Liquid Metal Embrittlement Cracking Research Articles

Uncovering the mechanism of the LME susceptibility for the galvanized and electrogalvanized DP 1180 steels

Zn-based coatings generally protect dual-phase (DP) 1180 advanced high-strength steel in automobiles from corrosion. However, liquid metal embrittlement (LME) tends to occur in Zn-coated DP 1180 steel during resistance spot welding. In this study, the LME phenomena of the galvanized (GI) and electrogalvanized (EG) DP 1180 steels were compared based on the LME susceptibility evaluation standard. For DP 1180 steel coated with GI, the maximum length of the LME crack was approximately 121.2 μm at the shoulder of the welding spot. In contrast, for the specimen coated with EG, the maximum length of the LME crack was 792.6 μm at the center of the welding spot. Owing to the different galvanizing processes, the microstructure differed during annealing, thereby influencing the occurrence of the LME. Furthermore, the microstructural observations indicated that the protection of the interfacial oxide layer in the GI specimen could prevent the formation of the LME to some extent. Therefore, the presence of the interfacial oxide layer could account for the different LME susceptibilities of the GI and EG DP 1180 steels.

Half-sectioned spot weld parameter optimisation for liquid metal embrittlement analysis in advanced high-strength steels

Half-section welding has been proposed as a method to observe nugget growth throughout the resistance spot welding process. Some past studies used this technique as an in-situ monitoring approach to analyse the cracking behaviour during welding. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the half-sectioned welding parameters, which critically impacts the liquid metal embrittlement cracking index. This study optimised half-sectioned welding parameters for liquid metal embrittlement crack analysis by developing process maps that compare the half-sectioned and full-section processes. It was found that the liquid metal embrittlement crack located at the weld shoulder can correlate to the temperature gradient in the heat-affected zone. This study proposes half-sectioned welding as a viable technique for liquid metal embrittlement analysis.

Numerical modeling of liquid metal embrittlement initiation during resistance spot welding of third generation advanced high strength steel – Effect of welding schedule and electrode alignment

Third generation (GEN3) advanced high-strength steels are increasingly used to reduce vehicle body structure weight for improved fuel economy. Zinc-induced liquid metal embrittlement (LME) has become a prevalent challenge when these steels are welded by resistance spot welding (RSW). In the literature, various numerical models have been developed to study LME during RSW of GEN3 steels. Those models tend to have a limited utility in predicting how various factors such as RSW parameters affect LME cracking. In this study, a novel LME calculation method has been developed by integrating an electro-thermo-mechanical finite element model of RSW process with an LME ratio for crack initiation established from hot tensile testing data. The onset of different types of LME cracking is tracked throughout the weld region over the entire course of RSW including the final cooling stage after electrode retraction. The model is validated using an existing set of literature data that involves different welding schedules, electrode geometries and electrode misalignments. The local temperature and stress conditions during RSW are calculated and used to understand how different welding parameters affect the severity of LME cracking. It is found that electrode misalignment exacerbates crack initiation on outer surfaces of the spot weld due to the tensile stress arisen from the off-centered squeeze force as well as the reduced surface cooling to electrodes. Initiation of cracks between the steel sheets, taking place mainly after electrode retraction, is not significantly affected by the welding schedule and the electrode tip diameter.

Insight into grain boundaries with reduced liquid metal embrittlement susceptibility in a boron-added 3rd generation advanced high strength steel

The addition of boron to the advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) enhances grain boundary cohesion and can play a significant role in intergranular degradation phenomena such as Zn-assisted liquid metal embrittlement (LME). The objective of this study is to reveal a thorough understanding of the effect of B on LME behaviour, where the welding test results indicated substantial improvement even at relatively low B concentration. Here, we adopted the strategy of identifying LME-sensitive grain boundaries, followed by characterizing grain boundary chemistry. EBSD measurements and prior austenite grain (PAG) reconstruction provided strong evidence of intergranular LME crack propagation via PAGBs. Further transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy investigations demonstrated an asymmetric Mn profile along the PAGB in B-free steel. Therefore, we propose that B addition and consequently, lower grain boundary energy appears to prevent Mn segregation. Based on our observation, we conclude that B seems to have the similar desired effect on Zn diffusion along the PAGBs and eventually mitigates Zn-assisted LME.

Liquid Metal Embrittlement Cracking in Uncoated Transformation-Induced Plasticity Steel during Consecutive Resistance Spot Welding

In the automotive production line, a single pair of electrodes is employed to produce hundreds of consecutive welds before undergoing dressing or replacement. In consecutive resistance spot welding (RSW) involving Zn-coated steels, the electrodes undergo metallurgical degradation, characterized by Cu-Zn alloying, which impacts the susceptibility to liquid metal embrittlement (LME) cracking. In the present investigation, the possibility of LME crack formation in uncoated TRIP steel joints during consecutive RSW (involving 400 welds in galvannealed and uncoated TRIP steels) was investigated. The results have shown that different Cu-Zn phases were formed on the electrode surface because of its contamination with Zn from the galvannealed coating. Therefore, during the welding of the uncoated TRIP steel, the heat generated at the electrode/sheet interface would result in the melting of the Cu-Zn phases, thereby exposing the uncoated steel surface to molten Zn and Cu, leading to LME cracking. The cracks exhibited a maximum length of approximately 30 µm at Location A (weld center) and 50 µm at Location B (shoulder of the weld). The occurrence and characteristics of the cracks differed depending on the location as the number of welds increased due to the variation in Zn content. Type A cracks did not form when the number of welds was less than 280. Several cracks with a total length of approximately 30 μm were suddenly formed between 280 and 400 welds. On the other hand, type B cracks began to appear after 40 welds. However, the number and size of these exhibited inconsistency as the number of welds increased. Overall, the results have shown that small LME cracks can form even in uncoated steels during consecutive welding of Zn-coated and uncoated steel joints.

Investigating the mechanism of zinc-induced liquid metal embrittlement crack initiation in austenitic microstructure

Investigating the mechanism of zinc-induced liquid metal embrittlement crack initiation in austenitic microstructure

Liquid metal embrittlement in Zn-coated steel resistance spot welding: Critical electrode-contact and nugget growth for stress development and cracking

Liquid metal embrittlement (LME) crack is a severe defect which can affect the joint integrity of Zn-coated advanced high-strength steel resistance spot welds (RSW). The tensile stress that causes LME cracking is a consequence of thermal contact at the electrode-sheet interface during welding. Currently, there is no systematic study to identify the critical stages of LME occurrence during welding with understanding the tensile stress development. This research aims to address this gap by combining in-situ observation, ex-situ verification, and finite element modeling to identify the critical stages in LME cracking. The study reveals that the large LME cracks form only after a critical welding time (tcrit) of 250 ms, when the growth of the weld nugget exceeds that of the electrode-sheet contact and electrode tip-face diameter. As tcrit was attained, the LME responsible thermal gradient increased from 2000 °C/mm to 4000 °C/mm, consequently tensile stress increased from 200 MPa to 300 MPa, resulting in large LME crack. A mechanistic model explaining the effect of nugget growth rate and electrode-contact growth on thermal gradient, stress development and LME cracking was then proposed and verified through cross-comparison of crack observations. This research provides valuable insights into the critical stages of LME cracking during RSW of Zn-coated steel and suggests enhancing the growth rate of electrode-contact as a solution to mitigate this issue without altering the nugget growth rate.

Determination of the Existence of Liquid Metal Embrittlement Cracks in Resistance Spot-Welded Advanced High-Strength Steel

Abstract The characteristics of liquid metal embrittlement (LME) cracks combined with the location, amount, and length of the resistance spot-welded joint of galvanized advanced high-strength steel were comprehensively investigated in this study. To better illustrate the features of LME cracks, a multilayer grinding and polishing technique was employed to more comprehensively reflect the existence of LME cracks compared with that of a single-layer technique. Based on the crack observation results of the cross section of the center weld, the longest type-I and type-II cracks were approximately 322.2 and 106.7 μm, respectively. On the contrary, the longest type-I and type-II cracks were approximately 1,062.9 and 194.7 μm, respectively, for the multilayer grinding and polishing technique. The existence of liquid zinc for more time and the resultant tensile stress at the center of the weld can trigger crack propagation, eventually resulting in type-I cracks that are longer than type-II cracks. Similarly, severe LME cracks mainly exist in the central position of the welded joint, implying that temperature and stress can have a crucial effect on the formation and propagation of LME cracks.

Understanding fusion zone hardness in resistance spot welds for advanced high strength steels: Strengthening mechanisms and data-driven modeling

The fusion zone (FZ) hardness of resistance spot welds is a crucial factor affecting the performance and durability of the welds. Failure mode transition, tendency to fail in interfacial mode, interfacial failure load, and the impact of liquid metal embrittlement cracks on the weld strength are influenced by the FZ hardness. Therefore, accurately predicting the FZ hardness in resistance spot welds made on automotive steels is essential. A simple thermal model is used to calculate the time required for the temperature to drop from 800 °C to 500 °C (Δt85). With the aid of continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagrams and experimental confirmation, it is shown that in most automotive steels, the FZ exhibits an almost full martensitic microstructure. Generally, the FZ hardness tends to increase in the order of interstitial-free (IF), drawing quality specially killed (DQSK), high strength low alloy (HSLA), ferrite-martensite dual-phase steels, transformation induced plasticity (TRIP), and quench & partitioning (Q&P) steels. To predict the FZ hardness, data-driven regression-based models have been developed based on carbon content, carbon equivalent concept, and the strengthening mechanisms of the martensite. Among these models, the model based on martensite strengthening mechanisms showed the best performance and robustness in estimating the FZ hardness. The assessment of the strengthening mechanism of the FZ showed that most important factors determining the FZ hardness are dislocation hardening due to carbon atoms, interface hardening due to block boundaries, and solid solution hardening due to substitutional alloying elements, respectively. A simple relation is proposed to estimate the load-bearing capacity of automotive steel spot welds during interfacial failure based on the FZ hardness.

Strong resistance to Zn-assisted liquid metal embrittlement of austenitic-TWIP/martensitic-HSLA multi-layered steel sheets additively manufactured by laser cladding

As a novel design idea to overcome a shortcoming of liquid metal embrittlement (LME) occurred frequently in twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) steel, multi-layered steel (MLS) sheets consisting of austenitic TWIP and high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel grades have been suggested. Two- and four-time clad MLS sheets (C2 and C4) were fabricated by a powder-fed laser additive manufacturing (AM) process using HSLA powders on the TWIP surface, and the LME was investigated in various resistance-spot-welding-time stages. The C2 and C4 sheets consisted of the austenitic TWIP substrate and tempered-martensitic HSLA-clad layer, and the HSLA layer had two or four sublayers having different C and Mn contents reduced step-wise from the TWIP/HSLA interface. LME cracks formed in the C2 spot-welded for 240 or 380 ms, whereas they did not form at all in the C4 spot-welded for 380 ms. This different LME susceptibility depended mainly on the HSLA-sublayer microstructures beneath the Zn coating after their high-temperature exposure during the spot welding. Since LME cracks propagated mainly along prior austenite grain boundaries, the whole austenite existed in the austenite range played a key role in determining whether the LME cracking occurred or not. The total volume fraction of reverted austenite (appeared as fresh martensite at room temperature) and retained austenite was very high at about 68% in the C2 welded for 240 ms, thereby leading to the LME cracking. It was lower than 20% in the C4 even under the severe welding condition of 380 ms, which provided the reason for no LME cracking.

The inhibition mechanism of liquid metal embrittlement cracks in the Fe–Cu system by Al: atomistic simulations and calculations

The inhibition mechanism of liquid metal embrittlement cracks in the Fe–Cu system by Al: atomistic simulations and calculations

Mitigating the influence of industrially relevant disturbances on LME severity of dissimilar resistance spot welded advanced high-strength steels

The third generation of advanced high-strength steels (3G-AHSS) has been developed to provide high strength and high ductility, which attract automakers. To protect these materials from corrosion during service, these materials are typically coated with zinc. During resistance spot welding (RSW), the zinc coating can melt, allowing it to penetrate into the grain boundaries (GBs), and lead to liquid metal embrittlement (LME) phenomena. Concerns regarding LME susceptibility have impacted the industrial application of 3G-AHSS; therefore, its mitigation has become a top focus for automakers. Several possible strategies for lowering LME severity by altering welding parameters have been proposed to mitigate LME in similar spot weld joints. However, these strategies were not tested on a dissimilar spot weld joint. Therefore, in this work, 1.4 mm gauge thickness galvanized (GI-coated) 3G-980 AHSS was joined with 0.6 mm thick Interstitial Free (IF) steel. In this work, current pulsation and ultra-short hold time were proposed to minimize LME severity. The robustness of the developed welding schedule was then tested on welds made with industrial disturbance factors such as pre-strained sheets (between 0 to 80% of 3G-980 material yield strength) and electrode misalignment (between 0° to 10° misalignment) compared to baseline parameters. In severe circumstances of disturbance factors, the resulting optimized welding schedule decreased LME cracking and showed improved resistance to LME, lowering LME severity by 41% for the extreme pre-strain condition and 27% for the extreme misalignment angle.

The sandwich-structured advanced high strength steel to resist the liquid metal embrittlement

There exists a direct correlation between the alloy elements and the formation of the liquid metal embrittlement (LME) in the advanced high strength steel (AHSS). In the present study, a sandwich-structure AHSS-#2 + IF (Interstitial-free) sheet with the equivalent tensile strength compared with the AHSS-#1 sheet is designed and fabricated to resist the LME cracks. The welded joints with normal structure (RSW joint of galvanized steel AHSS-#1) reveal the higher LME susceptibility than the sandwich-structured one. The maximum length of the detected LME cracks is 1062.9 μm for type I crack (located at the center of the weld) and 152.2 μm for type II crack (located at the shoulder of the weld). Based on the results of the element distribution in the regions near the LME cracks, the internal oxide layer and element segregation are detected for the welded joint with normal structure. The formation of the internal oxide and the element segregation could largely deteriorate the cohesion of the boundaries especially for the region directly contacted with the Zn coating, triggering the formation of the LME cracks. With the protection of the IF steel as the covering layer on AHSS-#2, however, the regions with element segregation are successfully separated from the Zn coating, dramatically decreasing the corresponding LME susceptibility.

Investigation of the LME Susceptibility of Dual Phase Steel with Different Zinc Coatings

The application of anti-corrosion coated, high-strength steels in the automotive industry has increased in recent years. In combination with various zinc-based surface coatings, liquid metal embrittlement cracking can be observed in some of these materials. A high-quality, crack-free spot-welded joint is essential to realize the lightweight potential of the materials. In this work, the LME susceptibility of different coatings, which will be determined by the crack length and the occurrence rate, will be investigated using a welding under external load setup. The uncoated specimens did not show any LME. EG, GI and GA showed significantly less LME than ZM coatings. The latter coatings showed much larger crack lengths than the EG, GI and GA coatings. Furthermore, two mechanisms regarding the LME occurrence rate were observed: the occurrence of LME in zinc–magnesium coatings was theorized to be driven by the material properties of the coatings, whereas the occurrence of LME at EG, GI and GA samples was forced mainly by the application of the external tensile load. In the experimental setup of this work, the materials were exposed to unusually high mechanical loads (up to 80% of their yield strength) to evoke LME cracks.

Evaluation of liquid metal embrittlement-free weld by micro-plasma arc welding of Zn-coated interstitial free steel

The liquid metal embrittlement (LME) severity is a significant concern in the fusion welding of Zn-coated steel. The LME severity in galvannealed (GA) interstitial free (IF) steel processed through microplasma arc welding (MPAW) is investigated. The weld geometry, microstructure and mechanical properties of the 0.8 mm thin butt-welded structure are evaluated to check the welding quality. Optical microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) of the weld surface are considered to observe any LME cracks. The high-temperature tensile test is executed on GA-IF steel to simulate external stress-free MPAW conditions. The ultimate tensile strength of the welded joint is more than that of the base material, and it is LME-free, which signifies that the current MPAW system can be successfully used for joining GA-IF steel. The microstructure of the weld zone is having large grain structure and much more hardness than the base material. Even the high-temperature tension test does not show any LME cracks. Approximately, one-third of yield strength is reduced as the temperature rises from 600 °C to 700 °C. Overall, the parametric domain for MPAW of GA IF steel is successfully evaluated, which can produce any LME-free weld.

Effect of Zn-coating type on intergranular Cu-penetration in steels during weld-brazing

Weld-brazing has emerged as a promising alternative to fusion welding for joining Zn-coated advanced high strength steels (AHSSs) due to its lower heat input, reduced Zn burn-off, and elimination of defects like porosity and blowholes. Additionally, the weld-brazing process minimizes HAZ softening, a phenomenon that can affect joint strength. While weld-brazing can potentially eliminate the liquid metal embrittlement (LME) caused by the penetration of molten Zn into grain boundaries (GBs), this study found that galvanized (GI) DP600 steels were more susceptible to intergranular penetration of Cu into the substrate during weld-brazing compared to galvannealed (GA) DP600. Although no Zn-related LME was observed during arc-brazing with Si-Bronze filler, the potential for Cu-related LME cracks to form in GI coated steels may affect the mechanical integrity of the joint.

Microstructural evolution of liquid metal embrittlement in 1.5-GPa-grade Zn-coated hot-press-forming steels

Zn-assisted liquid metal embrittlement (LME) in hot press forming (HPF) steels is attributed mainly to the cracking inside both Zn coating and HPF substrate, but very few studies on how the Zn coating composed of Fe–Zn intermetallic compound of Γ-Fe3Zn10 and Zn-containing ferrite (α-Fe(Zn)) and alloying elements influence the LME cracking have been conducted. In this study, mechanisms of LME were investigated by using laboratory-scale HPF simulation tests in relation with microstructural evolutions of Zn coating and LME cracking. The coating and steel substrate were composed mostly of α-Fe(Zn) and full martensite, respectively, in both reference (Ref) and 1-wt.%-Si-containing (1Si) HPF steels, while the Γ phase was additionally formed at the 1Si steel. The high-temperature tensile test results indicated that the loss of elongation increased with decreasing exposure time near or at 900 °C and with increasing test temperature or Si content. Based on the equilibrium Fe–Zn binary phase diagram, the amount of liquid remained after the austenitization was larger in the 1Si steel than in the Ref steel because the addition of 1 wt% Si retarded the Fe–Zn alloying reaction between the Zn coating and steel substrate to raise the susceptibility to LME. Thus, the Si content should be carefully controlled by appropriately using the HPF process parameters such as the time of austenitization at 900 °C to sufficiently achieve the Fe–Zn alloying reaction.

Three-dimension characterization of the liquid metal embrittlement crack in the resistance spot welded joint of the advanced high strength steel

Three-dimension characterization of the liquid metal embrittlement crack in the resistance spot welded joint of the advanced high strength steel

Effect of Liquid Metal Embrittlement Indent Cracks on Zinc Coated 3rd Generation AHSS Mechanical Performance

Third-generation advanced high-strength steels (3G-AHSS) are typically galvanized to prevent corrosion of the outer body structure. However, the zinc coating on the surface, combined with the locally elevated temperatures generated during the resistance spot welding (RSW) process, can provide the prerequisites for liquid metal embrittlement (LME). This work uses two strategies to control LME crack formation: current pulsation and varying the electrode geometry. These two methods were compared to a baseline welding schedule for a 3G-980-GI coated AHSS. The effectiveness of each method was discussed in terms of the overall weld cracking index and local cracking index. The results showed that increasing the current pulses results in a slower energy input into the weld, which can help to reduce LME crack formation. Introducing more pulses (five to seven pulses) reduced LME crack formation while maintaining the same welding time. Regarding the electrode geometry, the results showed an increase in LME cracking index for currents below the expulsion level Imax-10% when the electrode face diameter increased, whereas at the current level Imax-200A, the electrode radius was the most important factor to control LME crack index. For the current level above the expulsion, Imax+10%, a drastic decrease in the LME cracking index was observed when a large electrode surface diameter was used. The electrode radius was not a significant factor in controlling LME. The mechanical properties of selected conditions were examined using the lap shear test and the results showed no significant effect of LME cracks on the shear tensile strength. The location of the failure indicated that most of the cracks are located in the indented area (type A), which does not influence the lap shear strength.

Effect of Al Bronze Interlayer on Liquid–Solid Compound Interface of Sn Bronze/Steel

To address the challenges of liquid metal embrittlement (LME) cracks and low bonding strength at the Sn bronze/steel liquid–solid compound interface, an innovative Sn bronze/Al bronze/steel laminated composite is fabricated using a wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) process, which involved introducing an Al bronze interlayer. The microstructure of interlayer and its related interfaces, as well as the mechanical properties of the composites, are investigated. Results show that the microstructure of Al bronze is mainly composed of α‐Cu and β‐Cu3Al. An interdiffused layer with a maximum thickness of 5 μm exists at the Al bronze/steel interface, which plays an important role in interface adaptation. The Sn bronze/Al bronze interface possesses a 30 μm α(Cu–Al–Fe) transition layer, and the continuous transition of α + β → α(Cu–Al–Fe) → α(Cu–Sn) from the base material to the clad layer is realized. No LME cracks are found in the steel after the Al bronze and Sn bronze deposition. The Al bronze/steel and Sn bronze/Al bronze interfaces exhibit strong bonding strengths of 395 and 361 MPa, respectively.