The corrosion fatigue properties and fracture characteristics of friction stir welding joints of 7075 aluminum alloys were studied via corrosion fatigue tests, electrochemical measurements, and corrosion fatigue morphology and microstructure observations. The results show that the corrosion fatigue crack of the friction stir welding (FSW) joint of 7075 aluminum alloys originated in the junction zone between the thermomechanically affected zone and the weld nugget zone. The corrosion fatigue life of the joint decreased with increasing stress amplitude, with an S-N curve equation of lgN = 5.845 - 0.014S. Multiple crack sources were observed in the corrosion fatigue fracture. The main crack source originated from the corrosion pits at the interface between the thermomechanically affected zone and the weld nugget zone due to the influence of the coarse microstructure and the large potential difference between both zones. Corrosion morphologies of a rock candy block and an ant nest appeared in the crack propagation zone and the grain boundary of the weld nugget zone. In addition, fatigue speckles and intergranular fractures were observed, as well as brittle fracture characterized by cleavage steps and secondary cracks in the final fracture zone.
Keywords: 7075 aluminum alloy; FSW joint; corrosion fatigue; fracture characters; microscopic structure.