Effect of tool plunge depth on the microstructure and fracture behavior of AZ91 magnesium alloy refill friction stir spot welded joints

We used refill friction stir spot welding (RFSSW) to join 2-mm-thick AZ91D-H24 magnesium alloy sheets, and we investigated in detail the effect of tool plunge depth on the microstructure and fracture behavior of the joints. A sound joint surface can be obtained using plunge depths of 2.0 and 2.5 mm. Plunge depth was found to significantly affect the height of the hook, with greater plunge depths corresponding to more severe upward bending of the hook, which compromised the tensile-shear properties of the joints. The hardness reached a minimum at the thermo-mechanically affected zone due to the precipitation phases of this zone as it dissolved into the α-matrix during the welding process. The fracture modes of RFSSW joints can be divided into three types: shear fracture, plug fracture, and shear—plug fracture. Of these, the joint with a shear—plug fracture exhibited the best tensile-shear load of 6400 N.