Ultrasound-assisted friction stir transient liquid phase spot welded dissimilar copper-aluminum joint

Ultrasound assistance was applied to friction stir transient liquid phase spot welding (FSTLPSW) to attain a high-quality dissimilar copper-aluminum joint in this study. Different ultrasound-assisted times were selected for comparing with the conventional condition without ultrasound. The interfacial microstructure evolution of conventional joint was analyzed combined with the measured temperature cycle. The ultrasound assistance improved the joint quality by regulating the interfacial microstructure. Cavitation erosion, broken IMC particles and thicker eutectic layer appeared in ultrasound-assisted joint. The highest tensile shear strength of 7.38 kN was obtained under the ultrasound-assisted time of 60 s which was 43.1 % higher than that of the conventional joint. The fracture location transferred from IMC layers to eutectic layer under the ultrasound assistance.