Effect of heat input on microstructure and properties of welded joint in magnesium alloy AZ31B

Using the optical microscope, tensile test machine and micro hardness meter, the effect of heat input on the microstructure and mechanical properties in fusion welding joints of AZ31B wrought alloys was investigated systematically, the mechanism on joint properties losing was analyzed, and a valid method to improve joint properties of the magnesium alloy fusion welding was explored. The results show that the heat input has an obvious effect on the microstructure and properties. Under the condition of penetration, with the heat input decreasing, the crystal grain in the weld and heat affected zone (HAZ) becomes fine, the width of HAZ becomes obviously narrow, and the molding of the weld is improved, so the tensile strength and elongation are increased and the hardness of joints is improved. When the heat input reaches 60 J/mm, the high quality joints can be gained.

Improvement of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Rapid Cooling Friction Stir-welded A1050 Pure Aluminum

Two-mm thick A1050 pure aluminum plates were successfully joined by conventional and rapid cooling friction stir welding(FSW), respectively. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the welded joints were investigated by electron backscatter diffraction characterization, Vickers hardness measurements, and tensile testing. The results showed that liquid CO_(2) coolant significantly reduced the peak temperature and increased the cooling rate, so the rapidly cooled FSW joint exhibited fine grains with a large number of dislocations. The grain refinement mechanism of the FSW A1050 pure aluminum joint was primarily attributed to the combined effects of continuous dynamic recrystallization, grain subdivision, and geometric dynamic recrystallization. Compared with conventional FSW, the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and fracture elongation of rapidly cooled FSW joint were significantly enhanced, and the welding efficiency was increased from 80% to 93%. The enhanced mechanical properties and improved synergy of strength and ductility were obtained due to the increased dislocation density and remarkable grain refinement. The wear of the tool can produce several WC particles retained in the joint, and the contribution of second phase strengthening to the enhanced strength should not be ignored.

Microstructure,Corrosion and Mechanical Properties of Medium-Thick 6061-T6 Alloy/T2 Pure Cu Dissimilar Joints Produced by Double Side Friction Stir Z Shape Lap-Butt Welding

A novel double side friction stir Z shape lap-butt welding(DS-FSZW)process was proposed to achieve excellent mechanical properties of Al/Cu medium-thick dissimilar joints.The influence of welding parameters on weld microstructure and properties of DS-FSZW joint were systematically investigated.It indicated that defect-free medium-thick Al/Cu DS-FSZW joint could be achieved under an optimal welding parameter.DS-FSZW joint was prone to form void defects in the bottom of the second-pass weld.The recrystallization mechanisms at the top and middle of the weld nugget zone(WNZ)were continuous dynamic recrystallization(CDRX)and geometric dynamic recrystallization(GDRX).While the major recrystallization mechanism at the bottom of the WNZ was GDRX.DS-FSZW joint of the optimal welding condition with 850 r/min-400 mm/min was produced with a continuous thin and crack-free IMCs layer at the Al/Cu interface,and the maximum tensile strength of this joint is 160.57 MPa,which is equivalent to 65.54%of pure Cu base material.Moreover,the corrosion resistance of Al/Cu DS-FSZW joints also achieved its maximum value at the optimal welding parameter of 850 r/min-400 mm/min.It demonstrates that the DS-FSZW process can simultaneously produce medium-thick Al/Cu joints with excellent mechanical performance and corrosion resistance.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of stationary shoulder friction stir welding joint of 2A14-T62 aluminum alloy

2A14-T62 butt joint was successfully welded by stationary shoulder friction stir welding(SSFSW)method.The results showed that using a pin with small shoulder could broaden the process window,and under a rotation speed of 2000 r/min and welding speed of 30 mm/min,joint with smooth surface,small reduction in thickness and little inner defects was obtained.The weld nugget zone was approx-imately circular,which was a unique morphology for SSFSW.The heat-affected zone(HAZ)and thermo-mechanically affected zone(TMAZ)were both quite narrow due to the lower heat input and slight mechanical action of the stationary shoulder.The fraction of high angle grain boundaries(HAGBs)exhibited a“W”shape along horizontal direction(from advancing side to retreating side),and the minim-um value located at HAZ.The average ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the joint were 325 MPa and 4.5%,respectively,with the joint efficiency of 68.3%.The joint was ductile fractured and the fracture surface contained two types of dimples morphology in different re-gions of the joint.Microhardness distribution in the joint exhibited a“W”shape,and the difference along the thickness direction was negli-gible.The joint had strong stress corrosion cracking susceptibility,and the slow stain rate tensile strength was 139 MPa.Microcrack and Al2O3 particulates were observed at the fracture surface.

Comprehensive study of microstructure and mechanical properties of friction stir welded 5182-O/HC260YD+Z lap joint

The welding of aluminum(Al)and steel has attracted more and more interest due to the weight reduction trend in vehicle and aerospace manufacturing industries.5182-O/HC260YD+Z lap joint was produced by friction stir welding(FSW),and the microstructure and mechanical property of the joint were systemically characterized.The microstructure in horizontal direction of the Al and steel near interface was similar to their corresponding conventional friction stir welded joint.The joint was divided into stir zone of Al(ST-Al),stir zone of interface(ST-I),thermal-mechanically affected zone of steel(TMAZ-Fe)and base material of steel(BM-Fe)according to their distinct microstructure vertically.Three kinds of intermetallic compounds(IMCs)of FeAl_(3),FeAl and Fe_(3)Al were formed at the interface.The horizontal micro hardness distribution exhibited a hat shape and“M”shape in Al and steel,respectively.The hardest region of the joint was located at the ST-I,with a hardness of 175 HV−210 HV.The joint was fractured along the hook structure,with an average shear strength of 73.9 MPa.Fractural morphology of Al and steel indicted a cleavage fracture mode.

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.

A critical review on solid-state welding of high entropy alloys-processing,microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of joints

The high entropy alloys(HEAs)are the newly developed high-performance materials that have gained significant importance in defence,nuclear and aerospace sector due to their superior mechanical properties,heat resistance,high temperature strength and corrosion resistance.These alloys are manufactured by the equal mixing or larger proportions of five or more alloying elements.HEAs exhibit superior mechanical performance compared to traditional engineering alloys because of the extensive alloying composition and higher entropy of mixing.Solid state welding(SSW)techniques such as friction stir welding(FSW),rotary friction welding(RFW),diffusion bonding(DB)and explosive welding(EW)have been efficiently deployed for improving the microstructural integrity and mechanical properties of welded HEA joints.The HEA interlayers revealed greater potential in supressing the formation of deleterious intermetallic phases and maximizing the mechanical properties of HEAs joints.The similar and dissimilar joining of HEAs has been manifested to be viable for HEA systems which further expands their industrial applications.Thus,the main objective of this review paper is to present a critical review of current state of research,challenges and opportunities and main directions in SSW of HEAs mainly CoCrFeNiMn and Al_xCoCrFeNi alloys.The state of the art of problems,progress and future outlook in SSW of HEAs are critically reviewed by considering the formation of phases,microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of HEAs joints.

Effects of Electron Beam Local Postweld Heat Treatment on Microstructure and Properties of 30CrMnSiNi2A Steel Welded Joints

To improve the microstructure and properties of the electron beam welded joints, the vacuum or furnace whole post weld heat treatment (FWPWHT) usually should be done on it. The electron beam local post weld heat treatment (EBLPWHT) is a rather new heat treatment procedure that provides the advantages of high precision, flexibility and efficiency, energy saving and higher productivity. In this paper, the microstructure, mechanical properties, fracture toughness and fatigue properties of electron beam welded joints of 30CrMnSiNi2A steel in as-welded (AW) and EBLPWHT conditions have been investigated respectively. The results show that the microstructures of different zones of joints in as-welded condition are changed by EBLPWHT procedure, in which the welds from coarse needle martensite into lath-shaped martensite; the main structures of heat affected zones (HAZ) from lath-shaped martensite into lower bainite. The properties of welded joints can be improved by the EBLPWHT in some extent, especially the fracture toughness of the welds and the fatigue crack resistance of welded joints can be sufficiently improved. However, more appropriate heat treatment parameters of the EBLPWHT have to be studied in order to increase the mechanical properties of base metal near by the HAZ.

Effects of aging treatment and heat input on the microstructures and mechanical properties of TIG-welded 6061-T6 alloy joints

Aging treatment and various heat input conditions and mechanical properties of TIG welded 606I-T6 alloy joints were adopted to investigate the microstructural evolution by microstructural observations, microhardness tests, and tensile tests. With an increase in heat input, the width of the heat-affected zone （HAZ） increases and grains in the fusion zone （FZ） coarsen. Moreover, the hardness of the HAZ decreases, whereas that of the FZ decreases initially and then increases with an increase in heat input. Low heat input results in the low ultimate tensile strength of the welded joints due to the presence of partial penetrations and pores in the welded joints. After a simple artificial aging treatment at 175℃ for 8 h, the microstructure of the welded joints changes slightly. The mechanical properties of the welded joints enhance significantly after the aging process as few precipitates distribute in the welded seam.

Microstructures and properties of capacitor discharge welded joint of TiNi shape memory alloy and stainless steel

Microstructures and properties of capacitor discharge welded （CDW） joint of TiNi shape memory alloy （ SMA ） and stainless steel （SS） were studied. The fracture characteristics of the joint were analyzed by means of scanning electron microscope （ SEM）. Microstructures of the joint were examined by means of optical microscope and SEM. The results showed that the teusile strength of the inhomogeneous joint （ TiNi-SS joint） was low and the joint was brittle. Because TiNi SMA and SS melted, a brittle as-cast structure and compound were formed in the weld. The tensile strength and the shape memory effect （SME） of TiNi-SS joint were strongly influenced by the changes of composition and structure of the weld. Measures should be taken to prevent defects from forming and extruding excessive molten metal in the weld for improving the properties of TiNi-SS joint.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of E36 steel joint welded by underwater wet welding

The microstructure and mechanical properties of E36 steel joint welded by underwater welding using flux-cored wire are comprehensively investigated. The welding depth, welding current and welding voltage is 4 m, 130 A and 32 V, respectively. The weld metal is ferrite which varies in size, with carbide particles distributed on it, while the microstructure of HAZ is mixture of martensite of different size and some tempered structure. The microhardness of the weld metal is 190 HV. Almost all the tensile specimens fracture in weld metal and the average tensile strength of joint is 390 MPa, which is equal to 80% that of base metal. The tensile fracture morphology of joint presents obviously the characterization of brittle fracture, which displays the features of cleavage fracture and intergranular fracture.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of friction-stir welded St52 steel joints

The aim of this work is to investigate the mechanical properties and microstructures of friction-stir welded(FSWed) St52 structural steel joints. In this study, St52 steel plates with a thickness of 4 mm were butt-welded by friction-stir welding(FSW) using a tungsten carbide tool having a conical pin. The microstructure of the welded zone consists of equiaxed fine ferrite, grain boundary ferrite, Widmanstatten ferrite, and aggregates of ferrite + cementite. The microhardness measurements showed that the hardness of the welded zone was significantly higher than that of the base metal. The FSWed St52 joint exhibited a significant strength overmatching in the weld region and a strength performance similar to or slightly higher than that of the base plate.

Effect of flame heating pass on microstructure and properties of A6N01 aluminum alloy welded joint

Flame heating combined with water cooling was used to straighten A6N01 aluminum alloy welded joint and effect of flame heating pass on its microstructure and mechanical properties was studied. Results showed that the flame induced the precipitation and growth of the Mg_2Si phase on the Al substrate for the thermal aging A6N01 aluminum alloy welded joints,thus it led the decrease of micro-hardness and tensile strength of the A6N01 aluminum alloy welded joint with the increase of the heating pass. However,the fatigue property of the flame heated joint was improved because the Mg_2Si precipitation hindered the initiation and propagation of the fatigue crack.

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.

Mechanical properties and microstructure of pure nickel PAW and PAW-TIG welded joints

A plasma arc welding( PAW)-tungsten inert gas( TIG) hybrid welding process is proposed. And this paper investigated the microstructure and properties of pure nickel N6 joints by PAW-TIG hybrid welding. Compared with the conventional PAW method,the characteristic of PAW-TIG welding process is that there is no interaction between the two arcs.The addition of TIG can enhance the intrinsic high-efficiency peculiarity and the stability of the keyhole status of PAW. The joints made using PAW and PAW-TIG,respectively,were subjected to microstructural evaluations and tensile testing so as to analyze the effect of TIG arc energy on the microstructure and mechanical properties of these joints. The results of this investigation indicate that significant grain coarsening was observed in the weld metal( WM) and heat affected zone( HAZ)and it is found that the extent of grain coarsening increased with the addition of TIG arc. And the microstructure in hybrid joint,with wider weld width and the smooth surface,is coarser than in PAW joint. Furthermore,the microhardness and ultimate tensile strength( UTS) of hybrid joint is slightly lower than that of PAW joint. The fractograph observation shows that the fracturing mechanism of PAW joints ductile,while the hybrid welding joints exists as brittle-ductile fracture mode. The outcome of this work shows that in the condition of same deposited rate,TIG arc post-weld heat treatment can improve the welding efficiency and welding speed. The proposed PAW-TIG hybrid welding process is demonstrated to be suitable for welding nickel and its alloys in industry application.

Effect of the heat input on microstructure and properties of submerged arc welded joint of 08Cr19MnNi3Cu2N stainless steel

SAW308L submerged arc welding wire and SJ601A submerged arc welding flux were selected to weld the 12 mm 08Cr19MnNi3Cu2N low nickel and high nitrogen austenitic stainless steel plates with three different welding heat input,and microstructure,tensile properties,microhardness and corrosion properties of the welded joints were studied.The results show that no defects are found in the three groups of welded joints,and the welded joints have better performance.The tensile strength of 08Cr19MnNi3Cu2N stainless steel welded joints with different heat input is slightly lower than that of the base metal,and fracture occurs in the weld zone,and the hardness of the weld zone is lower than that of the base metal.The weld microstructure of stainless steel welded joints with different heat input is composed of austenite+δferrite,and ferrite is uniformly distributed in austenite.With the increase of the welding heat input,the ferrite content in the weld zone decrease gradually,the grain size in the thermal affected zone increase gradually,and the impact toughness reduce.

Microstructure and mechanical/conductivity properties of pure copper joint welded by friction stir welding

Copper plates with 3 mm thickness were friction stir welded at a rotation rate of 800 r/min and different welding velocity.The effects of microstructure and the mechanical/conductivity properties of the FSW joints were studied.The results indicate that the grain sizes of nugget zones are 2.49,2.13 and 5.07μm for welding speed of 100,150 and 200 mm/min,respectively.Furthermore,lower density of dislocation was obtained in the nugget zone.Under the welding speed of 200 mm/min,annealing twins had been observed.When the speed is 150 mm/min,the tensile strength of the stir welded joint is 264 MPa that can reach 98%of the base metal.The mechanical properties of the joints with the welding speed of both 100 mm/min and 200 mm/min are lower than the base metal.The corrosion resistance of weld is higher than that of base metal.Electrical resistivity measurement shows no obvious change in the welded joints compared to the base metal at the room temperature.

Microstructure and properties of 7A52 Al alloy welded joint

7A52 Al alloy plate aged at 105 ℃ for 8 h and then at 130 ℃ for 24 h was welded by means of TIG using Al- 6.3Mg-0.35Sc-0.1Zr-0.1Cr solder wire. Mechanical properties and microstructures of welded joint were studied. There are two obviously soft areas in the welded joint, welding seam and over-aging zone. The mechanical properties of welded joint are that σb is 358 MPa, σ0.2 is 238 MPa and δ5 is 6.6%. 75.6% of welding coefficient can be achieved. The addition of scandium leads to very significant grain refinement in the fusion zone, which results in a reduction in solidification cracking tendency. The solidification cracking isn’t observed.

Study on microstructures and properties of preheated flash butt welded SW400 steel joints

Under the spirit of sustainable development, ‘lightweight’ has been gradually included into the vehicle design criterion by many manufacturers and used in automobile production. Following this trend, domestic wheel suppliers also begin to study the technology of lightweight wheel. One way to achieve this goal is improving strength grade of the steel and optimizing the structure design in the field of steel wheels. But there are a few problems in flash butt welding process in the application of high strength steel, leading to high rejection rates. SW400 steel is a special high strength wheel steel developed by Benxi Steel. Taking SW400 steel as the research material, this article studys the feasibility of improving the properties of rim flash butt welded joints by adding preheating process.

Impact of travel speed on the microstructure and mechanical properties of adjustable-gap bobbin-tool friction stir welded Al–Mg joints

The butt welds of 4-mm thick 5A06 aluminum alloy plates were produced by adjustable-gap bobbin-tool friction stir travel with travel speeds of 200, 300, and 400 mm/min in this study.The microstructure was studied using optical microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD).Tensile tests and microhardness measurements were performed to identify the effect of the travel speed on the joint mechanical properties.Sound joints were obtained at 200 mm/min while voids were present at different positions of the joints as the travel speed increased.The EBSD results show that the grain size, high angle grain boundaries, and density of geometrically necessary dislocations in different regions of the joint vary depending on the recovery and recrystallization behavior.Specific attention was given to the relationship between the local microstructure and mechanical properties.Microhardness measurements show that the average hardness of the stir zone(SZ) was greater than that of the base material, which was only affected slightly by the travel speed.The tensile strength of the joint decreased with increasing travel speed and the maximal strength efficiency reached 99%.