Arc weldability of zinc coated steel sheets

Abstract

Summary CO2 arc fillet welding of lap joints in zinc coated steel sheets and Zn-Fe coated steel sheets produced from base metals with a different surface roughness is performed to clarify the relationship between the properties of zinc coating layers and the factors affecting the generation of pits and blowholes during arc fillet welding of lap joints in zinc coated steel sheets. The results show that the generation of pits and blowholes is sharply reduced with a decreasing Fe content in the zinc coating layer and the decreasing surface roughness of the base metal. A reduction in the Fe content of the zinc coating layer decreases the melting point of the zinc coating layer, causing the zinc coating layer to melt faster and enabling the molten zinc to escape faster from the molten pool. A reduction in the surface roughness of the base metal increases the mobility of the molten zinc on its surface near the molten pool. When zinc coated steel sheets with a zinc coating weight of 40 g/m2 produced from smooth surface base metal (Ra = 0.1 μm) were welded at a welding speed of 1.0 m/min, the generation of pits and blowholes was strongly suppressed to the same level as found during corresponding welding of cold-rolled steel sheets.