Modeling the microstructural evolution and effect of cooling rate on the nanograins formed during the friction stir processing of Al5083

An analytical model is developed to study the effect of cooling rate on the final grain size of stirred zone of the Al5083 subjected to friction stir processing. The effect of cooling rate on the grain size of the stirred zone was investigated experimentally and numerically. A new microstructural evolution model was also suggested illustrating the mechanisms contributed in refining the microstructure. A new mechanism termed meta-dynamic recovery (MDRV) is introduced here in this regard. The simulation results also show that the rapid cooling rate resulted in superior mechanical properties through refining the microstructure of the stirred zone. However, decreasing the rotational speed and increasing the traverse speed of pin can also decrease the grain size of stirred zone.