Effect of electron beam welding on the microstructures and mechanical properties of thick TC4-DT alloy

Electron beam welding (EBW) was applied to 50 mm thick damage-tolerant Ti–6Al–4V (TC4-DT) alloy, and microstructure, microhardness and tensile properties of the defect-free welded joints were examined. The results indicated that the microstructure of the base metal is composed of primary α phases and the lamellar (α + β) bimodal structure. For the EBW joint, martensite basketweave microstructure is formed in fusion zone (FZ). Moreover, the heat affected zone (HAZ) near FZ consists of acicular martensite and a small portion of primary α phase. The HAZ near base metal consists of primary α phase and transformed β containing aciculate α. It is found that the boundary of the two portions of the HAZ was dependent on the β phase transus temperature during weld cooling. Microhardness values for FZ and HAZ are higher than that of base metal, and there are the peak values for the HAZ near the weld metal. The fracture locations of all the EBW tensile specimens are in base metal, and the ultimate tensile strength of the joints may reach about 95% of the base metal. In addition, with the depth increasing along the weld thick direction, the grain size of the FZ decreases and microhardness increases.     

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Pulse MIG Welded 6061/A356 Aluminum Alloy Dissimilar Butt Joints

The microstructure and mechanical properties of pulse metal inert-gas(MIG) welded dissimilar joints between 4 mm thick wrought 6061-T6 and cast A356-T6 aluminum alloy plates were investigated. The tensile strength of the joints reached 235 MPa, which is 83% of that of 6061 aluminum alloy, and then decreased with the increase of travel speed while keeping other welding parameters constant. The microstructure, composition and fractography of joints were examined by the optical microscopy(OM),scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and electron probe microanalysis(EPMA). Grain boundary liquation and segregation occurred in the partially melted zone(PMZ) on 6061 aluminum alloy side, and brittle Fe-rich phases were observed in partially melted zone on A356 aluminum alloy side. The minimum microhardness appeared in heat-affected zone(HAZ) near A356 aluminum alloy substrate. The samples during tensile test failed mainly in PMZ and HAZ on A356 aluminum alloy side through mixed fracture mode with quasi cleavage and dimples on fracture surface.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of a new Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy joints welded by laser beam

A new type of Al–Zn–Mg–Cu alloy sheets with T6 temper were welded by laser beam welding (LBW). Microstructure characteristics and mechanical properties of the joints were evaluated. Results show that grains in the heat affected zone (HAZ) exhibit an elongated shape which is almost same as the base metal (BM). A non-dendritic equiaxed grain zone (EQZ) appears along the fusion line in the fusion zone (FZ), and grains here do not appear to nucleate epitaxially from the HAZ substrate. The FZ is mainly made up of dendritic equiaxed grains whose boundaries are decorated with continuous particles, identified as the T (AlZnMgCu) phase. Obvious softening occurs in FZ and HAZ, which mainly due to the changes of nanometric precipitates. The precipitates in BM are mainly η′, while plenty of GPI zones exist in FZ and HAZ adjacent to FZ, in the HAZ farther away from FZ, η phase appears. The minimum microhardness of the joint is always obtained in FZ at different times after welding. The ultimate tensile strength of the joint is 471.1 MPa which is 69.7% of that of the BM. Samples of the tensile tests always fracture at the FZ.     

7075高强铝合金激光填丝焊接组织与力学性能研究

采用光纤激光器对4mm厚的7075铝合金进行激光填丝焊接,对焊接接头的显微组织、相结构、断口形貌、力学性能进行观察和分析。结果表明:焊缝(FZ)边缘组织为柱状枝晶组织,焊缝中心为等轴晶组织;热影响区(HAZ)保留了母材(BM)的轧制长条状形态,但晶粒有所长大。母材的相组成主要为α-Al固溶体、S-Al_2CuMg强化相和η-MgZn_2强化相,焊缝无强化相析出。焊缝区硬度值为各区中最低,热影响区显微硬度呈阶梯式增长。焊接速度为2~4m/min的接头拉伸试样均在焊缝处断裂,抗拉强度最大为母材的67.5%。接头拉伸试样均出现了颈缩现象,断口由大量的等轴状韧窝构成,为韧性断裂。     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of resistance spot welded dissimilar thickness DP780/DP600 dual-phase steel joints

In this study, resistance spot welding (RSW) experiments were performed in order to evaluate the microstructure and mechanical properties of single-lap joints between DP780 and DP600. The results show that the weld joints consist of three regions including base metal (BM), heat affected zone (HAZ) and fusion zone (FZ). The grain size and martensite volume fractions increase in the order of BM, HAZ and FZ. The hardness in the FZ is significantly higher than hardness of base metals. Tensile properties of the joints were described in terms of the failure modes and static load-carrying capabilities. Two distinct failure modes were observed during the tensile shear test of the joints: interfacial failure (IF) and pullout failure (PF). The FZ size plays a dominate role in failure modes of the joints.     

Mechanical properties of electron beam welded dissimilar joints of TC17 and Ti60 alloys

Microstructure, hardness, tensile and high cycle fatigue (HCF) properties of the welded dissimilar joints of Ti60 and TC17 titanium alloys had been investigated in this study. A significant microstructural change was observed to occur after welding, with rod-like α and β phases in the fusion zone (FZ), equiaxed α phases, fine α laths and β phases in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of TC17 side and acicular martensite α' phases+“ghost” α phases in the HAZ of Ti60 side. The microhardness across the joints exhibited an inhomogeneous distribution with the highest hardness of ～404 HV in FZ and the lowest hardness of ～304 HV in base material (BM) of Ti60. All the joints tested in tension fractured at BM of Ti60 side. Fatigue limits of the joints at 10⁷ cycles were 425?MPa at room temperature and 380?MPa at 400?°C, respectively. Welding micropores were found to be the main source of fatigue crack initiation.     

Carbide precipitates and mechanical properties of medium Mn steel joint with metal inert gas welding

Medium Mn steel was metal inert gas(MIG)welded with NiCrMo-3 and 307Si filler wires.The effect of filler wires on the microstructure and mechanical properties of joint was investigated,and the carbide precipitates were contrastively discussed.The results revealed that the microstructure of weld metal,heat-affected zone and base metal are austenite.Obvious grain coarsening occurred in the heat-affected zone(HAZ),and the maximum grain size grew up to 160 pm.In HAZ,C and Cr segregated at grain boundaries,the carbides was identified as Cr7C3.The dispersive(Nb,Mo)C phase was also found in weld metal with NiCrMo-3 filler wire.All the welded joints failed in HAZ during tensile tests.The tensile strength of welded joint with NiCrMo-3 filler wire was 675 MPa,which is much higher than that with 307Si filler wire.In comparison to base metal,higher microhardness and lower impact toughness were obtained in HAZ for these two welded joints,which was attributed to the precipitation of Cr7C3 phase and grain coarsening.The impact toughness around the fusion line is the worst for these two welded joints.     

Abnormal distribution of microhardness in tungsten inert gas arc butt-welded AZ61 magnesium alloy plates

In this study, the effects of heat input on the distribution of microhardness of tungsten inert gas (TIG) arc welded hot-extruded AZ61 magnesium alloy joints were investigated. The results show that with an increase of heat input, the distributions of microhardness at the top and bottom of the welded joints are different because they are determined by both the effect of grain coarsening and the effect of dispersion strengthening. With an increase of the heat input, the microhardness of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) at the top and bottom of welded joints and the fusion zone (FZ) at the bottom of welded joints decreased gradually, while the microhardness of the FZ at the top of welded joints decreased initially and then increased sharply. The reason for the abnormal distribution of microhardness of the FZ at the top of the welded joints is that this area is close to the heat source during welding and then large numbers of hard β-Mg₁₇(Al,Zn)₁₂ particles are precipitated. Hence, in this case, the effect of dispersion strengthening dominated the microhardness.     

Narrow-gap tungsten inert gas welding of 78-mm-thick Ti–6Al–4V alloy

Narrow-gap tungsten inert gas welding with in situ protective system is applied to 78-mm-thick Ti–6Al–4V alloy. The martensite basketweave microstructure is formed in fusion zone (FZ), and heat-affected zone (HAZ) near FZ consists of acicular martensite and a small portion of primary alpha phase. The HAZ near base metal (BM) consists of primary alpha and transformed beta phase. Microhardness values of FZ and HAZ are relatively higher, and peak values appear at HAZ near FZ. The mechanical heterogeneity is dependent on variation of beta phase and martensite, which in turn depend on specific thermal cycle(s). The average tensile strength reaches 783.3?MPa and is 91.2% of BM, which appears in the middle of the weld with orthogonal martensites.     

6005A铝合金挤压型材搅拌摩擦焊接头的疲劳性能

对6005A-T6铝合金挤压型材进行焊速为1000 mm/min的搅拌摩擦高焊速焊接,研究了对接面机械打磨对接头组织和力学性能的影响.结果 表明,与生产中常用的焊前打磨处理相比,尽管对接面未机械打磨的接头焊核区的"S"线更明显,但是两种接头的硬度分布和拉伸性能相当,拉伸时都在最低硬度区即热影响区断裂.高周疲劳实验结果表...     

Microstructural analysis of fusion and heat affected zones in electron beam welded ALLVAC 718PLUS™ superalloy

The fusion zone and heat affected zone (HAZ) microstructures of electron beam welded superalloy 718PLUS™ (718 Plus) that has been newly developed by ATI ALLVAC were examined. The microsegregation pattern during solidification of the fusion zone indicated that while Fe, Co, W, and Cr segregated to the core of the gamma dendrites, Nb, Ti, and Al were extensively rejected into the interdendritic liquid. Electron diffraction and X-ray microanalysis using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of the fusion zone showed that the major secondary phases that formed from the interdendritic liquid were gamma/MC type carbide eutectic and gamma/Laves eutectic constituents. HAZ microstructure showed partially melted zone immediately adjacent to the fusion zone and intergranular microfissuring associated with resolidified products which suggested that HAZ cracking in this alloy occurred by liquation cracking. Microstructural examination of the HAZ using analytical scanning electron microscope showed resolidified gamma/Laves eutectic on the cracked and backfilled grain boundaries. Fine resolidified MC type carbide particles were also observed in the HAZ. Causes of grain boundary liquation were identified and the solidification of intergranular liquid in the HAZ was discussed.     

On the relation of microstructure and impact toughness characteristics of DSAW steel of grade API X70

In this research, mechanical characteristics of double submerged arc-welded line pipe steel of grade API X70 (70 ksi yield strength) were investigated. Different experimental examinations including chemical analysis, microstructural investigation, microhardness, tensile and Charpy tests and standard fractography were carried out on different zones of test material. Impact properties of the fusion zone, the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and the base metal were measured on an instrumented Charpy rig and correlated then to their microstructural features. The experimental results showed that the base metal was the toughest, and fusion zone was the least tough region with average Charpy energy of 222 and 128 J, respectively. The latter fulfilled service requirements set by API 5L, despite its relatively low impact energy. Interestingly, the cast microstructure and presence of grain boundary phases such as proeutectoid ferrite in fusion zone confirmed its low energy characteristics. Reduction in HAZ impact energy (compared to base metal) was observed too, together with grain coarsening and the associated HAZ softening adjacent to the weld.     

Microstructure and tensile properties of the laser welded TWIP steel and the deformation behavior of the fusion zone

Microstructure and tensile properties of the laser welded joint of Fe–18.8Mn–0.6C TWIP steel were investigated in this research. The microstructure of fusion zone (FZ) was characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). TEM and in-situ SEM observation were employed to investigate the microstructural evolution and strengthening mechanism of FZ during deformation. The welded joint with a fully austenitic structure was obtained by the laser welding. The granular divorced eutectic phases (Fe, Mn)₃C and inclusions formed in the interdendritic regions during the solidification of FZ. The fully austenitic structure and coarse dendrite grains were responsible for the fracture at the weld seam. The FZ exhibited a good combination of strength (e.g. tensile strength up to 1000 MPa) and ductility (e.g. total elongation up to 73%). The microstructural evolution revealed that dislocation slip was the main deformation mechanism at low strains of FZ, while at relatively high strains, mechanical twinning was the domain deformation mechanism and played an important role in improving the strength and ductility as well as the work-hardening effect of FZ.     

Influence of Heat Input on Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Laser Welding GH4169 Bolt Assembly—Numerical and Experimental Analysis

By conducting the numerical and experimental analysis, the influence of heat input on the microstructures and mechanical properties of laser welding GH4169 bolt assembly is systematically investigated. The weld formation, temperature field, and residual stress distribution during laser welding by using the finite element modeling are consistent with experimental results. The numerical simulation results show that the increase of heat input imparts lower residual stresses and higher temperature gradient. During the process of laser welding, the steepest temperature gradient and the peak residual stress arise in the fusion zone (FZ). In addition, the dissolution of γ″ and γ′ toward the fusion line increases in heat affected zone (HAZ), but only Laves phase is observed in FZ. With increasing heat input from 24 to 48 J mm⁻¹, the ultimate tensile strength of welded joints decreases. Both the lowest microhardness values and tensile failure of GH4169 alloy laser welded joint are in FZ. Herein, it is that the relationship among the heat input, microstructures, and mechanical properties of GH4196 bolt assembly in laser welding is systematically established, which will be of guiding significance for the selection of welding parameters in aerospace.     

焊后时效处理对6082-T6铝合金搅拌摩擦焊接头的影响

对6082-T6铝合金搅拌摩擦焊接头进行自然时效和人工时效处理,通过透射电子显微镜、扫描电子显微镜、拉伸实验机和显微硬度计对组织演变和力学性能进行研究。结果表明:人工时效处理后显微硬度比焊态和自然时效高10~25HV,提高焊核区和热机影响区硬度效果明显好于自然时效。经过焊后自然时效、人工时效的焊接接头力学性能得到一定程度的提升,人工时效析出相比自然时效析出相抗拉强度提高12%,延伸率降低9%,人工时效提高拉伸强度效果更明显。人工时效处理后,焊核区组织发生显著变化,NZ主要为GP区,经过人工时效后NZ强化效应随团簇和GP区尺寸增大及数量增多而加强。HAZ主要为粗大的β′,经过人工时效后变化不大,硬度基本保持不变。通过对微观组织进行研究发现析出物的形状由界面能和应变能决定。     

Investigation of the mechanical properties of friction-welded joints between AISI 304L and AISI 4340 steel as a function rotational speed

In this study, standard AISI 304L austenitic stainless steel and AISI 4340 steel couple were welded by friction welding process using five different rotational speeds. The joining performances of AISI 304L/AISI 4340 friction-welded joints were studied and the influences of rotational speed on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the welded joints were also estimated. The microstructural properties of heat affected zone (HAZ) were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The microhardness across the interface perpendicular to the interface was measured and the strength of the joints was determined with tensile tests. The experimental results indicate that the tensile strength of friction-welded 304L/4340 components were markedly affected by joining rotational speed selected.     

Comparison of Laser and Gas Tungsten Arc Weldments of Stabilized 17wt% Cr Ferritic Stainless Steel

One of the major factors influencing weldability of stabilized 17 wt% Cr ferritic stainless steels is extensive grain coarsening in the fusion zone (FZ) and in the heat affected zone (HAZ). This study aimed at exploiting low heat input characteristics of laser welding to effectively control grain coarsening in the FZ and HAZ of 1.2-mm thick stabilized 17 wt% Cr ferritic stainless steel weldment. The study demonstrated that as compared with gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), laser welding brought about significant grain refinement in the FZ and HAZ. Laser weldments exhibited superior ductility over their GTA counterparts. An important observation of the study was that, in contrast to GTA weldment, laser weldment was associated with weaker interfaces along columnar grain boundaries in the FZ that served to arrest crack propagation normal to them.     

Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of 6082-T6 Aluminum Alloy Joints by Self-support Friction Stir Welding

The majority of this research has concentrated on developing the self-support friction stir welding（SSFSW） tool which consists of a big concave upper shoulder and a small convex lower shoulder, and procedures for making reliable welds in aluminum hollow extrusion. The 5-mm-thick 6082-T6 aluminum alloy was self-support friction stir welded at a constant tool rotation speed of 800 r/min. The effect of welding speed on microstructure and mechanical properties was investigated. The results of transverse tensile test indicated that the tensile strength of joints increased and the elongation decreased with increasing welding speed. The whole values of microhardness of SSFSW joints increased with increasing welding speed from 10 to 200 mm/min. The defectfree joints were obtained at lower welding speeds and the tensile fracture was located at the heat-affected zone（HAZ） adjacent to the thermo-mechanically affected zone（TMAZ） on the advancing side. The investigation of the flow pattern of the softened metal around the SSFSW tool revealed that the flow pattern of the softened metal was driven by two shoulders and the stir pin. The failure of specimens in tension presented the ductile fracture mode.     

Q&P980镀锌高强钢电阻点焊工艺及液态金属脆化裂纹分布EI北大核心

通过设计电阻点焊工艺的正交实验,确定了Q&P980镀锌高强钢的点焊工艺参数范围,并对其焊接接头进行显微组织表征和力学性能分析。结果表明:熔核区组织以交错分布的板条马氏体为主;热影响区组织由板条马氏体、残余奥氏体和铁素体组成,马氏体板条平均宽度在不完全淬火区最大为4.86μm。显微硬度测试发现,焊接接头硬度值呈“W”形对称分布,硬度峰值出现在细晶区,达到559HV,硬度最低值出现在不完全淬火区,为338HV,呈现明显的软化现象。对焊接接头进行室温拉伸,最大拉剪载荷的峰值为27.92 kN,其断口形貌呈现典型的韧窝状,属于韧性断裂。由于Zn的熔点较钢基体低,镀锌高强钢点焊时易发生Zn层优先熔化并沿晶界向基体渗透,在焊接接头处可观察到明显的液态金属脆化裂纹。     

Microstructure and properties of the laser butt welded 1.5-mm thick T2 copper joint achieved at high welding speed

Laser welding of highly reflective materials, such as copper, has suffered problems such as spatter, underfill and undercut for a long time. This work analyzed the associated mechanism and suggested that appearance and integrity of laser welded copper joint could be improved by conducting the welding process at a high welding speed which is slightly below the critical welding speed for full-penetration welding at the specified laser power. The microstructure, mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of the T2 copper joint achieved under high welding speed were tested. Results show that copper joint and base material (BM) have similar electrical conductivity, the weld fusion zone (FZ) and the heat affected zone (HAZ) are softened; the tensile strength and elongation of the joint are approximately 20% and 84% below those of the BM respectively. The joint breaks near the interface between the longitudinal columnar grain structures (LC) growing along welding direction at the FZ center, and the horizontal columnar grain structures (HC) growing perpendicular to the welding direction at other area of FZ. Degradation of the mechanical properties of copper joint is attributed to the softening of the heated zone and the big angle between the growth directions of LC and HC.