Research on microstructure and properties of boron/Q235 steel laser welded dissimilar joints under synchronous thermal field

The mechanical mismatch effect frequently occurs in the dissimilar materials welded joints, thus leading to plastic gradient at the interface between the weld and heat-affected zone(HAZ). In this work, the boron steel and Q235 steel were selected for laser tailor welding,which obtained boron/Q235 steel tailor-welded blanks(TWBs). The method of welding with synchronous thermal field(WSTF) was utilized to eliminate the mismatch effects in TWBs. The WSTF was employed to adjust cooling rates of welded joints, thereby intervening in the solidification behaviors and phase transition of the molten pool. Boron/Q235 steel was welded by laser under conventional and WSTF(300-600 ℃) conditions, respectively. The results show that the microstructure of weld and HAZ(boron) was adequately transitioned to ferrites and pearlites instead of abundant martensite by WSTF. Meanwhile, the discrepancy of microhardness and yield strength between various regions of welded joints was greatly reduced, and the overall plasticity of welded joints was enhanced by WSTF. It is indicated that WSTF can effectively contribute to reducing plastic gradient and achieving mechanical congruity in welded joints by restraining the generation of hardbrittle phase, which could significantly improve the formability of TWBs in subsequent hot stamping.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of pulsed laser welded Al/steel dissimilar joint

Pulsed laser welding was used in joining pure aluminum to stainless steel in a lap joint configuration. It is found that the mechanical properties of the laser joints were closely correlated with the bead geometry, i.e., penetration depth. In order to study the correlation, two typical laser welds with different penetration depths were analyzed. In high penetration depth (354 μm) joint, Al-rich Fe?Al IMCs with microcracks were formed at the Al/fusion zone (FZ) interface. The joint strength was found to be (27.2±1.7) N/mm and three failure modes were observed near the Al/FZ interface. In low penetration depth (108 μm) joint, Fe-rich Fe?Al IMCs without any defect were formed at the Al/FZ interface. The joint strength was found to be (46.2±1.9) N/mm and one failure mode was observed across the FZ.

Microstructures and mechanical properties of laser welded wrought fine-grained ZK60 magnesium alloy

Fine-grained ZK60 magnesium alloy sheets of 2.0 mm in thickness were successfully joined by laser beam welding （LBW）. The effects of welding parameters including laser power and welding speed on the microstructures and mechanical properties of the joints were investigated. A sound bead, with the ultimate tensile strength （UTS） of 300 MPa and elongation of 12.0%, up to 92.5% and 65% of those of the base metal, respectively, is obtained with the optimized welding parameters. No liquation cracking is visible in the partially melted zone （PMZ） owing to the inhibitory action of the fine dispersed precipitates and the fine-grained microstructure in the as-rolled magnesium alloy sheets. The fusion zone （FZ） is featured with the equiaxed dendritic grains of the average grain size about 8 μm, which are similar to those in the heat affected zone （HAZ）, and this contributes to the relatively high joint efficiency.

Fatigue Resistance and Failure Behavior of Penetration and Non-Penetration Laser Welded Lap Joints

Penetration and non-penetration lap laser welding is the joining method for assembling side facade panels of railway passenger cars,while their fatigue performances and the difference between them are not completely understood.In this study,the fatigue resistance and failure behavior of penetration 1.5+0.8-P and non-penetration 0.8+1.5-N laser welded lap joints prepared with 0.8 mm and 1.5 mm cold-rolled 301L plates were investigated.The weld beads showed a solidification microstructure of primary ferrite with good thermal cracking resistance,and their hardness was lower than that of the plates.The 1.5+0.8-P joint exhibited better fatigue resistance to low stress amplitudes,whereas the 0.8+1.5-N joint showed greater resistance to high stress amplitudes.The failure modes of 0.8+1.5-N and 1.5+0.8-P joints were 1.5 mm and 0.8 mm lower lap plate fracture,respectively,and the primary cracks were initiated at welding fusion lines on the lap surface.There were long plastic ribs on the penetration plate fracture,but not on the non-penetration plate fracture.The fatigue resistance stresses in the crack initiation area of the penetration and non-penetration plates calculated based on the mean fatigue limits are 408 MPa and 326 MPa,respectively,which can be used as reference stress for the fatigue design of the laser welded structures.The main reason for the difference in fatigue performance between the two laser welded joints was that the asymmetrical heating in the non-penetration plate thickness resulted in higher residual stress near the welding fusion line.

Effects of Laser Shock Processing on Mechanical Properties of Laser Welded ANSI 304 Stainless Steel Joint

With the rapid development of engineering component with integration,high-speed and multi-parameter,traditional techniques haven＇t met practical needs in extreme service environment.Laser welding,a new welding technology,has been widely used.However,it would generate the drop of mechanical properties for laser welded joint due to its thermal effect.Laser shock processing（LSP） is one of the most effective methods to improve the mechanical properties of laser welded ANSI 304 stainless steel joint.In this paper,the effects of LSP on the mechanical properties of laser welded ANSI 304 stainless steel joint have been investigated.The welded joint on the front of the tensile samples is treated by LSP impacts,and the overlapping rate of the laser spot is 50%.The tensile test of the laser welded joint with and without LSP impacts is carried out,and the fracture morphology of the tensile samples is analyzed by scanning electron microscope（SEM）.Compared with the yield strength of 11.70 kN,the tensile strength of 37.66 kN,the yield-to-tensile strength ratio of 0.310 7,the elongation of 25.20%,the area reduction of 32.68% and the elastic modulus of 13 063.876 MPa,the corresponding values after LSP impacts are 14.25 kN,38.74 kN,0.367 8,26.58%,42.29% and 14 754.394 MPa,respectively.Through LSP impacts,the increasing ratio of the yield strength and tensile strength are 121.79% and 102.87%,respectively;the elongation and area reduction are improved by 5.48% and 29.38%,respectively.By comparing with coarse fracture surface of the welded joint,the delamination splitting with some cracks in the sharp corner of the welded joint and asymmetric dimples,LSP can cause brighter fracture surface,and finer and more uniform dimples.Finally,the schematic illustration of dimple formation with LSP is clearly described.The proposed research ensures that the LSP technology can clearly improve the yield strength,tensile strength,yield-to-tensile strength ratio,elongation,area reduction and elastic modulus of the welded joint.The enhancement mechanism of LSP on laser welded ANSI 304 stainless steel joint is mainly due to the fact that the refined and uniform dimples effectively delay the fracture of laser welded joints.

Geometrical, microstructural and mechanical characterization of pulse laser welded thin sheet 5052-H32 aluminium alloy for aerospace applications

Pulse laser welding of 0.6 mm-thick AA5052-H32 was performed to determine the optimum set of parameters including laser pulse current,pulse frequency and pulse duration that meets the AWS D17.1 specifications for aerospace industry.The microstructure and mechanical properties of the weldments were also investigated.Relationships between the parameters and weld bead geometry were found.High quality weld joints without solidification crack that met AWS D17.1 requirements were obtained at(I)high pulse energy(25 J)and high average peak power(4.2 kW)and(II)low pulse energy(17.6 J)and low average peak power(2.8 kW).The weld joint formed at lower heat energy input exhibited finer dendritic grain structure.Mg vapourisation and hard phase compound(Al0.5Fe3Si0.5)formation decreased in the weld joint formed at lower heat energy input.Consequently,the tensile strength of the weldment formed at lower heat energy input(168 MPa)is by a factor of 1.15 higher but showed^29%decrease in hardness(111 HV0.1)at the joint when being compared with the weldment formed at higher heat energy input.Appropriate parameters selection is critical to obtaining 0.6 mm-thick AA5052-H32 pulse laser weld joints that meet AWS D17.1 requirements for aircraft structures.

An insight into microstructural heterogeneities formation between weld subregions of laser welded copper to stainless steel joints

The effect of laser beam welding(LBW) process on the microstructure-mechanical property relationship of a dissimilar weld between the copper(Cu) and stainless steel(SS) was investigated.Backscattered electron(BSE) based scanning electron microscopy(SEM) imaging was used to characterize the highly heterogeneous microstructural features across the LBW(Cu-SS) weld.The BSE analysis thoroughly evidenced the complex microstructures produced at dissimilar weld interfaces and fusion zone along with the compositional information.Widely different grain growths from coarse columnar grains to equiaxed ultrafine grains were also evident along the Cu-weld interface.A highresolution electron backscattered diffraction(EBSD) analysis confirmed the existence of the grain refinement mechanism at the Cu-weld interface.Both tensile and impact properties of the dissimilar weld were found to be closely aligned with the property of Cu base metal.Microhardness gradients were spatially evident in the non-homogeneous material composition zones such as fusion zone and the Cu-weld interface regions.The heterogeneous nucleation spots across the weld sub-regions were clearly identified and interlinked with their microhardness measurements for a holistic understanding of structure-property relationships of the local weld sub-regions.The findings were effectively correlated to achieve an insight into the local microstructural gradients across the weld.

Effect of process parameters on microstructure and properties of laser welded joints of aluminum/steel with Ni/Cu interlayer

The effects of laser parameters and interlayer material on the microstructure and properties of the welded joint between 6061 aluminum alloy and stainless steel were studied.The results show that the density and microstructure of the welded joint can be optimized by changing the laser power with 0.05 mm Cu foil and 0.1 mm Ni foil as interlayer.A large number of new Cu-Al binary phases were found near the aluminum alloy,which effectively inhibited the formation of the binary brittle phase of Fe-Al.The maximum shear force of 1350.96 N was obtained with laser power of 2200 W.The shear force of the welded joint increased to 1754.73 N when the thickness of the Cu foil thickness changed to 0.02 mm.

Thermal cycle and its influence on the microstructure of laser welded butt joint of 8 mm thick Ti-6Al-4V alloy

Ti-6Al-4V alloy is extensively used in the manufacture of components in aviation.In the current study,the laser welding process is adopted to joint the Ti-6Al-4V alloy plate which has the thick of 8 mm.A three-dimensional finite element model is established to simulate the temperature distribution of laser welding process.The thermal cycle curves are produced on the strength of the simulation results.Meanwhile,the microstructure characteristics of the welded joint are investigated combined with simulation results.The results show that weld zone,heat affected zone and based metal experience similar thermal cycles process and the cooling rate has an important influence on the formation of microstructure.Moreover,the simulation results are well matched with experiment results.

HAZ Characterization and Mechanical Properties of QP980-DP980 Laser Welded Joints

The QP980-DP980 dissimilar steel joints were fabricated by fiber laser welding.The weld zone(WZ)was fully martensitic structure,and heat-affected zone(HAZ)contained newly-formed martensite and partially tempered martensite(TM)in both steels.The supercritical HAZ of the QP980 side had higher microhardness(~549.5 Hv)than that of the WZ due to the finer martensite.A softened zone was present in HAZ of QP980 and DP980,the dropped microhardness of softened zone of the QP980 and DP980 wasΔ21.8 Hv andΔ40.9 Hv,respectively.Dislocation walls and slip bands were likely formed at the grain boundaries with the increase of strain,leading to the formation of low angle grain boundaries(LAGBs).Dislocation accumulation more easily occurred in the LAGBs than that of the HAGBs,which led to significant dislocation interaction and formation of cracks.The electron back-scattered diffraction(EBSD)results showed the fraction of LAGBs in sub-critical HAZ of DP980 side was the highest under different deformation conditions during tensile testing,resulting in the failure of joints located at the sub-critical HAZ of DP980 side.The QP980-DP980 dissimilar steel joints presented higher elongation(~11.21%)and ultimate tensile strength(~1011.53 MPa)than that of DP980-DP980 similar steel joints,because during the tensile process of the QP980-DP980 dissimilar steel joint(~8.2%and 991.38 MPa),the strain concentration firstly occurred on the excellent QP980 BM.Moreover,Erichsen cupping tests showed that the dissimilar welded joints had the lowest Erichsen value(~5.92 mm)and the peak punch force(~28.4 kN)due to the presence of large amount of brittle martensite in WZ and inhomogeneous deformation.

Research on the properties of laser welded joints of aluminum killed cold rolled steel

Aluminum killed cold rolled steel used for automobiles was welded in this paper by using CO 2 laser with wavelength 10.6μm.The experiment shows that high quality of welding can be realized at welding speed of 4 500mm/min by optimizing the parameters.The strength and hardness of laser welded joints for aluminum killed cold rolled steel increased compared to those of the base metal while the formability decreased.Forming limit diagram of joint material indicated that the laser weld seam should avoid the maximum deformation area of automobile parts during the designing period for the position of weld seam.

Effect of W/Cu composite filler metals on the microstructure and mechanical properties of laser welded pure niobium/304 stainless steel joint

Cracking in a laser weld of niobium to stainless steel occurred due to the formation of brittle,continuously distributed Nb-Fe intermetallic compounds.A crack-free joint,which had a tensile strength of 147 MPa,was obtained by using the W/Cu composite filler metals.To determine the reasons for cracking in the Nb/SS joint and the function of the W/Cu composite filler metals on the improvement of the cracking resistance of the Nb/W/Cu/SS joint,the microstructures of the joints were studied by optical microscopy,scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.The cracking susceptibilities of the joints were evaluated with microhardness test on the cross section of the Nb/W/Cu/SS joint.The results showed that the Nb/W/Cu/SS joint was characterized by various solid solution.The formation of solid solution reduced the cracking susceptibility of the joint.

Elemental micro-segregation characteristic of fiber laser welded Hastelloy C-276 sheet

The elemental micro-segregation characteristic within the weld zone for ytterbium fiber laser welded Hastelloy C-276sheet was investigated. The analysis of segregation ratio and equilibrium distribution coefficient of elements, determined throughEDS data, indicate the reduction in micro-segregation of elements compared with the previous reported literatures for laser weldedHastelloy C-276. High melting efficiency of ytterbium fiber laser, reduction in the amount of linear heat input, and high cooling rateof the mushy zone lead to the reduction in micro-segregation. The melting efficiency of ytterbium fiber laser for welding of HastelloyC-276 of 64% is higher than that （48%） of conventional welding methods. High melting efficiency leads to the reduction in the linearheat input required for welding. Hence, in the present investigation, the same was found to substantially reduce as compared to theprevious reported literature. The cooling rate from liquidus temperature to solidus temperature at the weld centerline was found to bein the order of 10^3℃/s. Cellular dendritic substructure that constituted for lower micro-segregation was formed at the weldcenterline.

Characteristics of Nd： YAG laser welded 600 MPa grade TRIP steel

Microstructures and mechanical properties of Nd ： YAG laser welded transformation induced plasticity （TRIP） steel with tensile strength of 645 MPa were studied. Due to high cooling speed of laser welding, the weld metal mainly consists of martensite different from the base metal, which is composed of ferrite matrix with bainite and a little retained austenite. Therefore, the weld metal has maximum hardness at welded joint. The yield strength and tensile strength of welded specimens tested perpendicular to weld line were almost equal to those of the base metal. But the yield strength and tensile strength of welded specimens tested parallel with weld line were a little higher than those of the base metal. The formability of laser welded TRIP steel was decreased compared with that of the base metal.

Microstructure characteristics and liquation behavior of fiber laser welded joints of Mg-5Zn-1Mn-0.6Sn alloy sheets

Fine-grained Mg?5Zn?1Mn?0.6Sn alloy sheets of2mm in thickness were welded by fiber laser welding.The appearanceand microstructures of the welding joints and liquation behaviors in the partially melted zone(PMZ)were investigated.The resultsshow that,with the lower welding power and higher welding speed,the width and depth of the joints decrease.Moreover,some poresare detected at a very high welding speed.There are two kinds of liquation phenomena in the PMZ.One is the liquation networkalong grain boundaries associated with the liquation of substrate and segregation-induced liquation,the other is the molten poolinvolved with the liquation of the residual second phases at the boundaries.However,the liquation of substrate and thesegregation-induced liquation are the main liquation mechanism in the PMZ.

Mechanical Properties of Laser Welded Joints of High Volume Fraction SiCp/Al Aluminum Matrix Composite

High volume fraction SiCp/Al aluminum matrix composite possesses a variety of outstanding properties,such as high thermal conductivity and low coefficient of thermal expansion.It is widely applied in many fields,especially in automotive and aerospace.An orthogonal experiment is conducted to study the effects of relevant parameters on the mechanical properties by CO2 laser.Then the micro-hardness in different regions is measured.The effects of such parameters as laser power,middle layer thickness and welding speed on the tensile strength of the welded joints are discussed.The experimental results indicate that the maximum of the tensile strength of the welded joints is attained at the laser power of 1 200 W,the welding speed of 1.5 m/min and the middle layer thickness of 0.3 mm.In addition,the mechanism of the improvement of micro-hardness on the weld bead is also analyzed.ing technology, surface tribology, wetting behavior and friction reduction.

High-temperature Tensile Behavior of Laser Welded Ti-22Al-25Nb Joints at Different Temperatures

The high-temperature tensile behavior of laser welded Ti-22Al-25Nb (at%) joints was investigated at 500,650,800,and 1 000 ℃.The temperatures for tensile tests were selected according to the phase transformation sequence of Ti2AlNb-based alloys.At temperatures lower than the B2+O phase field (500 ℃) and higher than the B2+O phase field (1 000 ℃),the joints fracture in the base metal in ductile fracture mode.By contrast,the joints exhibit obvious high-temperature brittleness in the B2+O phase field (650 °C and 800 ℃).Heat treatments were conducted with respect to the thermal history of tensile specimens.Intergranular microcracks along the grain boundary of B2 phase are found in the fusion zone after the heat treatments at 650 ℃ and 800 ℃.The high-temperature brittleness at 650 ℃ and 800 ℃ is attributed to the B2→O transformation along the grain boundary.The stress concentration caused by the volume change of B2→O transformation also contributes to the high-temperature brittleness of laser welded Ti-22Al-25Nb joints.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of laser welded joints of pure copper and 304 stainless steels

A continuous wave diode laser with an output power of 2.8 kW was used to join pure copper and 304 stainless steel with a thickness of 1 mm. The focused laser beam with a diameter of O. 8 mm was irradiated on the copper side of the butt joints. In process of laser welding, effects of processing primary parameters on tensile strength of the joints were investigated. The interfacial characterizations of the joints were investigated by metallographic microscope, scanning electron microscope （SEM） and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscope （EDS）. The results showed that the element diffusion and solution occur and metallurgical bonding was achieved between pure copper and 304 stainless steel. The maximum tensile strength of the joints was 209 MPa when the laser power of welding was 2. 4 kW and welding speed was 12 mm/s.

PRESS FORMABILITY OF YAG LASER WELDED TRIP STEEL SHEETS

The effects of YAG laser welding conditions on mechanical properties andpress formability (bendability, stretch-formability and deep drawability) of high-strengthtransformation-induced plasticity-aided dual-phase (TDP) steel were investigated. Tensile tests andpress forming tests have been conducted for laser butt welded joints between two pieces of the samesteel. The tensile property and press formability were affected by the welding speed of 100 to1100mm/min and the energy of 6 to 9J/pulse. Excellent press formability was obtained with the energyof 6J/pulse and the welding speed of 300mm/min. It was concluded that the excellent weldability ofthe TDP steel can be ascribed to the weld joint formation.

Microstructure and properties of Nd：YAG laser welded AZ31B magnesium alloy

Biodegradable magnesium-based alloys are very promising materials for temporary implants. Laser welding is an important joining method in such application. In this study, the as-rolled AZ31B magnesium alloy sheets of 1 mm in thickness were successfully joined by Nd ： YAG laser welding. The microstructure and properties of the welded joint were investigated. The result shows that the welded joint is characterized by a narrow heat-affected zone, finer grains and a large number of precipitates distribute in the matrix in the weld. Microhardness of the weld is significantly improved to 72 HV 0. 05 as compared to 55 HV 0. 05 of the base metal. Tensile strength of butt-welded joint is 180. 24 MPa, which is 76. 8% that of the base metal. The electrochemical corrosion experiment shows that the corrosion resistance of laser welded joint is significantly improved in a 3.5 wt. % NaCl solution.