Effect of Conventional and Pulsed TIG Welding on Microstructural and Mechanical Characteristics of AA 6082-T6 Repair Welds

Repair welding of AA 6082-T6 joints was carried out using ER 4043 filler through the TIG welding process with or without pulsed current.Microstructure and mechanical characteristics of the joints before and after repairing were investigated by examining macrostructure,microstructure,and distributions of porosity in the weld metal(WM),and by hardness,tensile,and bending tests.We observed that the welding current,phase transformations in heat-affected zone(HAZ)and porosity introduced in the WM during welding influence on its mechanical properties in sequence.The experimental results showed that the bead width and penetration as well as size of pores in the joints were mainly influenced by the welding currents.The sound joints were obtained at a welding current of 140 A with or without pulsed current when welding speed and gas flow rate were set at 20 cm·min-1 and 15 L·min-1,respectively.Among them,the decrease in mechanical properties of repair weld(RW)was directly related to the phase transformations in the over-ageing zone due to the double welding thermal cycles and elevated distribution of porosity in the WM.In addition,it was observed that the comparatively smaller grain size and lower porosity in WM of the RW produced by pulsed TIG welding gave a positive effect on its mechanical properties.

Influence of high frequency vibration on microstructure and mechanical properties of TIG welding joints of AZ31 magnesium alloy

A device for superimposing vibration on workpiece in both horizontal and vertical directions during tungsten-arc inert gas （TIG） welding was developed, with maximum power output of 2 kW at frequency of 15 kHz. AZ31 sheets with thickness of I and 3 mm were used in the vibratory welding. Microstructures along with the mechanical properties of the weld joints under different vibrating conditions （vibration direction, vibration amplitude and groove angle） were examined. It is observed that the grain size in welding zone decreases remarkably with the application of vibration, while the amount of second phase β-Mg_17Al_12 within the zone decreases slightly; meanwhile, microhardness of the weld joints, macroscopic tensile strength and elongation of the weldment increase. Vibration, especially the one along vertical direction, has more impact on the performance of the thick weldments. Influence of vibration on mierostructure and mechanical properties of weldments is affected by wave energy transferring in the melt and depends on the processing and geometric parameters including amplitude and direction of vibration, thickness, and groove angles.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-Li alloy after TIG welding

Tungsten inert gas weld was carried out on super-light magnesium-lithium alloy plates with a thickness of 2 mm, using argon gas as a protecting atmosphere. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the welded joints were investigated. The results indicate that the microstructure in the fusion zone is fine, and the microstructure in the heat-affected zone is coarser than the parent metal. The tensile strength of the welded joint is about 84% that of the parent metal. The fracture occurs in a mixed type of toughness and brittleness in the heat-affected zone. During the welding process, aluminum and cerium are enriched at grain boundaries in the fusion zone.

Microstructure and porosity analysis in ultrasonic assisted TIG welding of 2014 aluminum alloy

The ultrasonic assisted tungsten inert gas （U-TIG） welding is a newly developed arc welding method, which is aimed at improving the weld quality and efficiency. TIG welding and U-TIG welding of 2014 aluminum alloy with 5 mm thickness were experimentally carried out in this paper. The microstructure and porosity of welded joints were analyzed. Compared with conventional TIG welding, the columnar crystals are changed into equiaxed crystals at the centre of weld zone and the grain of fusion zone in U-TIG welding is refined and equiaxed. The porosities of joint decrease after the ultrasonic was applied on the arc. The mechanism of crystal grain refinement is discussed in this paper and the reasons of porosity decrease in U-TIG welded joint may be due to the effect of acoustic streaming and cavitation, which need further research.

Research on the Mechanism of Penetration Increase by Flux in A-TIG Welding

The mechanism of penetration depth increased by activating flux in activating tungsten inert gas(A-TIG)weldingwas studied by measuring the distribution of trace element Bi in the weld and monitoring the change of arc voltageduring A-TIG welding of stainless steel 0Crl8Ni9 with fluxes SiO_(2)and TiO_(2).The results show that the mechanismof penetration depth in A-TIG welding depends on the sort of flux used.The weld pool convection after coating theflux SiO_(2)and flux TiO_(2)is changed inversely compared with convectional TIG welding without flux.The arc voltageis increased by flux SiO_(2)whilst flux TiO_(2)does not have effect on the arc voltage.The reason of penetration depthincrease for SiO_(2)is due to the constriction of arc plasma and the change of surface tension gradient.The increaseof weld penetration depth with TiO_(2)only ascribes to the change of surface tension gradient.

Numerical simulation of temperature fields for T-joint during TIG welding of titanium alloy

Three-dimensional finite element model was established to simulate temperature fields of T-joint titanium sheets during TIG welding with finite element method （FEM） software. Temperature dependent material properties and the effect of latent heat were considered. A technique of element birth and death was used to simulate the process of welded metal filling. Dynamic variation process of temperature fields during T1G welding was achieved. The simulated results agreed well with the measured results.

The element transfer behavior of gas pool coupled activating TIG welding

This paper deals with a novel dual shield TIG welding method named gas pool coupled activating TIG( GPCA-TIG)welding. The welding method divides the shielding gas into two layers. Inert gas such as Ar is adopted as the inner layer gas to protect the tungsten electrode and the molten pool metal. Pure O_2,N_2 or mixture of them are used as the outer layer gas to increase the weld penetration and improve the low temperature toughness of weld metal. Through analyzing the interaction between outer gas and arc and the distributions and existing forms of oxygen and nitrogen elements,the transfer behaviors of nitrogen and oxygen from arc to pool were investigated. The results show that,the interaction between the outer gas and arc plasma makes the arc slightly constrict. The incoming oxygen enriches on the molten pool surface and exists in the form of iron oxide,chromium oxide,manganese oxide and silicon oxygen compounds. The incoming nitrogen evenly distributes in the molten pool and exists in the form of nitrogen atom.

Vision-based detection of weld pool width in TIG welding of copper-clad aluminum cable

In order to realize automatic control of the width of weld pool, a visual sensor system for the width of weld pool detection is developed. By initiative arc light, the image of copper plate weld pool is taken back of the torch through the process of weakening and filtering arc light. In order to decrease the time of processing video signals, analog circuit is applied in the processing where video signals is magnified, trimmed and processed into binary on the datum of dynamic average value, therefore the waveform of video signals of weld pool is obtained. The method that is used for detecting the width of weld pool is established. Results show that the vision sensing method for real-time detecting weld pool width to copper-clad aluminum wire TIG welding is feasible. The response cycle of this system is no more than 50 ms, and the testing precision is less than 0. 1 mm.

Characteristics of AZ31 Mg alloy joint using automatic TIG welding

The automatic tungsten-inert gas welding（ATIGW） of AZ31 Mg alloys was performed using a six-axis robot. The evolution of the microstructure and texture of the AZ31 auto-welded joints was studied by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and electron backscatter diffraction. The ATIGW process resulted in coarse recrystallized grains in the heat affected zone（HAZ） and epitaxial growth of columnar grains in the fusion zone（FZ）. Substantial changes of texture between the base material（BM） and the FZ were detected. The {0002} basal plane in the BM was largely parallel to the sheet rolling plane, whereas the c-axis of the crystal lattice in the FZ inclined approximately 25° with respect to the welding direction. The maximum pole density increased from 9.45 in the BM to 12.9 in the FZ. The microhardness distribution, tensile properties, and fracture features of the AZ31 auto-welded joints were also investigated.

Effect of preheat on TIG welding of AZ61 magnesium alloy

The effects of preheat treatments on the microstructures and mechanical properties of tungsten inert gas （TIG）-welded AZ61 magnesium alloy joints were studied by microstructural observations, microhardness tests and tensile tests. The results showed that the vol- ume fraction of the lamellar β-Mg17（Al,Zn）12 intermetallic compound of in fusion zone （FZ） increased from 15% to 66% with an increase in preheat temperature. Moreover, the microhardness of the FZ and the ultimate tensile strength of the welded joints reached their maximum values when the preheat temperature was 300℃ because more lamellar β-Mg17（Al,Zn）12 intermetallic compounds were distributed at the α-Mg grain boundaries and no cracks and pores formed in the FZ of the welded joint.

Realizing precision pulse TIG welding with arc length control and visual image sensing based weld detection

Methods of arc length control and visual image based weld detection for precision pulse TIG welding were investigated. With a particular all hardware circuit, arc voltage during peak current stage is sampled and integrated to indicate arc length, deviation of arc length and adjusting parameters are calculated and output to drive a step motor directly. According to the features of welding image grabbed with CCD camera, a special algorithm was developed to detect the central line of weld fast and accurately. Then an application system were established, whose static arc length error is ±0.1 mm with 20 A average current and 1 mm given arc length, static detection precision of weld is 0.01 mm , processing time of each image is less than 120 ms . Precision pulse TIG welding of some given thin stainless steel components with complicated curved surface was successfully realized.

Gas Pool Coupled Activating TIG Welding Method with Coupling Arc Electrode

Gas pool coupled activating TIG(GPCA?TIG) welding put forward in?house can dramatically enhance weld penetration of TIG welding through introducing active element oxygen to reverse the Marangoni convection flow in the molten pool. In order to further improve the welding productivity, the normal solid tungsten electrode is replaced by a kind of coupling arc electrode. The changes of arc pressure distribution along anode surface and the weld appearance were evaluated. On this basis, the dependences of weld shape characterized with weld depth, width and undercut on the main welding parameters were discussed. The results indicate, the substitution of coupling arc electrode can lead to an obvious decrease of arc pressure. Compared to hollow tungsten electrode and twin tungsten electrodes, the coupling arc electrode is much easier to manufacture and has more compacter structure. Combined with the symmetric distribution of arc pressure in di erent directions, this electrode has extensive adaptability. In the GPCA?TIG welding with coupling arc electrode, both the substitution of coupling arc electrode and the introduction of outer active gas oxygen can reduce the possibilities of producing humping bead and undercut. Their joint action makes this welding method have the capability of realizing high travel speed and deep penetration welding.

Numerical analysis for weld pool of pulsed TIG welding

A two-dimensional axisymmetric mathematical model of weld pool of pulsed TIG welding was established. Numerical simulation for weld pool of pulsed TIG welding was done using FLUENT software by selecting the appropriate boundary conditions and strongly coupled control equations. The distributions of temperature field and flow field of weld pool under the periodic change of welding current were obtained. According to the maximum temperature of upper and lower surface of workpiece and depth and width of weld pool, the distributions of temperature field and flow field under different pulsed frequencies and current duty cycles were obtained and periodic variation was analyzed under pulsed current. The analysis results show that with the increase of pulsed frequency, weld pool width increases slightly while depth decreases slightly, and with the increase of current duty cycle, the width and depth of weld pool both increase significantly, and the depth increases greatly.

Research for the method of image acquisition of the molten pool in the TIG welding of aluminum alloy

Obtaining the image of molten pool aluminum alloy’s tungsten inert gas(TIG)welding becomes a challenging problem in the welding field. In this paper, a bran-new optical sensor based analyzing the light spectrum was designed, and the clear image of the molten pool during the aluminum alloy’s welding using the common industrial CCD camera was obtained. And with the new algorithm provided by myself, the desirable characteristic parameters of the molten pool of aluminum alloy’s welding were obtained, and it provides a good base for advanced monitor welding quality.

Effect of silicon content on microstructure of Al-Si/SiC_p composite layer cladded on A380 Al alloy by TIG welding process

Tungsten inert gas（TIG） welding was applied to creating a composite layer on the surface of cast aluminum alloy A380. Different mixtures of Al, Si and SiC powders mixed with sodium silicate solution were pasted on substrates. Surface melting was conducted by TIG welding to produce Al-SiC layer on the surface. Microstructural evolution was investigated by X-ray diffractometry（XRD）, optical and scanning electron microscopy（SEM） and elemental microanalysis（EDS）. Properties of clad layers were studied by microhardness and sliding wear testing. The results showed a uniform distribution of SiC particles in dendritic aluminum matrix. Addition of excess silicon caused the formation of eutectic crystals and coarse silicon particles in the clad layer which resulted in higher hardness and wear resistance of clad layers.

Simulation on Dynamic Characteristic of Negative Resistance Arc in Pulsed TIG Welding

A mathematical model is established on the basis of the physical characteristic of the negative resistance arc when a low current of 0—50 A is applied in pulsed TIG welding. The simulation model converted from the mathematical model is run in MATLAB environment, and the discussion is focused on the way the peak current ranging from 29 A to 50 A and the time constant of arc in the span of 0.003—0.006 s influence the simulating results and the dynamic characteristic. The simulating data are close to that of welding experiments and correspond to the theoretical conclusion.

Effect of Fe content on the friction and abrasion properties of copper base overlay on steel substrate by TIG welding

Copper base alloy was overlaid onto 35CrMnSiA steel plate by tungsten inert gas （TIG） welding method. The heat transfer process was simulated, the microstructures of the copper base overlay were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and energy dispersive spectrometer （EDS）, and the friction and abrasion properties of the overlay were measured. The results show that the Fe content increases in the overlay with increasing the welding current. And with the increase of Fe content in the overlay, the friction coefficient increases and the wear mechanism changes from oxidation wear to abrasive wear and plough wear, which is related to the size and quantity of Fe grains in the overlay. While with the increase of Fe content in the overlay, the protection of oxidation layer against the oxidation wear on the melted metal decreases.

Numerical simulation of influence of nozzle structure on arc characteristics of GPCA-TIG welding

This work mainly articulated the effects of nozzle structure on arc characteristics in gas pool coupled activating TIG （GPCA-TIG） welding process by using Fluent Software. Different models were set up to adapt the different torch structure during computer progress. The specific configuration of the welding torch made the gas flow in outer gas passage constrained. The nozzle structure has great influence on outer gas distribution because of the changing of coupling region between the outer active gas and molten pool surface. When the coupling degree is reduced or the outer gas passage become smaller, the oxygen in outer gas penetrates into the arc plasma and spreads to the arc region more easily. Owing to its cooling effects, the morphology of arc is contracted, and the arc temperature is increased. When the inner wall and the outer wall of outer gas passage are not parallel, the wide top and narrow bottom nozzle shape can bring more oxygen into the arc plasma, the arc is contracted and the peak temperature of arc rises a little more comparing to the narrow top and wide bottom one.

Study on arc-ultrasonic TIG welding of titanium alloy

TC4 alloy was welded by conventional TIG welding and arc-ultrasonic TIG welding respectively. The microstructure of joint was analyzed by means of optical-microscope, scanning electron microscope in order to study the relationship between the macro-properties of joint and the microstructure. The results show that the joints were all welded successfully by conventional TIG welding and arc-ultrasonic TIG welding. With the increment of ultrasonic frequency and activated voltage, the width of joint became narrow step by step. The microstructure became more and more fine and was inclined to equiaxed crystal. Moreover, the dendrite depredation was not observed obviously. The properties of welded joint were improved markedly compared with that of conventional TIG welding.

Development of high frequency pulse power source using two powersfor TIG welding

A high frequency pulse power source for TIG welding is developed. The structure of two powers is adopted. The by pass circuit effectively eliminates the effect of the cable equivalent inductance. The maximum frequency of the output pulse current reaches to 16 kHz . The base current and the peak current can be regulated separately.