Evaluation of Residual Stresses in 12%-Cr Steel Friction Stir Welds by the Eigenstrain Reconstruction Method

In the present paper we report the results of a study into Friction Stir Welds (FSWs) made in 13 mm-thick 12%-Cr steel plates. Based on residual strains obtained by diffraction techniques, eigenstrain analysis was performed using the Eigenstrain Reconstruction Method (ERM), which is a novel methodology for the reconstruction of full-field residual strain and stress distributions within engineering components. Significant eigenstrain distributions were found at around Thermo-Mechanically Affected Zone (TMAZ) where the most severe plastic deformation was occurred. Microstructure analysis was used to elucidate this phenomenon showing that the grain structure in TMAZ was bent and not successfully recrystallised, resulting in severe deformation behaviour. The reconstructed residual strain distributions by the ERM agree well with the experimental results. It was found that the approach based on theory of eigenstrain is a powerful basis for reconstructing the full-field residual strain/stress distributions in engineering components and structures.