Effect of process parameters on the morphology of aluminum/copper alloy lap joints by red and blue hybrid laser welding

In order to overcome the problems of many pores,large deformation and unstable weld quality of traditional laser welded aluminumcopper alloy joints,a red-blue dual-beam laser source and a swinging laser were introduced for welding.T2 copper and 6063 aluminum thin plates were lap welded by coaxial dual-beam laser welding.The morphology of weld cross section was compared to explore the influence of process parameters on the formation of lap joints.The microstructure characteristics of the weld zone were observed and compared by optical microscope.The results show that the addition of laser beam swing can eliminate the internal pores of the weld.With the increase of the swing width,the weld depth decreases,and the weld width increases first and then decreases.The influence of welding speed on the weld cross section morphology is similar to that of swing width.With the increase of welding speed,the weld width increases first and then decreases,while the weld depth decreases all the time.This is because that the red laser is used as the main heat source to melt the base metals,with the increase of red laser power,the weld depth increases.As an auxiliary laser source,blue laser reduces the total energy consumption,consequently,the effective heat input increases and the spatter is restrained effectively.As a result,the increase of red laser power has an enhancement effect on the weld width and weld depth.When the swing width is 1.2 mm,the red laser power is 550 W,the blue laser power is 500 W,and the welding speed is 35 mm/s,the weld forming is the best.The lap joint of T2 copper and 6063 aluminum alloy thin plate can be connected stably with the hybrid of blue laser.The effect rules of laser beam swing on the weld formation were obtained,which improved the quality of the joints.

Microstructures and properties analysis of dissimilar metal joint in the friction stir welded copper to aluminum alloy

This paper mainly concentrated on the feasibility of friction stir welding of dissimilar metal of aluminum alloy to copper （I2） and a preliminary analysis of welding parameters influencing on the microstructures and properties of joint was carried out. The results indicated that the thickness of workpiece played an important role in the welding parameters which could succeed in the friction stir welding of dissimilar metal of copper to aluminum alloy, and the parameters were proved to be a narrow choice. The interfacial region between copper and aluminum in the dissimilar joint was not uniformly mixed, constituted with part of incomplete mixing zone, complete mixing zone, dispersion zone and the most region＇ s boundary was obvious. Meantime a kind banded structure with inhomogeneous width was formed. The intermetallic compounds generated during friction stir welding in the interfacial region were mainly CugAl4, Al2Cu etc, and their hardness was higher than oihers.

Microstructure and electrical conductivity of electroless copper plating layer on magnesium alloy micro-arc oxidation coating

In order to impart electrical conductivity to the magnesium alloy micro-arc oxidation(MAO)coating,the electroless copper plating was performed.Effects of plating temperature and complexing agent concentration on the properties of the electroless copper plating layers were studied by measuring their microstructure,corrosion resistance and electrical conductivity.It was found that the optimized plating temperature was 60°C,and the most suitable value of the complexing agent concentration was 30 g/L.Under this condition,a complete and dense plating layer could be obtained.The formation mechanism of the plating layer on magnesium alloy MAO coating was analyzed.A three-stage model of the plating process was proposed.The square resistance of the plated specimen was finally reduced to 0.03Ω/□after the third stage.Through electroless copper plating,the MAO coated sample obtained excellent electrical conductivity without significantly reducing its corrosion resistance.

Semi-solid processing of aluminum and magnesium alloys:Status,opportunity,and challenge in China

Owing to its low cost,short process and low energy consumption,semi-solid processing(SSP)of aluminum(Al)and magnesium(Mg)alloys has been considered as a competitive approach to fabricate complicated components with excellent performance.Over the past decade,significant progress has been achieved in deeply understanding the SSP process,the microstructure and performance of the fabricated components in China.This paper starts with a retrospective overview of some common slurry preparation methods,followed by presenting the performance and the underlying mechanisms of SSP fabricated alloys.Then,the mainstream opinions on the microstructure evolution and rheological flow behavior of semi-solid slurry are discussed.Subsequently,the general situation and some recent examples of industrial applications of SSP are presented.Finally,special attention is paid to the unresolved issues and the future directions in SSP of Al and Mg alloys in China.

Effect of equal-channel angular pressing on pitting corrosion resistance of anodized aluminum-copper alloy

The effect of equal-channel angular pressing(ECAP) on the pitting corrosion resistance of anodized Al-Cu alloy was investigated by electrochemical techniques in a solution containing 0.2 mol/L AlCl3 and also by surface analysis.Anodizing was conducted for 20 min at 200 and 400 A/m2 in a solution containing 1.53 mol/L H2SO4 and 0.018 5 mol/L Al2(SO4)3·16H2O at 20 ℃.Anodized Al-Cu alloy was immediately dipped in boiling water for 20 min to seal the micro pores present in anodic oxide films.The time required before initiating pitting corrosion of anodized Al-Cu alloy is longer with ECAP than without,indicating that ECAP process improves the pitting corrosion resistance of anodized Al-Cu alloy.Second phase precipitates such as Si,Al-Cu-Mg and Al-Cu-Si-Fe-Mn intermetallic compounds are present in Al-Cu alloy and the size of these precipitates is greatly decreased by application of ECAP.Al-Cu-Mg intermetallic compounds are dissolved during anodization,whereas the precipitates composed of Si and Al-Cu-Si-Fe-Mn remain in anodic oxide films due to their more noble corrosion potential than Al.FE-SEM and EPMA observation reveal that the pitting corrosion of anodized Al-Cu alloy occurs preferentially around Al-Cu-Si-Fe-Mn intermetallic compounds,since the anodic oxide films are absent at the boundary between the normal oxide films and these impurity precipitates.The improvement of pitting corrosion resistance of anodized Al-Cu alloy processed by ECAP appears to be attributed to a decrease in the size of precipitates,which act as origins of pitting corrosion.

COLOR CHARACTERISTICS OF BINARY COPPER-BASE ALLOYS

The effect of Al, Zn, Sn, Mn, Si and Ni on the color characteristics of binary copper-base alloys has been researched systematically and quantitatively. The results show that all alloying elements decrease the red content of an alloy at different levels but have different effects on the yellow color. Al and Zn enhance the yellow content of an alloy, whereas Sn, Mn, Si and Ni decrease the yellow content. When the alloys with different karat gold colors are imitated, Al and Zn are the most important color mixing elements and Sn, Mn, Si and Ni can be used as auxiliary.

Dissimilar friction stir welding between 5052 aluminum alloy and AZ31 magnesium alloy

Dissimilar friction stir welding between 5052 Al alloy and AZ31 Mg alloy with the plate thickness of 6 mm was investigated.Sound weld was obtained at rotation speed of 600 r/min and welding speed of 40 mm/min.Compared with the base materials,the microstructure of the stir zone is greatly refined.Complex flow pattern characterized by intercalation lamellae is formed in the stir zone.Microhardness measurement of the dissimilar welds presents an uneven distribution due to the complicated microstructure of the weld,and the maximum value of microhardness in the stir zone is twice higher than that of the base materials. The tensile fracture position locates at the advancing side(aluminum side),where the hardness distribution of weld shows a sharp decrease from the stir zone to 5052 base material.

Galvanic Corrosion of Magnesium Alloy and Aluminum Alloy by Kelvin Probe

Galvanic corrosion on samples of AZ91D magnesium alloy coupled with 2A12 aluminum alloy during neutral salt spray test was investigated.The variations of the surface potential were measured using scanning kelvin probe（SKP）.The results showed that galvanic effect on the corrosion of AZ91D magnesium alloy is closely related to the potential difference between the anodic and cathodic materials.In the initial period,corrosion only occurred in a narrow area at the coupling interface because of the limited distance galvanic current.Then,the corrosion rate of 2A12 aluminum alloy was accelerated due to its poor stability in strong alkali environment,which was attributed to the strong alkalization caused by the corrosion of AZ91D magnesium alloy.With the increase of the potential of 2A12 aluminum alloy as a result of the continuous covering of corrosion products,the potential difference between the two materials was enlarged,which enhanced the galvanic corrosion.

Role of Chloride Ion and Dissolved Oxygen in Electrochemical Corrosion of AA5083-H321 Aluminum-Magnesium Alloy in NaCl Solutions under Flow Conditions

Flow-induced corrosion consists electrochemical and mechanical components. The present paper has to assessed the role of chloride ion and dissolved oxygen in the electrochemical component of flow induced corrosion for AA5083-H321 aluminum-magnesium alloy which is extensively used in the construction of high-speed boats, submarines, hovercrafts, and desalination systems, in NaCI solutions. Electrochemical tests were carried out at flow velocities of 0, ：2, 5, 7 and 10 m/s, in aerated and deaerated NaCI solutions with different sodium chloride concentrations. The results showed that the high rate of oxygen reduction under hydrodynamic conditions causes an increase in the density of pits on the surface. The increase of chloride ions concentration under flow conditions accelerates the rate of anodic reactions, but have no influence on the cathodic reactions. Thus, in the current work, it was found that under flow conditions, due to the elimination of corrosion products inside the pits, corrosion resistance of the alloy is increased.

Fatigue property comparison of TIG welded joints of magnesium alloy and aluminum alloy

The fatigue properties of the TIG welded joints of both AZ31B magnesium alloy and 5A06 aluminum alloy were investigated. The four types of welded joints were used in fatigue tests, such us butt joints, transverse cross joints, fillet joints and lateral connecting joints. The fatigue strengths at 2 × 10^6 cycles of the four welded joints of AZ31B magnesium alloy are 39. 0 MPa, 24. 4 MPa, 32. 1 MPa and 24. 2 MPa, which are 55. 0% , 42. 2%, 78. 0% and 50. 2% of that of 5A06 aluminum alloy, respectively. The fatigue strength levels at slope m = 3 of the aluminum alloy＇ s welded joints are mostly higher than the FAT recommended by the International Institute of Welding （ HW） , while those of the magnesium alloy＇ s welded joints are all lower than the FAT. It is indicated that the FAT of magnesium alloy＇ s welded joints should be established as early as possible in order to be applied in the design of magnesium alloy＇ s welded structures.

Tsinghua University Tsinghua-TOYO Research and Development Center of Magnesium and Aluminum Alloys Processing Technology

Tsinghua-TOYO Research and Development Center of Magnesium and Aluminum Alloys Processing Technology was officially established between Tsinghua University and TOYO Machinery & Metal Co. on Feb. 26, 2002, which is a non-independent legal research organization located in Department of Mechanical Engineering of Tsinghua University. The center was equipped with one set of 650t automatic magnesium and aluminum alloys diecasting machine and necessary accessories including the melting furnaces for magnesium alloys and aluminum alloys, an accurate magnesium pump to transfer the magnesium alloys to the shot sleeve of the die casting machine, a die temperature controller, and data logging systems for cavity pressure and die temperature distributions, etc. The center is aimed to the research and development of magnesium and aluminum die casting process and their related technologies, and the main research contents include:

Effects of magnesium chloride-based multicomponent salts on atmospheric corrosion of aluminum alloy 2024

Atmospheric corrosion of aluminum alloy 2024 （AA2024） with salt lake water was simulated through a laboratory- accelerated test of cyclic wet-dry and electrochemical techniques. Effects of the soluble magnesium salt contained in the salt water were investigated by scanning electron microscope （SEM）, transmission electron microscope （TEM）, energy dispersive spectrometer （EDS）, electron probe micro analyzer （EPMA）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, infrared transmission spectroscope （IR）, and atmospheric corrosion monitor （ACM）. The results showed that, with the deposition, atmospheric corrosion of AA2024 could occur when the relative humidity （RH） was lower than 30%. A main crystalline component of corrosion products, layered double hydroxides （LDH）, [Mg1-xAlx（OH）2]^x＋ Clx-·mH2O （LDH-C1）, was determined, which meant that magnesium ion played an important role in the corrosion process. It not only facilitated the corrosion as a result of deliquescence, but also was involved in the corrosion process as a reactant.

Dissimilar Joining of Pure Copper to Aluminum Alloy via Friction Stir Welding

In this study, the dissimilar friction stir welding （FSW） butt joints between aluminum alloy 5754-H114 and commerciallypure copper were investigated. The thickness of welded plates was 4 mm and the aluminum plate was placed on theadvancing side. In order to obtain a suitable flow and a better material mixing, a 1-mm offset was considered for thealuminum plate, toward the butt centerline. For investigating the microstructure and mechanical properties of FSWedjoints, optical microscopy and mechanical tests （i.e., uniaxial tensile test and microhardness） were used, respectively.Furthermore, the analysis of intermetallic compounds and fracture surface was examined by scanning electron microscopyand X-ray diffraction. The effect of heat generation on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the FSWed jointswas investigated. The results showed that there is an optimum amount of heat input. The intermetallic compounds formedin FSWed joints were A14Cu9 and AI2Cu. The best results were found in joints with 1000 rpm rotational speed and100 mm/min travel speed. The tensile strength was found as 219 MPa, which reached 84% of the aluminum base strength.Moreover, maximum value of the microhardness of the stir zone （SZ） was attained as about 120 HV, which was greatlydepended on the grain size, intermetallic compounds and copper pieces in SZ.

Progress of electroplating and electroless plating on magnesium alloy

The current research processes of electroplating and electroless Ni-P alloy plating on magnesium alloys were reviewed. Theoretically,the reason for difficulties in electroplating and electroless plating on magnesium alloys was given.The zinc immersion, copper immersion,direct electroless Ni-P alloy plating and electroplating and electroless plating on magnesium alloys prepared by chemical conversion coating were presented in detail.Especially,the research development of magnesium alloy AZ91 and AZ31 was discussed briefly.Based on the analysis,the existing problems and future research directions were then given.

Predicting and controlling interfacial microstructure of magnesium/aluminum bimetallic structures for improved interfacial bonding

In this study,an overcasting process followed by a low-temperature(200°C)annealing schedule has been developed to bond magnesium to aluminum alloys.ProCAST software was used to optimize the process parameters during the overcasting process which lead to Mg/Al bimetallic structures to be successfully produced without formation of Mg-Al intermetallic phases.Detailed microstructure evolution during annealing,including the formation and growth of Al-Mg interdiffusion layer and intermetallic phases(Al12Mg17 and Al3Mg2),was experimentally observed for the first time with direct evidence,and predicted using Calculation of Phase Diagrams(CALPHAD)modeling.Maximum interfacial strength was achieved when the interdiffusion layer formed at the Mg/Al interface reached a maximum thickness the without formation of brittle intermetallic compounds.The precise diffusion modeling of the Mg/Al interface provides an efficient way to optimize and control the interfacial microstructure of Mg/Al bimetallic structures for improved interfacial bonding.

Microstructural analyses of aluminum–magnesium–silicon alloys welded by pulsed Nd: YAG laser welding

Revealing grains and very fine dendrites in a solidified weld metal of aluminum–magnesium–silicon alloys is difficult and thus,there is no evidence to validate the micro-and meso-scale physical models for hot cracks. In this research, the effect of preheating on the microstructure and hot crack creation in the pulsed laser welding of AA 6061 was investigated by an optical microscope and field emission electron microscopy. Etching was carried out in the gas phase using fresh Keller’s reagent for 600 s. The results showed that the grain size of the weld metal was proportional to the grain size of the base metal and was independent of the preheating temperature. Hot cracks passed the grain boundaries of the weld and the base metal. Lower solidification rates in the preheated samples led to coarser arm spacing;therefore, a lower cooling rate. Despite the results predicted by the micro and meso-scale models, lower cooling rates resulted in increased hot cracks. The cracks could grow in the weld metal after solidification;therefore, hot cracks were larger than predicted by the hot crack prediction models.

Influence of silane on corrosion resistance of magnesium alloy AZ31 with thermally sprayed aluminum coatings

Aluminum coatings on Mg alloy AZ31 were fabricated using the thermal spraying technique, and then sealed with silane.The surface morphology and chemical groups were discerned using scanning electron microscopy and examined using Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, respectively.The salt fog tests and the potentiodynamic electrochemical technique were applied to evaluate the influence of silane on corrosion of the AZ31 alloy with aluminum coatings.The results showed that the corrosion resistance of the aluminum-coated AZ31 alloy was superior to that of the substrate.The aluminum coating sealed with various silane layers led to a further increase in the corrosion resistance of the alloy.Double silane layers were more corrosion-resistant than the single one.Also, it was no longer significant for more than two silane layers to improve the corrosion resistance.It implied that the optimum choice for silane treatment on the aluminum coatings was two layers.

EIS Study on Pitting Corrosion of AA5083-H321 Aluminum-Magnesium Alloy in Stagnant 3.5% NaCl Solution

In this research, EIS （electrochemical impedance spectroscopy） technique was utilized to study the pitting corrosion behaviour of AA5083-H321 aluminum-magnesium alloy in 3.5% NaCl solution. Impedance spectra were obtained during 240 h of exposure of the sample to the test solution. The surface and cross-section of the samples were studied by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and EDAX （energy dispersive analysis of X-ray） analysis. The results indicated that as the resistance of the passive layer on intermetallic particles is very small, this parameter on the sample surface layers is controlled by that of pure passive layer. However, the capacitors in the proposed equivalent circuit are replaced with the constant phase elements （CPE）, due to non-uniformity and occurrence of pitting corrosion on the surface. The outward diffusion of Al^＋3 ions through the passive layer and the thickening of this layer cause the impedance decrease in the first 24 h and increase afterwards. The detachment of intermetallic particles from some of pits and the accumulation of the corrosion products inside some others are factors that prevents the continuation of cathodic reactions on the top of the intermetallic particles.

Peculiarities of forming diffusion bimetallic joints of aluminum foam with a monolithic magnesium alloy

The work is carried out to determine an optimal method to obtain the welded bimetallic joints of monolithic Mg-alloy with porous Al-alloy using gallium as chemical activator and heating up to 300 ℃ by two different methods:long-term in vacuum oven and short-term without vacuum by passing of low voltage current.There is no microstructure change in Al-foam but indentation test records the negligible reduction of the mechanical properties.SEM showed the crystallization of two types of Mg_(5)Ga_(2) and Mg_(2)Ga inter-metallic phases in the wavy uneven diffusion zone on Mg-alloy side with significant increase of micro-hardness and Young’s modulus.The narrow depth of the diffusion zone takes place in joints by short-term heating,so this method is more applicable for welding of monolithic and porous alloys at chemical activation using gallium.

Friction self-piercing riveting(F-SPR)of aluminum alloy to magnesium alloy using a flat die

Friction self-piercing riveting(F-SPR)process based on a pip die has been invented to solve the cracking problems in riveting high-strength and low-ductility light metals,such as magnesium alloys,cast aluminum,and 7 series aluminum alloys.In this paper,in order to solve quality issues caused by the misalignment between rivet and pip-die in F-SPR,a flat-die based F-SPR process was proposed and employed to join 1.27 mm-thick AA6061-T6 to 3 mm-thick AZ31B.The results indicate that a 1.0 mm die distance is effective to avoid rivet upset and insufficient flaring.As the feed rate increases,the heat input in the whole process decreases,resulting in a larger riveting force,which in turn increases both the bottom thickness and interlock amount.Besides,solid-state bonding,including Al-Mg intermetallic compounds(IMCs),Al-Mg mechanical mixture,and Al-Fe atom interdiffusion was observed at the joint interfaces.The upper Al layer was softened,but the lower Mg layer was hardened,and both sheets exhibited a narrowed affected region with the increase of feed rate,while the rivet hardness shows no obvious change.Three fracture modes appeared accompanying the variations in lap-shear strength and energy absorption as the feed rate increased from 2 mm/s to 8 mm/s.Finally,the F-SPR process using a flat die was compared to those using a pip die and a flat bottom die to show the advantage of flat die on coping with the misalignment problem.