Description
A Master of Science thesis in Mechanical Engineering by Ali Abdel Ghani Ali Barakat entitled, “Experimental Investigations of Friction Stir Welded Metal-Polymer Hybrid Structure”, submitted in April 2023. Thesis advisor is Dr. Basil Darras and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Mohammad Nazzal. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).
Abstract
In the last decade, there has been a surge in interest in hybrid structures, particularly those that combine aluminum or magnesium alloys with polymeric materials. Mechanical fastening, riveting, and bonding are examples of traditional methods of joining metals and polymers. However, these methods have several limitations such as extended curing times, low dependability joints, and stress concentration. The fundamental difficulty in combining metals and plastics is the considerable disparity in structure and surface energy between both materials, which is a crucial reason that makes a sound connection difficult to produce. To overcome the limitations of traditional joining methods, a different approach to combining different materials is required. In comparison to traditional methods, friction stir welding as a joining technique for metal-to-polymer hybrid connections is a promising alternative. Recently, there has been a growing interest in research projects aimed at determining the feasibility of employing friction stir welding for joining dissimilar materials. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate friction stir welding of AA6061 aluminum alloy sheets to Polyamide 6 (PA6). In this work, the impact of welding parameters on the mechanical, microstructural, and material flow of the hybrid joint was addressed. A comprehensive evaluation of the process based on a multidimensional sustainability assessment model, as well as comparisons to other conventional joining techniques such as adhesive bonding and self-piercing riveting were addressed.