Polymer-Inspired Underwater Friction Stir Welding of Aluminum–Copper Composite Joints

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This is an unedited manuscript accepted for publication and provided as an Article in Press for early access at the author’s request. The article will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and galley proof review before final publication. Please be aware that errors may be identified during production that could affect the content. All legal disclaimers of the journal apply.

Year : 2026 | Volume : 14 | 03 | Page :
    By

    Premkumar P,

  • Sanjay P,

  • Rajavendhan R,

  • Ashwin Prabu,

  • Murali P,

  • Dinesh S,

  • Adinarayanan A,

  1. Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, St. Joseph’s College of Engineering, Old Mahabalipuram Road, Chennai 600119, Tamil Nadu, India
  2. Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, St. Joseph’s College of Engineering, Old Mahabalipuram Road, Chennai 600119, Tamil Nadu, India
  3. Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, St. Joseph’s College of Engineering, Old Mahabalipuram Road, Chennai 600119, Tamil Nadu, India
  4. Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, St. Joseph’s College of Engineering, Old Mahabalipuram Road, Chennai 600119, Tamil Nadu, India
  5. Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Anand Institute of Higher Technology, OMR, Kazhipattur, Chennai 603103, Tamil Nadu, India
  6. Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dhanalakshmi College of Engineering, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
  7. Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, AMET University, Chennai, 603112, Tamil Nadu, India

Abstract

The problem of high-performance dissimilar joints and their compatibility with polymer and composite engineering applications is the impetus to the current work. This paper seeks to investigate the possibility of applying the polymer-based composite ideas with underwater friction stir welding (UWFSW) to improve the performance of AA5083 aluminumcopper joints. To achieve this a systematic experimental method was followed by varying the tool rotational speed, traverse speed and tilt angle and by focusing on interfacial behavior similar to hybrid composite systems. Tensile testing, microhardness testing and optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to carry out mechanical characterization and microstructural analysis respectively to study intermetallic distribution and composite like phase interactions. These findings showed that optimized UWFSW parameters had a significant refinement effect on grain structures, heat-affected zone, and tensile strength up to 100 Mpa, and the variation in hardness (75-115 HV) indicated the presence of interfacial phases similar to the reinforcement regions in composites. The paper emphasizes that UWFSW controlled thermal cycles can replicate processing paths of composites through the optimization of interface interactions with matrices. These results offer novel information on the extrapolation of dissimilar metal welding to polymer-metal composite hybrid applications, which may be applicable to lightweight structural systems, marine parts, and multidimensional engineering design.

Keywords: Underwater FSW; Polymer–Metal Composites; Heat-affected zone; weld strength; mechanical and microstructural properties.

How to cite this article:
Premkumar P, Sanjay P, Rajavendhan R, Ashwin Prabu, Murali P, Dinesh S, Adinarayanan A. Polymer-Inspired Underwater Friction Stir Welding of Aluminum–Copper Composite Joints. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(03):-.
How to cite this URL:
Premkumar P, Sanjay P, Rajavendhan R, Ashwin Prabu, Murali P, Dinesh S, Adinarayanan A. Polymer-Inspired Underwater Friction Stir Welding of Aluminum–Copper Composite Joints. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(03):-. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jopc/article=2026/view=244502


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Ahead of Print Subscription Original Research
Volume 14
03
Received 21/04/2026
Accepted 08/05/2026
Published 20/05/2026
Publication Time 29 Days
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