Properties Of Welded Joints Research Articles

Effect of the Energy Director Material on the Structure and Properties of Ultrasonic Welded Lap Joints of PEI Plates with CF Fabric/PEI Prepreg

To estimate the possibility of using both low-melting TecaPEI and neat PEI films as energy directors (EDs) for ultrasonic welding (USW) of carbon fiber (CF) fabric–polyetherimide (PEI) laminates, some patterns of structure formation and mechanical properties of their lap joints were investigated by varying the process parameters. The experiment was planned by the Taguchi method with the L9 orthogonal matrix. Based on the obtained results, USW parameters were optimized accounting for maintaining the structural integrity of the joined components and improving their functional characteristics. The use of the low-melting EDTecaPEI film enabled US-welding the laminates with minimal damage to the fusion zone, and the achieved lap shear strength (LSS) values of ~7.6 MPa were low. The use of EDSolverPEI excluded thermal degradation of the components as well as damage to the fusion zone, and improved LSS values to 21 MPa. With the use of digital image correlation (DIC) and computed tomography (CT) techniques, the structural factors affecting the deformation behavior of the USW lap joints were justified. A scheme was proposed that established the relationship between structural factors and the deformation response of the USW lap joints under static tension. The TecaPEI film can be used in USW procedures when very high interlayer adhesion properties are not on demand.

Evaluation of Mechanical and Ballistic Properties of Dissimilar Aluminum Friction Stir Welded Joints

Evaluation of Mechanical and Ballistic Properties of Dissimilar Aluminum Friction Stir Welded Joints

Microstructure and mechanical properties of laser-MIG hybrid multi-layer welded joints for 20-mm thick aluminum alloy plates

Microstructure and mechanical properties of laser-MIG hybrid multi-layer welded joints for 20-mm thick aluminum alloy plates

Microstructure and properties of laser welding Ni-based alloy/austenitic stainless steel with filler wire for nuclear reactor pump can end sealing

The current study investigates the microstructure and properties of laser welding involving Hastelloy C-276 and 304 stainless steel with filler wire, which is closely related to nuclear reactor pump can end sealing. The experimental results indicate the presence of an unmixed zone (UZ) and a small amount of Mo-rich secondary phase in weld seam, and microstructure of UZ is composed of austenite and ferrite phases. Laser welding enhances the ratio of low-angle misorientation and the uniformity of elements macro-distribution. The end sealing property of nuclear reactor pump can is characterized by anti-peel property of weld joints. The welded joint has local fracture and through fracture in the test of anti-peel property. The weld with local fracture exhibits superior anti-peel property. The joint crack starts at the bottom of the UZ. The anti-peel property of the welded joint is 239.6 ± 4.7 N/mm and mainly related to the weld penetration. The corrosion property of welded joints is determined by the elements of the weld, and the welded joints showcasing a better integral corrosion property than that of 304 base metals. Laser welding Ni-based alloy/austenitic stainless steel with filler wire has significant technical advantages for end sealing of nuclear reactor pump can.

Softening effect in the heat-affected zone of laser-welded joints of high-strength low-alloyed steels

The softening effect, which occurs as an undesirable consequence of microstructural changes in the heat-affected zone as a result of the welding process, is an inherent aspect of welding high-strength low-alloyed steels. One of the recommended ways to minimize these changes is the application of laser beam welding as a lower heat input technology. Hence, this work compares and investigates the effects of laser beam welding on the weld joint properties of S690QL, S960QL, S1100QL, S700MC, S960MC, and S1100MC steels. This research operates on the assumption that the mechanical properties of the zones surrounding the soft zone—base metal and weld metal—affect the mechanical properties of weld joints as well. The work shows that the total value of yield strength, tensile strength, and elongation of welded joints increases when the value of the strength of the weld metal and the soft zone increases and when the width of the soft zone narrows, and vice versa. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that the amount of C, Cr, Mn, Mo, Cu, and Ni in steel as well as the thermal cycle is directly associated to strength in these zones. The findings indicate that although the welded joints’ yield strength and tensile strength values remained over 96% of the base metal’s value, in certain cases the elongation values decreased to a mere 21% of the base metal’s value.

Mechanical properties of ultrasonic welded and self-piercing riveted joints in a 5A06 aluminum alloy and a TA1 titanium alloy

Abstract The self-piercing riveting (SPR) experiences problems of poor forming qualities and mechanical properties during joining aviation alloy sheet materials. To address this issue, a novel combined process nominated ultrasonic self-piercing riveting (USPR) is carried out to join a 5A06 aluminium alloy and a TA1 titanium alloy sheets. The forming qualities, mechanical properties, failure modes, and mechanisms of USPR and SPR joints are comprehensively investigated. The results showed that the mechanical properties of the USPR joints were enhanced due to the welding formation of a solid phase between the specimen sheets and the degree of solid phase. The investigation showed that the welding was mainly affected by the material of the upper sheet. However, the welding also increased the brittleness of the rivet to some extent. The failure modes of the joints are affected by the welding process. The results determined that APL, AFD, and AEA of USAA joints were improved by 25.6 %, 31.3 %, and 88.8 %, respectively. The performance of the USPR joints with 5A06 aluminum alloy as the upper sheet is improved more than 88.8 % after the welding process. The combined method can be advantageous and supportive for automotive and spacecraft applications.

Inhomogeneity of microstructure evolution in stir zone of 2195Al thick-plate FSW joints

An appropriate friction stir welding (FSW) tool has been developed to perform high-quality joining of 12 mm thick Al-Li alloy plates. Threads and triple facets were machined on the stirring pin to improve the material flow. The differences in microstructure characteristics, recrystallization mechanisms, and precipitate evolution along the stir zone (SZ) thickness were systematically clarified. The results indicated that microstructures in SZ were refined by dynamic recrystallization (DRX) and showed an apparent top-to-bottom gradient distribution in grain size. The geometric topology of the stirring pin results in periodic ultrafine-grained bands throughout SZ. At the top and middle regions of SZ, high-density vacancies and dislocations were formed due to elevated temperature and strain rate, facilitating the precipitation of T1 (Al2CuLi) phases through a dislocation-induced heterogeneous nucleation mechanism. In comparison, icosahedral quasi-crystalline T2 (Al6Cu(Li, Mg)3) phases, which can be attributed to the segregation of atoms and high cooling rate, were detected along grain boundaries at SZ-bottom. Furthermore, the ultimate strength values of tensile specimens sectioned from the top, middle, and bottom parts of SZ are 452, 457, and 406 MPa, respectively. Studying the inhomogeneous microstructure and properties of welded joints provides a theoretical basis for manufacturing high-load components.

Effect of heat treatments on microstructure and mechanical behavior of laser welded LPBF AlSi10Mg alloys

In this work, heat treatments were performed on autogenously laser welding of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) AlSi10Mg alloys to improve mechanical properties of welded joints. After welding, the welded joint was heat treated by direct aging (DA) and solution heat treatment and artificial aging (T6) treatment. The porosity, microstructure and mechanical performance of the welded joints after DA and T6 treatments were investigated and compared with the as-welded joint. Results show that the microhardness of weld metal (WM) has been increased to over 93.5 HV0.1 after DA treatment, while the microhardness in the T6 welded joint is reduced to 77.0 HV0.1, from 82.0 HV0.1 in the as-welded joint. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of the DA treated joint reaches 276.5 MPa, showing an increase of 43.0% compared with as-welded joint. The DA heat treatment of the LPBF AlSi10Mg welded joints effectively improves the hardness and the UTS, which can be mainly attributable to the reduction of the hydrogen pores, the enhancing effect of solid solution strengthening coming from the Si element in the Al matrix and the dispersion strengthening of Si precipitation.

A comparative study on welding characteristics and mechanical properties of Ti–6Al–4V laser welded joints under the sub-atmospheric pressure and beam oscillation

Sub-atmospheric pressure environment and oscillation laser are both excellent ways to improve welded joint quality. However, the differences in their effects and mechanisms are unclear. Therefore, the differences between sub-atmospheric pressure and oscillating laser in weld formation, porosity suppression and grain size refinement were analyzed in this study. The results revealed that penetration depth of welded joint was increased to 6.09 mm under sub-atmospheric pressure environment while it was decreased to 3.3 mm under oscillation laser. Furthermore, reducing fluctuating vapor pressure and suppressing vortex formation were the main means to improve the keyhole stability and promote the escape of bubbles in a sub-atmospheric pressure environment. The improvement of the oscillating laser in these two aspects was attributed to enlarging keyhole area, shortening escape path and oscillation keyhole absorption. Additionally, the average grain size in the upper weld was reduced from 134.6 μm to 118.6 μm and 114.1 μm under the sub-atmospheric pressure environment and laser oscillation, respectively. The reduction of the temperature gradient led to former grain refinement while the increase of heterogeneous nucleation rate was responsible for latter grain refinement. Correspondingly, the mechanical properties of welded joints were improved. The study offered valuable insights for the application of laser welding with oscillation laser and sub-atmospheric pressure in industrial production.

Role of material properties on metal transfer dynamics in gas metal arc welding

In the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process, metal transfer dynamics, influenced by wire material properties such as electrical conductivity and surface tension, serve as key sources of mass and heat for metal deposition on substrates. To elucidate the role of these material properties on metal transfer dynamics from a driving force perspective, this study examined molten droplet elongation across five distinct wires: Al, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Ti. Additionally, a unique non-transferred arc welding setup equipped with a consumable wire anode and two tungsten cathodes was introduced, allowing for observations at minimized arc lengths and preventing current concentration in molten droplets. For Al and Cu wires, while only projected-spray transfer was observed under sufficient arc length conditions, a shift to minimized arc length resulted in significant droplet elongation and a transition to streaming-spray transfer. This contrast emphasized the impact of high electrical conductivity in reducing the internal gradient of electromagnetic pressure and inhibiting the occurrence of streaming-spray transfer. Further substantiating this mechanism, Fe, Ni, and Ti wires revealed that higher electrical conductivity corresponded to an increased transition current to streaming-spray transfer. Additionally, surface tension played a crucial role in the formation of molten droplets and ensured transfer stability, with its influence varying at different current levels. These insights contribute to our comprehensive understanding of arc plasma and molten metal interactions. Our study proposes material-specific strategies to optimize metal transfer dynamics, leading to enhanced control over weld bead formation and overall mechanical properties of welded joints in the GMAW.

The effect of thermomechanical welding on the microstructure and mechanical properties of S700MC steel welds

Grain refinement by plastic deformation during conventional TIG welding can help to compensate for the loss of mechanical properties of welded joints. The thermomechanical welding (TMW) tests were performed on S700MC steel with different combinations of TIG arc energy and high frequency hammering over three target cooling times (t8/5 = 5s, 15s, and 25s). Additionally, the effect of initial microstructures on the weld joint quality was analysed by testing three materials conditions: hot-rolled (as-received) and cold-rolled with 10% and 30% thickness reductions, respectively. The effects of plastic deformation and the mechanical vibration on the grain refinement were studied separately. Optical microscopy, electron backscattered diffraction, and Vickers hardness were used to characterise the weld microstructure heterogeneity. The weld width and depth and the mean grain size were correlated as the function of cooling time t8/5. The results show that the weld dimensions increase with increasing the t8/5. The weld microstructures transformed from the mixed martensite and bainite into mixed ferrite and bainite with increasing the t8/5 time, and the related mean grain size increased gradually. The TMW welds exhibit smaller grains compared to TIG welds due to the coupled effects of mechanical vibration and plastic deformation. The mechanical vibration contributes to weld metal homogenisation, accelerating TiN precipitation in the fusion zone. The proposed TMW process can refine the weld microstructure of S700MC steel, enhancing its mechanical properties.

Effect of Microstructure on Mechanical Properties of X65MS Welded Pipe Joint

The mechanical properties of welded joints have a crucial impact on the safety of pipelines. This article focuses on examining the correlation between the microstructure and mechanical properties of welded joints of X65MS pipeline steel for sour service. The results indicate that the welding thermal cycle forms the microstructure consisting of acicular ferrite, granular bainite, and polygonal ferrite. The hardness across the joint ranges from 210 and 270 HV, peaking within the welded zone and decreasing towards the base metal (BM). At −40 °C, the welded zone shows the lowest impact energy of 53 J, while heat‐affected zones exhibit superior impact toughness exceeding 270 J with the highest impact energy of 326 J. This can be attributed to the exceptionally fine‐grained microstructure, a small quantity of small‐sized martensite‐austenite (M/A) constituents in the heat affected zone. As for the low toughness of the weld, the main factors can be attributed to the presence of large‐sized elongated M/A constituents and inclusions.

Tensile properties of welded joints with delayed hydride crack

In this work, a procedure for producing tensile coupon specimens with naturally delayed hydride cracks was proposed, and the tensile properties of the specimens were studied. Firstly, a delayed hydride crack was prefabricated on the welded plate according to the relevant specification, and the crack type was determined by microstructure and macrostructure observation and analysis. Secondly, the tensile coupon specimens of welded joints with or without delayed hydride cracks were cut from the welded plate. Finally, tensile tests of welded joints were carried out, and the strain and displacement were monitored by a digital image correlation system. The test phenomena, fracture mode and the tensile properties of the welded joint were analysed according to the stress-strain curve, the strain cloud map and the tensile property parameters. When the specimen fractured at the base metal, the effect of delayed hydride crack on the strength and deformation of the welded joints was insignificant. The cracked area ratio was relatively small (e.g. 1.91% to 22.5%). When the specimen fractured at the cracked region, the cracked area ratio was relatively large (e.g. 16.77% to 39.62%). The fracture modes could be divided into two types: the full-sectional yield fracture and the low stress fracture. The remaining ultimate strength, yield-to-tensile ratio and elongation of low stress fracture specimens showed a linear decline with the increase of cracked area ratio. For specimens with cracked area ratio between 16.77% and 22.5%, the differences in fracture locations might be caused by the pattern and angles of the crack.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of IN690 Ni-Based Alloy/316LN Stainless-Steel Dissimilar Ring Joint Welded by Inertia Friction Welding.

Inertia friction welding (IFW) was used to join large-diameter hollow bars made of Inconel 690 and 316LN successfully. The interfacial characteristics, microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture mechanism of welded joints under different process parameters were investigated. The results indicated that a joining mechanism with mechanical interlocking and metallurgical bonding was found in IFW joints. There was a significant mechanical mixing zone at the welding interface. The elemental diffusion layer was found in the "wrinkles" of the mechanical mixing zone. A tiny quantity of C elements accumulated on the friction and secondary friction surfaces. The tensile strength and impact toughness of the joints increased with the total welding energy input. Increasing the friction pressure could make the grain in all parts of the joint uniformly refined, thus enhancing the mechanical properties of welded joints. The maximum tensile strength and impact toughness of the welded joint were 639 MPa and 146 J/cm2, reaching 94% and 68% of that for Inconel 690, respectively, when the flywheel was initially set at 760 rpm, 200 MPa for friction pressure, and 388 kg/m2 for rotary inertia. Due to the Kirkendall effect in the welded joint, superior metallurgical bonding was at the welding interface close to the Inconel 690 side compared to the 316LN side.

A combination of properties of welded joints made in 1565chM aluminium alloy plates

A combination of properties of welded joints made in 1565chM aluminium alloy plates

An innovative pulsed current arc welding technology for armor steel: Processes, microstructure, and mechanical properties

This study presents a novel pulsed current arc welding technology, specifically pulsed current gas tungsten arc welding (PC-GTAW), single and double pulse gas metal arc welding (SP/DP-GMAW), and dual process welding (D-process). This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of these welding techniques for armor steel weldments. This research focused on investigating the welding processes, resulting microstructures, and mechanical properties of welded joints. Based on the macrography analysis, it was determined that the weldments exhibit no signs of porosity, inclusions, or inadequate penetration. This finding substantiates the optimum settings for the weldment production process. The weldment optical microstructure, fusion, and heat-affected zone were examined in the weld interface. The microstructural properties of the FZ include δ-ferrite, austenite, bainite, and acicular martensite. The HAZ has a bainite-untempered martensite microstructure. The chemical composition and variations across the weldment (base, weld and HAZ) were identified. The grain borders contained greater quantities of Cr, Ni, Mn, Si, and Mo than those of the grain cores. EBSD revealed average weld zone grain sizes of 17.7 µm, 32.6 µm, 30.8 µm, and 24.6 µm for PC-GTAW, SP-GMAW, DP-GMAW, and D-Process, respectively.Furthermore, the hardness measurements showed a progressive transition across different regions. Additionally, the D-Process-fabricated material exhibited a maximum ultimate tensile strength of 872 MPa and an elongation of 4%. The mechanical properties exhibited by this new process variant exceed those of other weldments, indicating its potential for fabricating armor steel. The impact toughness demonstrated superior performance in all the weldments. Within this context, the new use of pulsed current advanced welding methods has shown the ability to generate welded parts of exceptional quality.

Microstructural characteristics of different heat-affected zones in welded joints of UNS S32304 duplex stainless steel using the GMAW process: analysis of the pitting corrosion resistance

Abstract The influence of specific microstructural characteristics on the properties of single-pass welding joints was assessed by optical processed images, transmission electron microscopy, microhardness measurements and corrosion tests conducted in various regions of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) in a lean duplex stainless steel. The welded joints were obtained with heat inputs of 1.5 and 2.5 kJ/mm using a gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process with a shielding gas enriched in Ar. Three selected regions in the HAZ showed different ferrite grain sizes and austenite fractions. The place in the welded joint where the HAZ was narrowest, and therefore experiences the highest cooling rate, is most prone to the formation of cubic CrN metastable nitrides. Conversely, the place where the HAZ was wider promotes the precipitation of stable Cr2N nitrides with more coalesced intragranular austenite (IGA) particles, where presumably random interfaces predominate. The HAZ region where the cooling rate was the highest presented more pitting corrosion resistance.

Multifactor optimization for induction welding of carbon fiber reinforced thermoplastic composites based on response surface methodology

AbstractInduction welding of thermoplastic (CFRP) composites is one of the most promising welding techniques due to its high efficiency, flexibility, and selectivity of the heat area. However, the nonuniformity of the temperature field in the welding area poses a challenge to welding quality. In this paper, a multifactor optimization method devoted to the quality and efficient bonding of carbon fiber‐reinforced polycarbonate (CF/PC) composites was presented. A transient three‐dimensional finite element model was developed and validated to analyze the heating characteristics during the welding process. The mapping relationship between process parameters—equilibrium temperature and relative effective area were established to optimize the weld quality applying the response surface method. The single lap shear experiment was carried out to evaluate the mechanical properties of the welded joints, focusing on micro appearances and welding defects. The results show that the optimal process parameters are a current of 100A and a coil distance from the surface of 3.6 mm. Under the process parameter, the effective welding area is 0.3823 with an error of 4.25%.Highlights The transient three‐dimensional finite element (FE) model was established. The evaluation indicators for welding quality were proposed. The multifactor optimization method for process parameters was developed. The mechanical property and welding defects of welded joints is evaluated.

Preliminary study on effect of inertia and continuous friction welding on mechanical properties of SS 316-Zn alloys friction welded joint

The effect of inertial friction welding and continuous drive friction welding in joining SS 316 with Zn alloy is discussed in this article. Scanning electron microscopy was utilized to investigate the microstructure of the welding interaction. Energy-dispersive spectroscopy was utilized to identify the chemical composition of the element distribution at the interface. The findings reveal that a continuous drive friction welding process may produce SS 316 welded joints with Zn alloy. With a friction time of 35 s, the joint's tensile strength may reach 60 MPa. During the tensile test, all friction-welded samples failed at the interface. The fracture surface shows an almost flat surface and is not fibrous or brittle. Meanwhile, a new reaction layer from the intermetallic compound layer is not formed at the joint interface. The decrease in hardness in Zn alloys is due to the thermal softening effect caused by continuous heat from friction.

Structure and properties of welds in electron beam welding of iron-chromium-nickel alloy EP718

This article presents the results of a study focused on the formation of structural characteristics and properties of welded joints in the EP718 alloy with a 13 mm thickness (accounting for a 3 mm technological substrate). The study explores variations in electron beam welding parameters, such as beam current and the speed of its movement across the specimen’s surface, to determine the optimal welding mode for this alloy. This alloy is crucial in the production of high-pressure stators for aircraft engines, as the component operates under low-cycle loads at high stress levels, making its performance critical. Specimens that were welded with a beam speed (ν) of 0.0042 m/s and a beam current (i) of 85 mA exhibited a minimum tensile strength of 1160 MPa. On the other hand, specimens welded with ν = 0.006 m/s and i = 65 mA demonstrated a maximum tensile strength of 1270 MPa. However, it’s noteworthy that specimens welded at 0.006 m/s with beam currents of 120 mA and 75 mA experienced fracture along the weld, while specimens welded at 0.006 m/s with a beam current of 65 mA and at 0.0042 m/s with a beam current of 85 mA exhibited fracture in the heat-affected zone at a distance of 0.5–3.0 mm from the weld. Examination of the structure of specimens welded at ν = 0.006 and 0.0042 m/s and i = 120 mA, 75 mA, and 85 mA revealed expanded grain boundaries in the heat-affected zone. Consequently, the optimal welding mode was identified as having a beam speed of 0.006 m/s and a beam current of 65 mA. In this mode, no thickened grain boundaries were detected, and a maximum tensile strength of 1270 MPa was achieved.