Numerical analysis of effect of backplate diffusivity on the transient temperature in friction stir welding

It is still not clearly known as to what extent the temperature field of friction stir welding joint is influenced by backplate diffusivity owing to the limitation of temperature measuring points. In the present study, therefore, the effect of backplate diffusivity on the temperature field of the workpiece was systematically investigated based on the numerical analysis. Simulated results show that the backplate diffusivity has a significant influence on not only the peak temperature but the final temperature distribution. More heat is dissipated by using a high thermal conductivity backplate during FSW. With increasing the backplate diffusivity, the peak temperature decreases gradually and the average cooling rate increases first and then slightly decreases. In addition, the time spent above 195 °C presents a nearly linear decrease with increasing the backplate diffusivity. Moreover, the width of temperature region higher than 195 °C in the transverse direction is remarkably diminished by using the backplate of a high conductivity, and changes little during the entire process.