The grain refinement mechanisms along the material flow path in pure and high-purity Al were examined, using the marker insert and tool stop action methods, during the rapid cooling friction stir welding using liquid CO2. In pure Al subjected to a low welding temperature of 0.56Tm (Tm: melting point), the resultant microstructure consisted of a mixture of equiaxed and elongated grains, including the subgrains. Discontinuous dynamic recrystallization (DDRX), continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX), and geometric dynamic recrystallization are the potential mechanisms of grain refinement. Increasing the welding temperature and Al purity encouraged dynamic recovery, including dislocation annihilation and rearrangement into subgrains, leading to the acceleration of CDRX and inhibition of DDRX. Both C- and B/-type shear textures were developed in microstructures consisting of equiaxed and elongated grains. In addition, DDRX via high-angle boundary bulging resulted in the development of the 45° rotated cube texture. The B/ shear texture was strengthened for the fine microstructure, where equiaxed recrystallized grains were fully developed through CDRX. In these cases, the texture is closely related to grain structure development.
Keywords: aluminum; dynamic recrystallization; friction stir welding; microstructural evolution.