Three-dimensional mapping of residual stresses and crack propagation in refill friction stir spot welded aluminium samples via synchrotron X-ray diffraction and X-ray micro-computed tomography
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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In: International Journal of Fatigue, Vol. 202, 109223, 01.2026.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Three-dimensional mapping of residual stresses and crack propagation in refill friction stir spot welded aluminium samples via synchrotron X-ray diffraction and X-ray micro-computed tomography
AU - Bernardi, Matteo
AU - Canelo-Yubero, David
AU - Chen, Ting
AU - Suhuddin, Uceu F. H.
AU - Bergmann, Luciano
AU - Klusemann, Benjamin
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
PY - 2026/1
Y1 - 2026/1
N2 - Refill Friction Stir Spot Welding (refill FSSW) shows strong potential to replace riveting in the aerospace industry. However, the complex deformation and thermal effects associated with this process lead to residual stresses that may influence the fatigue life of the joint. This study reveals for the first time the non-uniform residual stresses across the thickness of a refill FSSW aluminium joint using synchrotron X-ray radiation in combination with a conical slit cell. Clear differences can be observed in the stresses between the region subjected to plasticisation and that affected solely by heat input. A fatigue testing campaign on the aluminium joints demonstrated their high reproducibility and robustness. X-ray micro-computed tomography enabled the three-dimensional visualisation of fatigue crack nucleation and propagation morphology, the latter correlated with the tensile residual stresses in the weld area. The results can contribute to the development of more accurate fatigue life prediction models and improve the overall reliability of refill FSSW aluminium joints in engineering applications.
AB - Refill Friction Stir Spot Welding (refill FSSW) shows strong potential to replace riveting in the aerospace industry. However, the complex deformation and thermal effects associated with this process lead to residual stresses that may influence the fatigue life of the joint. This study reveals for the first time the non-uniform residual stresses across the thickness of a refill FSSW aluminium joint using synchrotron X-ray radiation in combination with a conical slit cell. Clear differences can be observed in the stresses between the region subjected to plasticisation and that affected solely by heat input. A fatigue testing campaign on the aluminium joints demonstrated their high reproducibility and robustness. X-ray micro-computed tomography enabled the three-dimensional visualisation of fatigue crack nucleation and propagation morphology, the latter correlated with the tensile residual stresses in the weld area. The results can contribute to the development of more accurate fatigue life prediction models and improve the overall reliability of refill FSSW aluminium joints in engineering applications.
KW - Fatigue
KW - Fatigue crack propagation
KW - Refill friction stir spot welding
KW - Residual stress
KW - Synchrotron radiation
KW - Engineering
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105013502351&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2025.109223
DO - 10.1016/j.ijfatigue.2025.109223
M3 - Journal articles
AN - SCOPUS:105013502351
VL - 202
JO - International Journal of Fatigue
JF - International Journal of Fatigue
SN - 0142-1123
M1 - 109223
ER -