Joining of stainless steel and copper materials with friction welding

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate mechanical and metallurgical variations at interfaces of commercial austenitic‐stainless steel and copper materials welded by friction welding.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, austenitic‐stainless commercial steel and copper materials are welded using the friction welding method. The optimum parameters are obtained for the joints. The joints are applied to the tensile and micro‐hardness tests. Then, micro‐ and macro‐photos of the joints are examined.FindingsIt is found that some of the welds show poor strength depending on some accumulation of alloying elements at the interface result of temperature rise and the existence of intermetallic layers.Research limitations/implicationsIt would be interesting to search about the toughness values and fatigue behaviour of the joints. It could be a good idea for future work to concentrate on the friction welding of these materials.Practical implicationsFriction welding can be achieved at high‐production rates and therefore is economical in operation. In applications where friction welding has replaced other joining processes, the production rate has been increased substantially.Originality/valueThe main value of this paper is to contribute to the literature on friction welding of dissimilar materials.