Microstructure based modeling of friction stir welded joint of dissimilar metals using crystal plasticity

The friction stir welding (FSW) process shows promising results in joining dissimilar metals which are otherwise almost impossible to join using traditional welding techniques. Being a new technique, the deformation and the failure mechanism of the joints made by the FSW process needs to be investigated. In this work, a joint between AZ31 Mg alloy and DP590 steel is modeled using phenomenological crystal plasticity formulation on the mesoscale in the form of a representative volume element (RVE). The interface of the two materials is modeled using a cohesive zone model. A parametric study has been performed to understand the effect of grain size and interface fracture toughness as well as strength on the mechanical performance of the joint. It was found that the grain size of AZ31 Mg alloy, as well as DP590 steel, has little effect on the overall joint performance. On the other hand, interface fracture toughness and strength have a significant impact on the mechanical properties of the joint.

Convergence of the BEM Solution Applied to the CCFFM for LEBIM

A procedure based on the Linear Elastic Brittle Interface Model (LEBIM) combined with the Coupled Criterion of Finite Fracture Mechanics (CCFFM) is successfully implemented in a 2D Boundary Element Method (BEM) code. In the original LEBIM formulation, the values of the interface strength, fracture toughness and stiffness are dependent on each other. Therefore, for a large interface stiffness, when the elastic interface tends to a perfect (infinitely stiff) interface, LEBIM is not able to properly characterize the crack propagation. The use of the CCFFM applied to LEBIM, with both the stress and energy criteria imposed as independent fracture conditions, allows to uncouple the interface fracture toughness and strength, obtaining realistic predictions for crack propagation even for stiff interfaces. This code is successfully applied to the problem of debond onset and growth in the pull push test. A benchmark problem is solved, focusing on the convergence of the load-displacement curve and crack-tip solution for h-refinements of BE meshes.