Scripta Materialia 57 (2007) 873–876

www.elsevier.com/locate/scriptamat

Friction stir spot welding of hot-stamped boron steel

Y. Hovanski,a,* M.L. Santellab and G.J. Granta
a
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Energy Materials and Manufacturing, MSIN: K2-03,
902 Battelle Blvd., P.O. Box 999, Richland, WA 99352, USA
b
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
Received 11 June 2007; revised 19 June 2007; accepted 20 June 2007
Available online 6 August 2007

Hot-stamped boron steel was successfully joined via friction stir spot welding using polycrystalline cubic boron nitride tooling.
The resulting microstructure, microhardness and mechanical properties are reported, including a brief look into failure mechanisms.
Relationships between the unique mechanical mixing, phase transformations and failure initiation sites associated with joining mar-
tensitic steels are characterized.
 2007 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: FSW; Spot welding; Boron steel

Friction stir spot welding (FSSW), a relatively new their desirable mixture of mechanical properties. While
solid-state joining process receiving substantial scrutiny many joining methods are available for high-strength,
from the automotive industry, has proven to be a cost- low-alloy steels, AHSS with higher carbon and alloy
effective and productive means for joining lightweight percentages have proven to be more difficult [3]. Electric
structural alloys such as aluminum. Similar in concept resistance spot welding, typically employed by the auto-
and appearance to its predecessor, resistance spot weld- motive industry when joining structural steel compo-
ing (RSW), FSSW avoids the severe heating and cooling nents, has yet to prove a completely effective joining
cycles induced during the resistance method. Further- method for AHSS due to microstructural embrittlement
more, additional advantages and successes of the solid- created by extreme post-weld thermal gradients [4,5].
state approach have made FSSW the preferred method However, with recent successes in FSSW of several
for spot joining aluminum alloys [1,2]. AHSS, including DP600, DP800 and M-190 [6–8], an ef-
Recent enhancements in US automotive rollover fort was commenced to evaluate this joining process for
standards require vehicle designers to meet more strin- more problematic AHSS.
gent safety requirements. While these standards could Martensitic hot-stamped boron steel (HSBS) was
be met by simply increasing the amount of material used selected with a nominal tensile strength of more than
to construct the passenger compartment, such action 1500 MPa and elongations beyond 9%. The analyzed
would lead to substantial weight gain and decreased fuel chemical composition of this alloy, supplied by SSAB
efficiency. Achieving strict safety requirements without HardTech, was 0.20 C–1.26Mn–0.27Si–0.057Al–0.22Cr
adding weight necessitates increased utilization of mate- –0.04Ni–0.034Ti–0.019V–0.002B–0.007N (wt.%). This
rials with high-strength-to-weight ratios in structural steel was finished to 1.4 mm thick sheets that were heat
component design and fabrication. Several obvious treated to produce the martensitic microstructure with
material choices emerge including the use of advanced hardness of 46 Rockwell C, nominal yield strength of
high-strength steels (AHSS) with tensile strengths great- 1150 MPa, and tensile strength of 1550 MPa.
er than 1000 MPa. Such escalation in the use of AHSS Welding trials were performed on a friction stir weld-
only emphasizes the importance of providing viable ing research and development system (MTS ISTIR) de-
joining techniques that both preserve and protect the signed to maintain spindle runout of less than 0.01 mm
unique microstructural balance required to maintain in accordance with recommendations from toolmakers
developed while friction stir welding steels [9]. Lap welds
were formed between two 1.4 mm thick strips each
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 509 375 3940; fax: +1 509 375 with dimensions of approximately 100 mm in length
4448; e-mail: [email protected] and 31 mm in width. The strips were fixtured in a lap

1359-6462/$ - see front matter  2007 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.scriptamat.2007.06.060
874 Y. Hovanski et al. / Scripta Materialia 57 (2007) 873–876

2000 rpm were examined in combination with numerous

plunge schemes.
Each condition yielded a fully consolidated joint with
measurable differences in the final cross-sectional area of
the bonded region. Individual welds were evaluated via
optical microscopy and microhardness on transverse
Plunging Stirring Drawing out cross-sections, allowing metallurgical characterization
of the effects on welds made with varied process param-
Figure 1. Visual schematic of the three-step friction stir spot welding
process.
eters. A representative transverse cross-section and asso-
ciated micro-indentation map of a FSSW in HSBS
are presented in Figure 2, showing a weld made at
configuration with an overlap of 35 mm. Welds were 800 rpm with a 2.7 mm plunge depth. Distinct micro-
made at the center of the overlapping section following structural regions are shown in Figure 2A, including
a three-step approach outlined in Figure 1. The FSSW both a fully transformed weld nugget and heat-affected
process, similar to the plunge phase of linear friction stir zone (HAZ). Mixing around the tool as well as through
welding, provides frictional heating between the inter- the thickness of the stack is demonstrated by axial sym-
face of the tool pin and the top sheet that effectively in- metry and the clear upturned edge of the lower sheet.
creases the hot workability of the HSBS specimens. The microhardness data presented in Figure 2B exhibit
With sufficient reduction in the flow stress at tempera- a uniform hardness distribution within the weld nugget,
ture, a combination of forging and stirring joins the with the exception of a narrow horizontal band at the
two sheets without melting the base materials. Heat gen- nugget mid-plane. The hardness data also reveals a soft-
eration during the plunge phase softens material imme- ened region in the HAZ adjacent to the nugget that
diately adjacent to the tool pin and shoulder, thus grades outward to base metal properties 4–7 mm outside
providing a working volume of material that is mixed the weld nugget.
both axially about the tool and vertically through the Further investigation into the specific microstructures
thickness of the sheet interface. developed during the FSSW process and the post-weld
The selected tool material was polycrystalline cubic transformation was carried out via optical and scanning
boron nitride (PCBN) and was fabricated into a 20 electron microscopy. Figure 3 presents optical micro-
tapered three-flat conventional tool pin with a pin graphs of several regions within the weld and surround-
length of 2.3 mm. The tool shoulder was a 10.2 mm ing HAZ. Figure 3A maps out locations at a lower
diameter concave design. This tool material was selected magnification, and Figures 3B and C presents more de-
based on its well-documented success in friction stir tailed views of the representative microstructures in the
welding various other high-strength materials [10], and nugget and HAZ. The majority of the transformed nug-
with the intent of avoiding a tool material development get retained characteristics comparable to the original
study. Tools used in this study performed hundreds of martensitic base metal microstructure with the exception
welds in several AHSS without significant wear, yet of a thin region of ferrite originating from the interface
clearly they must survive many more in order to be of the two sheet stack to a location near the pinhole at
compatible with a mass production, automotive the center of the nugget. This distinctive band of ferrite
environment. remains along both sheet surfaces as well as throughout
All welds were produced with a two-stage plunge pro- the weld nugget. The property gradient within the HAZ
cess, initiated with a rapid plunge and followed by a shows increasing hardness radially outward from the
slow plunge that acted as a dwell period. Total weld nugget, which largely corresponds to the tempered
cycle time (initial touch down to the moment of tool condition of the martensite shown in Figure 3B. The
retraction) ranged from 1.9 to 10.5 s. Variation in cycle effective property depression is greatest immediately
time resulted from changing plunge velocity and dwell outside the weld nugget in the surrounding region of fer-
time. Initial plunge rates from 0.4 to 3 mm s 1 were ex- rite, although clearly such structural characteristics also
plored in conjunction with dwell plunge rates of 0.2 and penetrate the weld nugget as shown via microhardness
0.07 mm s 1. The influence of rotational velocity was in Figure 2B. The ferritic microstructure inherent in
also investigated; speeds of 800, 1200, 1600 and the narrow, softer region of the weld nugget is shown

Figure 2. (A) Transverse photo micrograph of a friction stir spot weld in HSBS; the weld was produced at 800 rpm with an initial plunge depth of
2.7 mm in 3.9 s. (B) A microhardness map of the same friction stir spot weld.
 Y. Hovanski et al. / Scripta Materialia 57 (2007) 873–876 875

Figure 3. Transverse photo micrographs of welded cross-sections in HSBS. (A) As-welded condition at 20· magnification. (B) Prominent tempered
martensite characteristic of the HAZ shown at 1000· magnification. (C) A narrow region of ferrite within the mostly martensitic nugget shown at
1000· magnification.

Figure 4. Transverse photo micrographs of friction stir spot welds in HSBS. (A) Crack propagation along the narrow band of ferrite in the weld
nugget of a specimen pulled to partial failure, shown at 5· magnification. (B) Ferritic band in the weld nugget of a friction stir spot weld in HSBS
shown at 200· magnification.

in Figures 3C and 4B, and is similar to the microstruc- softened zigzag region of ferrite within the weld nugget.
ture developed at the interface of the nugget and HAZ Crack propagation throughout the nugget tracing
shown by the darker region at this interface in Figures this narrow region and ultimately traversing the nugget
2A and 3A. follows the path of depressed strength values associated
Every weld condition was tested in unguided lap with this ferritic region of the nugget. Failure ulti-
shear showing only small deviations in strength, joined mately takes places at a direction perpendicular to the
area and associated energy for samples with like param- inner wall of the pinhole between the propagating
eters. Variation in weld parameters led to a much great- crack and the free surface. The origin of this softened
er variance in joint properties with lap shear tensile ferritic region is not clear. The ferrite could have
strengths ranging from 6 to 12 MPa associated with been stabilized either from dissolution of Al–Si surface
changes in rotational velocity, plunge rate and dwell oxides or from a slight decarburization of sheet surfaces
time. Plunge depth was an important variable affecting during processing and heat treating. Another possibility
bonded area and strength; however, other variables also exists relating surface kinetics and reactivity of the bor-
proved crucial in developing higher strengths. Devia- on steels with potential coatings or die lubricants used
tions in the initial plunge rates showed only a modest af- during the hot stamping process. Regardless of the ori-
fect on the overall weld size or lap shear strength, but gin of the ferrite zigzag band, clearly a more homoge-
alterations in the dwell times or rotational velocity neous weld nugget would dramatically change the
created vastly different reactions in all categorized current failure path, possibly leading to an increase in
responses. The importance of the dwell time was empha- overall bond strengths of friction stir spot welds in
sized under every condition, with an increased dwell HSBS.
yielding between a 40% and 90% direct increase in lap In conclusion, FSSW was successfully applied to hot-
shear strength for all plunge rates reported. Rotational stamped boron steels. Commercially available tool
velocity also clearly affected weld strengths, but the re- materials were effectively demonstrated to withstand
sponse differed for different tools and plunging the thermal and mechanical conditions inherent to
conditions. FSSW of HSBS steels at the laboratory scale. PCBN
To better understand the failure mechanisms, several tools were used for hundreds of welds in several AHSS
weld samples were pulled to partial failure by stopping without showing visual signs of deleterious wear. While
standard lap shear tensile tests at a set load drop and the current approach was an initial study showing the
prior to ultimate failure of the sample. A transverse applicability of FSSW to AHSS, further development
cross-section of a partially failed weld specimen is pre- of tool design and process parameters needs to be done
sented in Figure 4A showing crack propagation from before a more critical examination of mechanical prop-
the sheet interface along the thin ferritic region within erties is warranted. Additionally, an evident need to
the weld nugget. Examination of partially failed HSBS eliminate the narrow band of ferrite within the nugget
FSSW specimens show consistent failure along this must be addressed in future work.
876 Y. Hovanski et al. / Scripta Materialia 57 (2007) 873–876

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