Filler Metal Research Articles

Interfacial microstructure characteristics and failure mechanism of the laser welding-brazing steel-Al joints with various welding parameters

The microstructure details of the interface, mechanical properties and failure mechanism of laser welding-brazing (LWB) steel-Al joints with various welding parameters were comparatively investigated. The emergence of ternary Fe–Al–Si intermetallic compounds (IMCs) was observed in the interfacial area of the joints prepared utilizing ER4047 filler. In contrast, only the binary Fe–Al IMCs were formed in the interfacial area of the joints prepared employing ER5356 filler. With the same laser tilt angle, the IMCs layer of the joints prepared with ER4047 was thinner than that of the joints prepared with ER5356, implying the rapid growth of the IMCs welded via the ER5356 filler. The tensile strength exhibited by the former surpassed that of the latter. Employing the same filler metal, the average thickness of the IMCs layer of the joints with laser tilt angle of 10° was smaller than that of the joints with laser tilt angle of 20°. The strength of the joints with smaller tilt angle was better than that of the ones with bigger tilt angle. The tensile test outcomes revealed that there existed failure competition among the Al alloy base metal (Al-BM), weld metal (WM) and interface structure. If the interface structure was Fe–Al IMC with high brittleness, the cracks propagated along the interface, and finally fractured at the interface. If the interface structure was Fe–Al–Si IMC with good toughness, the crack propagation in the interface region could be hampered. In this case, the joint was prone to occur via WM failure or even Al-BM failure modes.

Acoustic cavitation-induced microstructure evolution in ultrasonically brazed Al/Cu joints using Zn-Al alloy fillers

Tailoring the phase constitutions of the interfacial reaction layers under the assistance of ultrasonic vibration is a convenient method to fabricate high-strength Al/Cu brazing joints. In this study, 1060-Al and T2-Cu dissimilar metals were ultrasonically brazed with Zn-3Al (wt. %) filler metals. Effects of ultrasonic brazing time on the microstructure and mechanical properties of joints were investigated. Results showed that the CuZn5 intermetallic compound (IMC) layer and Cu-based diffusion layer were created on the Cu substrate surface in the joint ultrasonically brazed at 400 ℃ for 2 s. However, the CuZn5 IMC layer was gradually transformed into a thin Al4.2Cu3.2Zn0.7 IMC layer by increasing the ultrasonic vibration time to 15 s. A well-matched coherent interface was formed between the Al4.2Cu3.2Zn0.7 ternary phase and the Cu-based diffusion layer. The phase transition of the Cu-side interfacial layer correlated closely with the acoustic cavitations induced super-saturation regions near the Cu substrate surface. The measured tensile strength of the Al/Zn-3Al/Cu joint ultrasonically brazed for 15 s was 89.3 MPa, which was approximately 2.5 times higher than that brazed for 2 s, and the tensile failure mainly occurred at the interface between the Al4.2Cu3.2Zn0.7 layer and the Cu-based diffusion layer.

Probing the microstructural properties of metal-reinforced polymer composites

Abstract Microstructural analysis is an important technique to study the extent of interaction between metal fillers and polymers. The aim of this study is to review the investigations on the microstructural properties of metal-reinforced polymer composites. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) operating at a magnification range of 2,500× is typically used for examining the microstructure of the composites. Microstructural analysis reveals two key qualitative informations, dispersion and interfacial adhesion. It was observed from the review that flaky metal fillers will maximise dispersion and interfacial adhesion hence leading to improved mechanical, tribological, electrical, and thermal properties of the composites. Utilizing ternary metallic components helps to eliminate aggregation because the cohesion of metal particles is limited. It is important that future microstructural studies evaluate nano-sized fillers as compared to micro-sized ones. Also, it is important to quantitatively correlate the arrangement of the fillers to macro-scale properties and finite element analysis is an important tool that can help achieving this.

Fillet weld strength analysis for cantilever loading: an investigation of single-sided fillet weld strength in bending applications

Theoretical calculations for assessing the strength of a welded connection in design rely on two parameters: the tensile strength of the weld filler metal and the effective area. It is important to note that the type of load applied can significantly affect the theoretical strength of the weld. According to the AWS Structural Welding Code D1.1, when the load is applied parallel to the weld in a welded member, a reduction of 70% is recommended. This remaining factor of 0.30 has been determined through well-accepted tests to provide factors of safety between 2.2 for shearing forces parallel to the longitudinal axis of the weld and 4.6 for forces normal to the axis under service loading. When a load is applied perpendicular to the weld in a welded member, the entire value of the tensile strength of the weld filler metal is used to calculate the strength. However, there are no similar considerations for a load applied in a bending configuration. While it is not recommended for structural design, fillet welded members can experience loading that causes material deflection, resulting in a bending scenario. This is particularly relevant in repairs. The configuration of a cantilevered beam creates a different loading scenario with additional stresses on the weld, which differ from those of a perpendicular or parallel load. This research experiment was conducted to initially understand and analyze the strength of a GMAW weld under cantilevered bending and to derive a mathematical equation that provides a factor of safety in the range of 2.2-4.6, similar to the previous findings.

Mean Stress Correction in Low Cycle Fatigue Life of High Strength Steels

Fatigue strength of welded joints varies depending on the shape, filler metal, welding procedure, and post-treatment method. In addition, mean stress affects the fatigue behavior in terms of stress ratio. Typically, it is well known that tensile mean stress tends to decrease fatigue life while compressive mean stress increase fatigue life. There are various methods to incorporate the mean stress effect in fatigue strength, but there are relatively few correction methods in compressive mean stress, especially in low cycle fatigue regime.</br>In this study, a load-based fatigue test was conducted to evaluate the effect of mean stress on the welded joints of High Yield strength steel(HY Steel) with T-joint shape. The effect of the mean stress on the welded part of HY Steel with a T-joint shape was investigated using stress-based mean stress correction methods and strain-based mean stress correction methods. When the effective mean stress approach, which can correct compressive mean stress and tensile mean stress, is applied to HY Steel with a T-joint shape, it shows accurate correction result than stress-based mean stress correction method and strain-based mean stress correction method. Sensitivity parameters to consider mean stress for HY steel are presented.

Microstructure evolution during oxidation of protruded NiCoCrAlYTa-Al2O3 abrasive coating produced by vacuum infiltration sintering

In this paper, protruded NiCoCrAlYTa-Al2O3 abrasive coatings were prepared by vacuum infiltration sintering, and the effect of the filler metal content on the microstructure before and after oxidation is investigated. The results show that, the Al2O3 grits are bonded to the coating matrix by a layer of Y-Al-O compound, and various types of G-phase are presented depending on the locations. Adjacent to the G-phase, larger γ' phase and γ/γ' eutectics are presented due to the expel of Al during the formation of G-phase. With the increase of the filler metal content, G-phase precipitation and the Si penetration depth into the single crystal superalloy substrate increase. After 1000 °C/100 h oxidation, the Y-Al-O intermediate layer between Al2O3 grits and the coating matrix is little changed, with an additional thermally grown oxide (TGO) layer between the Y-Al-O layer and the coating matrix presented. The selective oxidation of Al and Cr facilitates the formation of G-phase layer underneath the oxide film, and the rapid diffusion of Ti and the selective oxidation of Al yields the formation of γ' depletion region adjacent to the G-phase and on coating surface without Al2O3 grits.

Dissimilar Welding of Thick Ferritic/Austenitic Steels Plates Using Two Simultaneous Laser Beams in a Single Pass

Dissimilar welds between ferritic and austenitic stainless steels are widely used in industrial applications. Taking into account the issues inherent to arc welding, such as the high heat input and the need to carry out multiple passes in the case of thick plates, a procedure with two simultaneous laser beams (working in a single pass) and consumable inserts as filler metal has been considered. Particular attention was paid to the choice of the filler metal (composition and amount), as well as welding parameters, which are crucial to obtain the right dilution necessary for a correct chemical composition in the weld zone. The first experimental investigations confirmed the achievement of a good weldability of the dissimilar pair ASTM A387 ferritic/AISI 304L austenitic steel, having ascertained that the microstructure of the weld zone is austenitic with a little amount of residual primary ferrite, which is the best condition to minimize the risk of hot cracking.

Solidification of Tungsten Inert Gas–Welded Austenitic Stainless Steel with 0.17 wt% N

In this study, an austenitic CrMnNi–N steel is examined with regard to its solidification behavior of the weld metal. For this purpose, the cooling rate of the weld metal at different welding speeds is determined for tungsten inert gas welding without filler metal. The relationship between secondary dendrite arm spacing () and cooling rate () can be described using . Moreover, the microstructure is characterized by a scanning electron microscope using energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS). Based on the EDS measurement, it is possible to describe the microsegregation of Cr, Ni, Mn, Mo, and N. The detected microsegregation behavior is compared with the results obtained from Thermo‐Calc calculations. The microsegregation varies depending on the present phase during solidification and correlate well with microstructure observations. By using the software Thermo‐Calc, the theoretical description of solidification is based on the classical Scheil model with fast diffusion of N. A primary ferritic solidification is calculated, which correlates with the experimental findings.

Optimization of brazing parameters for 316L stainless steel with AgCuZn filler metal under argon atmosphere

This research studies the optimal parameters for brazing 316L stainless steel using AgCuZn as filler metal under an argon gas atmosphere. The brazing parameters included temperature, brazing time, and argon gas flow rate. The study employed Box-Behnken design for experimental design and desirability function as the optimization tool. Mechanical properties study included the measurements of shear force, microhardness, microstructure, and fracture of brazing joints through a scanning electron microscope (SEM) as well as the chemical composition using an energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). As a result, the temperature and the brazing time significantly affected the shear force of the brazed joint at a 95 percent confidence interval. The optimal condition of the study was 800°C of temperature and a 20-minutes brazing time which caused the maximum shear force at 5,909.1 N. The brazing joint strength was increased when the temperature and time of brazing were increased and reached the optimal point. Microstructure showed a formation of an Ag-rich phase, a Cu-rich equiaxed dendrite phase, and a eutectic Ag-rich phase, which completely combined as the network structure and evenly small fine grains. Moreover, the shear force of the brazed joint was decreased when the temperature and time of brazing exceeded the optimal point due to the grain growth of the interface layer.

Alumina - Stabilized SEI and CEI in Potassium Metal Batteries.

Aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanopowder is spin-coated onto both sides of commercial polypropene separator to create artificial solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) and artificial cathode electrolyte interface (CEI) in potassium metal batteries (KMBs). This significantly enhances the stability, including of KMBs with Prussian Blue (PB) cathodes. For example, symmetric cells are stable after 1,000 cycles at 0.5 mA/cm2-0.5 mAh/cm2 and 3.0 mA/cm2-0.5 mAh/cm2. Alumina modified separators promote electrolyte wetting and increase ionic conductivity (0.59 vs. 0.2 mS/cm) and transference number (0.81 vs. 0.23). Cryo-stage focused ion beam (cryo-FIB) analysis of cycled modified anode demonstrates dense and planar electrodeposits, versus unmodified baseline consisting of metal filaments (dendrites) interspersed with pores and SEI. Alumina-modified CEI also suppresses elemental Fe crossover and reduces cathode cracking. Mesoscale modeling of metal - SEI interactions captures crucial role of intrinsic heterogeneities, illustrating how artificial SEI affects reaction current distribution, conductivity and morphological stability.

Alumina – Stabilized SEI and CEI in Potassium Metal Batteries

AbstractAluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanopowder is spin‐coated onto both sides of commercial polypropene separator to create artificial solid‐electrolyte interphase (SEI) and artificial cathode electrolyte interface (CEI) in potassium metal batteries (KMBs). This significantly enhances the stability, including of KMBs with Prussian Blue (PB) cathodes. For example, symmetric cells are stable after 1,000 cycles at 0.5 mA/cm2–0.5 mAh/cm2 and 3.0 mA/cm2–0.5 mAh/cm2. Alumina modified separators promote electrolyte wetting and increase ionic conductivity (0.59 vs. 0.2 mS/cm) and transference number (0.81 vs. 0.23). Cryo‐stage focused ion beam (cryo‐FIB) analysis of cycled modified anode demonstrates dense and planar electrodeposits, versus unmodified baseline consisting of metal filaments (dendrites) interspersed with pores and SEI. Alumina‐modified CEI also suppresses elemental Fe crossover and reduces cathode cracking. Mesoscale modeling of metal – SEI interactions captures crucial role of intrinsic heterogeneities, illustrating how artificial SEI affects reaction current distribution, conductivity and morphological stability.

Study on the Effect of Recycled Brass-Filled Epoxy Mould Inserts for Rapid Tooling

Rapid Tooling able to produce complex prototypes directly from three-dimensional CAD software using materials such as polymer, wax, and paper, but it is typically used for low-volume production. The current technology uses epoxy filled with metal fillers such as aluminum or copper to enhance the mechanical properties of rapid tooling molds. This study aims to investigate the effect of using recycled brass filler mixed with epoxy resin as mold inserts for Rapid Tooling in injection molding applications. An optimal ratio of brass filler particles will be evaluated to determine the best physical and thermal properties for the mold inserts. Significantly, this study will encourage the use of recycled materials such as metal waste from machining to offer great help in environmental sustainability.

Design, Manufacturing, Microstructure, and Surface Properties of Brazed Co-Based Composite Coatings Reinforced with Tungsten Carbide Particles

Brazing is a joining process that involves melting a filler metal and flowing it into the joint between two closely fitting parts. While brazing is primarily used for joining metals, it can also be adapted for certain coating deposition applications. The present study investigates the microstructure and corrosion behavior and sliding wear resistance of WC (Tungsten Carbide)-CoCr-Ni reinforced Co-based composite coatings deposited onto the surface of AISI 904L stainless steel using a vacuum brazing method. The primary objective of this experimental work was to evaluate the influence of WC-based particles added to the microstructure and the properties of the brazed Co composite coating. The focus was on enhancing the sliding wear resistance of the coatings while ensuring that their corrosion resistance in chloride media was not adversely affected. The morphology and microstructure of the composite coatings were investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and phase identification by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The SEM analysis revealed in the coating the presence of intermetallic compounds and carbides, which increase the hardness of the material. The sliding wear resistance was assessed using the pin-on-disk method, and the corrosion properties were determined using electrochemical measurements. The results obtained showed that as the WC particle ratio in the Co-based composite coating increased, the mechanical properties improved, the alloy became harder, and the tribological properties were improved. The evaluation of the electrochemical tests revealed no significant alterations of the manufactured composite in comparison with the Co-based alloys. In all cases, the corrosion behavior was better compared with that of the stainless-steel substrate.

Reconfigurable Resistive Switching Memory for Telegraph Code Sensing and Recognizing Reservoir Computing Systems.

Reservoir computing (RC) system is based upon the reservoir layer, which non-linearly transforms input signals into high-dimensional states, facilitating simple training in the readout layer-a linear neural network. These layers require different types of devices-the former demonstrated as diffusive memristors and the latter prepared as drift memristors. The integration of these components can increase the structural complexity of RC system. Here, a reconfigurable resistive switching memory (RSM) capable of implementing both diffusive and drift dynamics is demonstrated. This reconfigurability is achieved by preparing a medium with a 3D ion transport channel (ITC), enabling precise control of the metal filament that determines memristor operation. The 3D ITC-RSM operates in a volatile threshold switching (TS) mode under a weak electric field and exhibits short-term dynamics that are confirmed to be applicable as reservoir elements in RC systems. Meanwhile, the 3D ITC-RSM operates in a non-volatile bipolar switching (BS) mode under a strong electric field, and the conductance modulation metrics forming the basis of synaptic weight update are validated, which can be utilized as readout elements in the readout layer. Finally, an RC system is designed for the application of reconfigurable 3D ITC-RSM, and performs real-time recognition on Morse code datasets.

Interfacial wetting and reacting between pyrolytic graphite and Sn–Ag–Cu–Al alloy under ultrasonication at a low temperature

Poor wetting and bonding serve as significant challenges in the joining of carbon materials at low temperatures. In this work, the ultrasonically assisted hot dipping of pyrolytic graphite was investigated in a SnAgCu–2Al liquid metal at a low temperature of 250 °C in air. During the ultrasonic-assisted hot-dipping process, the filler metal filled into the surface grooves of pyrolytic graphite. A closely contacting interface formed between the pyrolytic graphite and the filler metal. Interlayer penetration induced by the cavitation effect, and the amount and depth of penetration increased with ultrasonication time. A transition layer of Al2O3 was formed at the interface between pyrolytic graphite and the filler metal. Large amounts of O atoms were induced at the interface during the ultrasonically assisted hot-dipping process, and the reaction of Al and O preferentially occurred between the liquid metal and solid C. This was consistent with the thermodynamic calculation results. The joining of metallizing-pyrolytic graphite was achieved by soldering at same temperature of 250 °C in air, where the highest joint strength could reach 17.52 MPa, achieving a joining module with a high thermal conductivity of 392 W/(m·K) and reaching 90 % of the base material.

A Comparison of Sigma Phase Formation in Solubilized Hyper Duplex Stainless Steel and Super Duplex Stainless Steel Filler Metals

This study focuses on the kinetic analysis of sigma phase formation in filler metal wires on Super Duplex Stainless Steel (SDSS) and Hyper Duplex Stainless Steel (HDSS). Precipitation data reveal that in the solubilized microstructure, sigma phase kinetics are more prominent in SDSS. This increased susceptibility is attributed to the greater number of nucleation sites, which is facilitated by the larger interface area/volume and the higher chromium content in the ferrite. The difference in interface area/volume is significantly more influential in determining kinetics than the composition difference, with nucleation sites playing a central role. The sigma phase transformation in both materials was modeled using the JMAK kinetic law. The JMAK plots exhibit a transition in kinetic mechanisms, evolving from discontinuous precipitation to diffusion-controlled growth. In SDSS, the JMAK values indicate “grain boundary nucleation after saturation,” followed by “thickening of large plates.” In contrast, HDSS values point to “grain edge nucleation after saturation,” followed by “thickening of large needles.” The higher kinetics in SDSS are characterized by a smaller nucleation activation energy of 56.4 kJ/mol, in contrast to HDSS's 490.0 kJ/mol. CALPHAD-based data support the JMAK results, aligning with the maximum kinetics temperature of SDSS (875 °C to 925 °C) and HDSS (900 °C to 925 °C). Therefore, the JMAK sigma phase kinetics effectively describe the experimental data and its dual kinetics behavior, even though CALPHAD-based TTT calculations often overestimate sigma formation.

Microstructure and mechanical property of Zr-4 alloys brazed with Ag–Cu–Ti filler metal

Microstructure and mechanical property of Zr-4 alloys brazed with Ag–Cu–Ti filler metal

Influence of geometric imperfections of flange joints on the fatigue load of preloaded bolts

In an ideal flange joint configuration, the fatigue endurance of preloaded bolts is contingent upon factors such as the magnitude of preload, applied working load, and the geometric dimensions of the flange. However, real-world flanged joints often deviate from this ideal geometry, introducing imperfections that can markedly escalate the fatigue burden on bolts. This study endeavors to simulate the geometric imperfections inherent in a standard DN40 flange and ascertain their impact on bolt fatigue through a combination of empirical measurements and finite element (FE) analysis. The investigation reveals that even minor deviations in flange geometry, such as non-parallelism on the order of 0.03 mm, can exert a considerable influence on bolt fatigue, particularly when the flange gap aligns with the applied eccentric working load (same side). To mitigate the deleterious effects of these imperfections, the proposal and evaluation of employing filler material between the flanges are made. Specifically, it is demonstrated that a thin layer of liquid metal filler (KemisKit Fe21), substantially alleviates the fatigue burden on bolts. Empirical findings illustrate that this corrective measure enhances the fatigue life of bolts by a factor of more than 30 under the highest applied working load condition.

Alloy modification and ultrasonic-assisted milling of wear-resistant alloys with defined surfaces

The reduction of CO2 emissions is closely linked to the development of highly efficient and economical steel components in plant and process engineering. To withstand the high combined corrosive, tribological, thermal, and mechanical stresses, wear-resistant coatings tailored to the application and steel grade are used. In addition to the increasing demand to substitute conventional cobalt alloys with nickel alloys, there is also a growing need for defined or functional surfaces of high integrity. Due to high tool wear, milling operations required to produce the complex geometries of the components are often not economically feasible for SMEs. By means of alloy modification of the filler metals for nickel-based plasma build-up welded wear-resistant coatings and by the use of innovative ultrasonic-assisted milling processes more favourable machinability shall be achieved without reducing the wear protection potential. In this paper, the influence of the microstructure and precipitation morphology adjusted by means of alloy modification on the machinability is investigated. This is done based on a wear protection alloy NiCrMoSiFeB (trade name: Colmonoy 56 PTA) typically used for screw machines, which substitutes conventional CoCr alloys (Stellite). Metallurgical investigations and in-situ measurements of occurring process forces and temperatures at the tool cutting edge during milling as well as subsequent investigations of tool wear and surface integrity allow a detailed analysis and correlation between microstructural properties and machinability. For the cast samples, a clear change in the microstructure and hardness can be seen through the addition of Al, Ti, or Nb. These differences lead to an improvement in the machining process for Nb. Al and Ti cause long-needled or star-shaped precipitations and hardness increases, which lead to higher cutting forces and increased tool wear.

Release of nickel and chromium ions from stainless steel brackets as a result of long-term exposure to commonly used toothpaste

Background: Brackets in fixed orthodontic appliances are mostly made from metal or stainless steel. Maintaining oral hygiene by brushing the teeth with toothpaste during orthodontic treatment is important. One of the ingredients in toothpaste, sodium fluoride, can cause degradation of the stainless-steel surface, which has the potential to corrode or release metal elements. Purpose: the purpose of this study is to describe the Nickel and chromium ion release of stainless-steel brackets against toothpaste use in orthodontic treatment by means of narrative review. Review: The main corrosion products of stainless-steel brackets are nickel and chromium. Toothpaste detergents contain sodium lauryl sulfate, which can cause the release of nickel ions due to the presence of sodium ions, which can trigger redox reactions. In addition, the fluoride content will combine with hydrogen to produce hydrofluoric acid, which can damage the oxide layer on orthodontic wires, resulting in the release of metal ions such as nickel and chromium. The effects of the release of these ions can be carcinogenic, cause hypersensitivity reactions, and cause cytotoxicity. Corrosion causes the dissolution of filler metal, resulting in weakened bracket material and increased friction, leading to delayed tooth movement. Conclusion: Toothpaste can affect the release of nickel and chromium ions in stainless steel brackets in the presence of sodium and fluoride.