Extent of interlocking and metallurgical bonding in friction riveting of aluminum alloy to steel

• Published in: International journal of advanced manufacturing technology Vol. 128; no. 7-8; pp. 2899 - 2911
• Main Authors: Srivastava, Abhinav, Das, Hrishikesh, Tamayo, Daniel Ramirez, Li, Lei, Pole, Mayur, Gwalani, Bharat, Soulami, Ayoub, dos Santos, Jorge F., Kappagantula, Keerti S., Reza-E-Rabby, Md
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Springer London 01-10-2023; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aluminum alloys; Aluminum base alloys; Automobiles; Bearing strength; Bonding; CAE) and Design; Computer-Aided Engineering (CAD; Dissimilar material joining; Engineering; Failure mechanisms; Finite element method; Friction; High speed tool steels; Industrial and Production Engineering; Load carrying capacity; Locking; Mechanical Engineering; Media Management; Metallurgy; Microstructure; Original Article; Peak load; Riveting; Room temperature; Shear tests; Weight reduction; DP590 steel; Finite element modeling; Friction riveting (fric-riveting); AA6061 aluminum alloys
• ISSN: 0268-3768; 1433-3015
• DOI: 10.1007/s00170-023-12111-8

In this study, the joining of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy and DP590 steel using a M42 steel rivet via friction riveting technique is investigated. The surface morphology and microstructure characterization reveal the formation of an anchor zone that imparts mechanical interlock as well as the formation of metallurgical bonds at the interface of aluminum and steel. A combination of interlocking and bonding results in the achievement of a high load-carrying capacity of 5.7 kN during lap shear testing at room temperature. A finite element-based computational model was developed which accurately predicted the lap shear response of the joint. The model revealed that the metallurgical bond formed during fric-riveting adds 39% peak load strength to the joint. An extensive microstructural investigation, post-lap-shear fractography, and the modeling results, together provided insights on the joint failure mechanism. This study highlights that friction riveting is a promising method for aluminum-to-steel dissimilar joining, which is important for lighweighing automotive vehicles for energy efficiency.