Friction stir welding process having enhanced corrosion performance

Abstract

A three dimensional joint is formed by coupling (joining) a first structural member and a second structural member. This involves first aligning a first structural member to a second structural member. The first structural member has a channel with which to receive a portion of the second structural member. Certain embodiments may place corrosively inert materials within the mating surfaces to prevent or inhibit corrosion or oxidation. Once aligned, the first structural member and second structural member may be friction stir welded at the channel to plasticize the material adjacent to the channel of both the first structural member and the second structural member to form a friction stir weld joint. Embodiments may then coat the plasticized surfaces of the FSW joint with cold sprayed materials to inhibit corrosion. Should a crack occur within either the plasticized or non-plasticized materials, cold sprayed material may be deposited within and on the crack to retard or arrest the growth of the crack.

1 . A method for joining structure members, comprising:
 aligning a first structural member to a second structural member, the first structural member having a channel to receive a portion of the second structural member;   friction stir welding (FSW) at the channel to join the first structural member to the second structural member;   cold spraying material on exposed surfaces of an FSW joint to inhibit corrosion.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising placing a corrosively inert material at the channel to inhibit crevice crack corrosion. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising preventing moisture penetration into a FSW joint formed by the first structural member and the second structural with the corrosively inert material. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising placing an adhesive material at the channel, the adhesive material operable to fit the first structural member to the second structural member prior to FSW. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first structural member and the second structural member are within a vehicle frame. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first structural member and the second structural member comprise:
 a box beam;   an I-beams;   a double I-beam; or   a C-Beam.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first structural member and the second structural member comprise an aluminum alloy. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 inserting a male connector of the first structural member and/or second structural member into a female receptacle of the second structural member and/or first structural member; and   friction stir welding materials of the male connector into the female receptacle to create a FSW coupling.   
   
   
       9 . A method for joining structural members, comprising:
 aligning a first structural member to a second structural member, the first structural member having a channel to receive a portion of the second structural member;   inserting a male connector of the first structural member and/or second structural member into a female receptacle of the second structural member and/or first structural member;   friction stir welding (FSW) at the channel and a male connector/female receptacle interface to join the first structural member to the second structural member; and   cold spraying material on exposed surfaces of an FSW joint to inhibit corrosion.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising placing a corrosively inert material at the channel to inhibit crevice crack corrosion 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising preventing penetration of contaminates into a friction stir weld joint formed by the first structural member and the second structural, the penetration prevented with the corrosively inert material. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first structural member and the second structural member are within a vehicle frame. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first structural member and the second structural member comprise:
 a box beam;   an I-beams;   a double I-beam; or   a C-Beam.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first structural member and the second structural member comprise an aluminum alloy. 
   
   
       15 . A friction stir weld joint, comprising:
 a first structural member, the first structural member having a channel;   at least one second structural member, the channel of the first structural member receives a portion of the at least one second structural member, the materials of the first structural member and at least one second structural member friction stir welded at the interface of the first structural member and at least one second structural member at the channel; and   cold sprayed material deposited on an exposed surface of the friction stir welded interface operable to inhibit corrosion.   
   
   
       16 . The friction stir weld joint of  claim 15 , wherein the channel is within a horizontal member of the first structural member, the channel receives a vertical member of the second structural member. 
   
   
       17 . The friction stir weld joint of  claim 15 , wherein a barrier material within the channel fills interface cavities at the friction stir weld joint to prevent contamination from entering the friction stir weld joint. 
   
   
       18 . The friction stir weld joint of  claim 16 , wherein the barrier material comprises corrosively inert material. 
   
   
       19 . The friction stir weld joint of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a male connector of the first structural member and/or second structural member;   a female receptacle of the second structural member and/or first structural member operable to receive the male connector,   the materials of the male connector friction stir welded into the female receptacle.   
   
   
       20 . The friction stir weld joint of  claim 15 , wherein an adhesive material at the channel, the male connector, and or the female receptacle, the adhesive material operable to fit the first structural member to the second structural member prior to friction stir welding. 
   
   
       21 . The friction stir weld joint of  claim 15 , wherein the first structural member and the second structural member are within a vehicle frame. 
   
   
       22 . The friction stir weld joint of  claim 15 , wherein the first structural member and the second structural member comprise:
 a box beam;   an I-beams;   a double I-beam; or   a C-Beam.   
   
   
       23 . The friction stir weld joint of  claim 15 , wherein the first structural member and the second structural member comprise an aluminum alloy. 
   
   
       24 . A friction stir weld joint, comprising:
 a first structural member, the first structural member having a channel;   at least one second structural member, the channel of the first structural member receives a mating surface of the at least one second structural member, the mating surface and/or channel being coated with corrosively inert material, the materials of the first structural member and at least one second structural member friction stir welded at the interface of the first structural member and at least one second structural member at the channel; and   cold sprayed material deposited on an exposed surface of the friction stir welded interface operable to inhibit corrosion.   
   
   
       25 . A friction stir weld joint, comprising:
 a first structural member, the first structural member having a channel; and   at least one second structural member, the channel of the first structural member receives a mating surface of the at least one second structural member, the mating surface and/or channel being coated with corrosively inert material, the materials of the first structural member and at least one second structural member friction stir welded at the interface of the first structural member and at least one second structural member at the channel.   
   
   
       26 . A method for joining structure members, comprising:
 aligning a first structural member to a second structural member, the first structural member having a channel to receive a portion of the second structural member;   placing a corrosively inert material at the channel to inhibit crevice crack corrosion; and   friction stir welding (FSW) at the channel to join the first structural member to the second structural member.   
   
   
       27 . A method for joining structural members, comprising:
 aligning a first structural member to a second structural member, the first structural member having a channel to receive a mating of the second structural member;   inserting a male connector of the first structural member and/or second structural member into a female receptacle of the second structural member and/or first structural member;   placing a corrosively inert material at the channel/mating surface to inhibit crevice crack corrosion;   placing a corrosively inert material at a male connector/female receptacle interface to inhibit crevice crack corrosion;   friction stir welding (FSW) at the channel and a male connector/female receptacle interface to join the first structural member to the second structural member.   
   
   
       28 . A method for retarding crack growth within a structural member, comprising:
 identifying a crack within the structural member; and   cold spraying material on/within the crack to retard crack growth.   
   
   
       29 . A method for joining a first structural member and a substrate, comprising:
 aligning a first structural member to a metallic substrate, the first structural member having at least one shaped cavity; and   friction stir welding an exterior surface of the metallic substrate proximate to the at least one shaped cavity to extrude metallic material to the at least one shaped cavity.