Electromagnetic pulse welding on a magnesium–aluminum joint: role of angle of welding

Abstract

ABSTRACT Electromagnetic pulse welding technology shows a wide range of applications in welding dissimilar metals. In this work, the effect of the angle between the magnesium sheet rolling route and welding direction on the magnesium–aluminum joint has been studied. An electromagnetic pulse welding equipment WD-28 was used to weld the magnesium sheet and aluminum sheet. The angle was set to 0º, 45º, and 90º, and the discharge energy was set from 10.08 kJ to 17.92 kJ. The mechanical property of the magnesium–aluminum joints was compared. Scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive spectrometer were used to observe the microscopic morphology and element distribution of the bonding interface. Results show that the tensile strength of the joint is the highest when the angle is 0º under the same conditions. The tensile strength of the magnesium sheet, the movement of the collision point, and the metal jet during the electromagnetic pulse welding process were affected by the angle, causing the difference in the thickness of the diffusion layer, the morphology of the wavy interface, and the length of the welded zone. Moreover, the quality of the joints with different angles can be improved by increasing discharge energy.