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Abstract
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Aluminum 6061-T6 alloys have numerous applications in the industry due to their unique properties such as
higher corrosion resistance and strength-to-weight ratio. Friction stir welding is also a technique that can be used
in aluminum joints because of its numerous advantages. In this paper, optimum friction stir welding parameters
that lead to a higher failure load are obtained using tensile test data and analysis of variance technique. According
to the analysis of variance results, it is found that the tool rotational speed has a major effect among the
welding parameters on the failure load. Then, creep tests are carried out on non-welded and welded specimens to
predict their creep behavior. The Norton power law equation is used as a creep constitutive equation to model
the creep behavior of the specimens. The model is used to predict the creep lifetime of the welded and nonwelded
rotating pressurized vessels. The results show that an optimally welded vessel can only sustain up to
0.75 of pressure for the non-welded vessel with the same rotating speed. Since this comparison is not straightforward
because of the number of affecting parameters. Hence, the reference stress method is used to produce a
set of diagrams that provide design conditions and optimum creep lifetime for the friction stir welded Al 6061-T6
rotating pressurized vessels
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