","snPcode":"170","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/170/3","title":"The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"FSW, Microstructure, Mechanical properties, Fatigue crack growth, Heat-affected zone (HAZ), Dynamic recrystallization, Tool wear inclusions","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7217495/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7217495/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThis work investigates the effects of friction stir welding (FSW) on the microstructure and mechanical behavior of 6082-T6 aluminum alloy joints. A combination of mechanical testing (tensile strength, fatigue crack growth per ASTM E-647, and microhardness measurements) and advanced microstructural characterization (optical and scanning electron microscopy, elemental analysis via X-ray fluorescence) was used to evaluate the welded assemblies. The weld zones namely the stir zone (nugget), thermomechanically affected zone (TMAZ), heat-affected zone (HAZ), and base metal (BM) exhibited significant differences in grain structure and elemental distribution. Dynamic recrystallization was observed in the nugget, while grain coarsening and softening occurred in the HAZ, particularly on the advancing side. Fatigue tests revealed a decrease in crack growth resistance in the welded joint compared to the base metal, especially under high stress intensity factors. The presence of iron-rich inclusions in the weld region suggests material transfer from the tool, potentially affecting long-term joint performance. Although FSW provides a sound and defect-free joining process for this alloy, local mechanical weakening remains a concern. The findings emphasize the importance of optimizing process parameters to improve structural integrity and fatigue durability.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Influence of Friction Stir Welding on Microstructure and Fatigue Life of 6082-T6 Aluminum Alloy","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-08-12 13:04:15","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7217495/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Major Revisions Needed","date":"2026-01-01T08:56:51+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2025-12-01T14:08:46+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-08-01T13:11:34+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-08-01T00:40:41+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology","date":"2025-07-29T13:38:19+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"the-international-journal-of-advanced-manufacturing-technology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"jamt","sideBox":"Learn more about [The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology](https://www.springer.com/journal/170)","snPcode":"170","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/170/3","title":"The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"939e2d89-9580-493c-b91d-7dd920fadb49","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 12th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-20T16:01:10+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-7217495","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-026-17665-x","journal":{"identity":"the-international-journal-of-advanced-manufacturing-technology","isVorOnly":false,"title":"The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology"},"publishedOn":"2026-04-18 15:57:52","publishedOnDateReadable":"April 18th, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-08-12 13:04:15","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s00170-026-17665-x","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-026-17665-x","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7217495","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7217495","identity":"rs-7217495","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}