Search Results (17)

The object of this study is welded joints of AISI 321 and Ti-6Al-4V, obtained by diffusion welding on developed conical surfaces. The problem of creating bimetallic joints of AISI 321 and Ti-6Al-4V with developed conical contact surfaces, using diffusion welding through an intermediate Electrolytic Tough Pitch Copper (Cu-ETP) copper layer, was solved. The joints were studied using micro-X-ray spectral analysis, microstructural analysis, and mechanical tests. High mutual diffusion of copper and titanium, along with increased concentrations of Cr and V in copper, was detected. The shear strength of the obtained welded joints is 250 MPa and 235 MPa at 30 min and 15 min, respectively, which is higher than the copper layer’s strength (180 MPa). The obtained results are explained by the dislocation diffusion mechanism in the volume of grains and beyond, due to thermal deformations during welding. Under operating conditions of internal pressure and cryogenic temperatures, the strength of the connection is ensured by the entire two-layer structure, and tightness is ensured by a vacuum-tight diffusion connection. The obtained strength of the connection (250 MPa) is sufficient under the specified operating conditions. Analysis of existing solutions in the literature review indicates that industrial application of technology for manufacturing bimetallic adapters from AISI 321 stainless steel and Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy is limited to butt joints with small geometric dimensions. Studies of the transition zone structure and diffusion processes in bimetallic joints with developed conical contact surfaces enabled determination of factors affecting joint structure and diffusion coefficients. The obtained bimetallic adapters, made of Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy and AISI 321 stainless steel, can be used to connect titanium high-pressure vessels with stainless steel pipelines. Full article

Laser–MIG hybrid welding–brazing was performed to join TC4 titanium alloy and 5083 aluminum alloy with ER5356, ER4043 and ER2319 filler wires. The effects of the different filler wires on the microstructural features and mechanical properties of Ti/Al welded–brazed butt joints were investigated in detail. The wetting and spreading effect of the ER4043 filler wire was the best, especially on the weld’s rear surface. Serrated-shaped and rod-like IMCs were generated at the top region of the interface of the joint with ER4043 filler wire, but rod-like IMCs did not appear at the joints with the other filler wires. Only serrated-shaped IMCs appeared in the middle and bottom regions for the three filler wires. The phase compositions of all the IMCs were inferred as being made up of TiAl₃. The average thickness of the IMC layer of joints with the ER5356 and ER2319 filler wires was almost the same and thinner than that of the joint with the ER4043 filler wire. The average thickness was largest in the middle region and smallest in the bottom region for all the joints with the three filler wires. The average microhardness in the weld metal of ER5356, ER4043 and ER2319 filler wires could reach up to 77.7 HV, 91.2 HV and 85.4 HV, respectively. The average tensile strength of joints with the ER5356, ER4043 and ER2319 filler wires was 106 MPa, 238 MPa and 192 MPa, respectively. The tensile samples all fractured at the IMC interface and showed a mixed brittle–ductile fracture feature. These research results could help confirm the appropriate filler wire for the laser–MIG hybrid welding–brazing of Ti/Al dissimilar butt joints. Full article

TC4 titanium alloy and 5083 aluminum alloy with different groove shapes were joined by laser-MIG hybrid welding–brazing using ER4043 filler wire. The effects of groove shape on the weld formation, intermetallic compounds and tensile property of the Ti/Al butt joints were investigated. The welds without obvious defects could be obtained with grooves of I-shape and V-shape on Ti side, while welds quality with grooves of V-shape on Al side and V-shape on both sides were slightly worse. The interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs) on the brazing interface were homogeneous in the joints with groove of V-shape on Ti side, and V-shape on both sides, which had similar thickness and were both composed of TiAl₃. Unlike the IMCs mainly composed of TiAl₃ at the I-shape groove interface, TiAl₃, TiAl, and Ti₃Al constituted the IMCs at the V-shape on Al side interface. The average tensile strength of Ti/Al joints with groove of I-shape was the highest at 238 MPa, and was lowest at 140 MPa with groove of V-shape on Al side. The tensile samples mainly fractured at IMCs interface and the fractured surfaces all exhibited mixed brittle–ductile fracture mode. Based on the above research results, I-shape groove was recommended for laser-arc hybrid welding–brazing of 4 mm thick Ti/Al dissimilar butt joints. Full article

Laser welding of the near α-phase titanium alloy Ti-4Al-2V, used for complex components in the nuclear industry, has been rarely reported. In this study, butt weld joints made of Ti-4Al-2V alloy plates under different parameters, including the laser power, the welding speed, and the defocus distance, were manufactured and analyzed. The results showed that adjusting the combination of 4.2 kW of laser power, a 20 mm/s welding speed, and a −2 mm defocus distance could achieve a penetration depth exceeding 6 mm. Porosity defects were prone to forming in the middle and bottom parts of the fusion zone, due to rapid cooling. The microstructure of the fusion zone was mainly needle-like α martensite, which precipitated in the form of specific clusters. The interior of a cluster was composed of three types of variants with <11−20>/60° phase interfaces to achieve the lower boundary’s energy. Affected by the microstructure and welding defects, the strength of the weld joint was basically similar under different welding conditions, namely about 720 MPa, slightly higher than that of the base metal, while the rupture elongation at breaking decreased by more than 50%. The micro-Vickers hardness of the weld joints was about 50–60 HV higher than that of the base metal, while the impact toughness was about 40 KJ, almost half that of the base metal. This research lays a solid foundation for the engineering application of laser welding of Ti-4Al-2V alloys. Full article

Narrow gap laser welding (NGLW) is a common solution for the welding of thick structures. NGLW was carried out on narrow-gap butt joints of 40 mm-thick Ti-6Al-4V alloy plates with a U-shaped groove. The distribution characteristics of the interlaminar microstructure in different height ranges of the joint were investigated, and the evolution behavior and formation mechanism of the interlaminar microstructure of the joint were also revealed. This showed that a large amount of short needle martensite nucleated and grew up near the fusion line and the upper boundary of the remelting zone. The “softening” phenomenon occurred in all welds except the cover layer weld. The microstructure evolution and defect migration, induced by multiple welding thermal cycles in the upper weld forming process, were the main reasons for the “softening” of the lower weld. The tensile strength of each sample changed in the range of 920~990 MPa; the fracture mode of the sample belongs to a transgranular ductile fracture. In addition, compared with the upper part of the joint, the plasticity and toughness of the weld area in the lower part of the joint was improved. Full article

This study investigates the thermal-stress characteristics of a bi-metallic Ti-6Al-4V-Nitinol butt joints manufactured via laser welding. Particularly, the thermal profile along the weld interface and the deformation profile of the finished welded workpiece. A decoupled transient thermomechanical simulation model was constructed to recreate the welding process. This decoupled thermomechanical simulation model consisted of two transient simulation models. A transient thermal simulation model and a transient structural simulation model, with the thermal history of the transient thermal model being fed into the transient structural model. Both the thermal and structural portions of the model utilized temperature-dependent thermal and structural properties of Ti-6Al-4V and Nitinol. The temperature profile of the transient thermal-stress model aligns with the experimental thermal profile within 5% error. The deformation profile also matches the experimental results within 5% error. This approach to modeling laser welding can stand as a guide to predict both thermal and deformation profiles generated during the laser welding process. Full article

Modern structural engineering is impossible without the use of materials and structures with high strength and low specific weight. This work carries out a quantitative and qualitative analysis of articles for 2016–2021 on the topic of welding of dissimilar alloys. It is found that laser welding is most widely used for such metal pairs as Al/Fe, Al/Ti, and Al/Cu. The paper analyzes the influence of the basic techniques, methods, and means of laser welding of Al/Fe, Al/Ti, and Al/Cu on the mechanical properties and thickness of the intermetallic compound (IMC). When welding the lap joint or spike T-joint configuration of Al/Fe, it is preferable to melt the steel, which will be heated or melted, by the laser beam, and through thermal conduction, it will heat the aluminum. When welding the butt-welded joint of Al/Fe, the most preferable is to melt the aluminum by the laser beam (150–160 MPa). When welding the butt-welded joint of Al/Ti, it is possible to obtain the minimum IMC and maximum mechanical properties by offsetting the laser beam to aluminum. Whereas when the laser beam is offset to a titanium alloy, the mechanical properties are 40–50% lower than when the laser beam is offset to an aluminum alloy. When lap welding the Al/Cu joint, under the impact of the laser beam on the aluminum, using defocusing or wobbling (oscillation) of a laser beam, it is possible to increase the contact area of electrical conductivity with the tensile shear strength of 95–128 MPa. Full article

A focus towards industrial energy efficiency explains the current interest in light and high-strength materials and welding and processing technologies. Among the latest popular materials are titanium alloys, which are difficult to process and weld. The problem of joining can be solved by friction stir welding. In the present paper, the mechanical properties and structure of a friction stir welded Ti–1.5Al–1Mn titanium alloy were studied. Alloy behavior in friction stir welding is poorly known; therefore, special attention was paid to the welding process—process modes, torque, and axial force. For the first time, Ti–1.5Al–1Mn joints with 92% of their base metal strength were produced by friction stir welding. Additionally, the important role of the axial load in welding was demonstrated. Axial load increases adhesion and mass transfer. A tool made of ZhS32 nickel heat-resistant superalloy received low wear after 1.5 m of welding. A layer with coarse grains was first found in the subsurface of the stir zone—this layer results from repeated recrystallization behind the tool due to the thermal effect of the shoulders and the low thermal conductivity of the material. Full article

In the work, the possibility of obtaining strong welded joints of aluminum alloys modified with particles is demonstrated. For research, strengthened aluminum alloys of the Al-Mg-Mn system with the introduction of TiB₂ particles were obtained. TiB₂ particles in specially prepared Al-TiB master alloys obtained by self-propagating high-temperature synthesis were introduced ex situ into the melt according to an original technique using ultrasonic treatment. Plates from the studied cast alloys were butt-welded by one-sided welded joints of various depths. To obtain welded joints, the method of electron beam welding was used. Mechanical properties of the studied alloys and their welded joints under tension were studied. It was shown that the introduction of particles resulted in a change in the internal structure of the alloys, characterized by the formation of compact dendritic structures and a decrease in the average grain size from 155 to 95 µm. The change in the internal structure due to the introduction of particles led to an increase in the tensile strength of the obtained alloys from 163 to 204 MPa. It was found that the obtained joints have sufficient relative strength values. Relative strength values reach 0.9 of the nominal strength of materials already at the ratio of the welded joint depth to the thickness of the welded plates, equal to 0.6 for the initial alloy and in the range of 0.67–0.8 for strengthened alloys. Full article

Distribution of temperature during the welding process is essential for predicting and realizing some important welding features such as microstructure of the welds, heat-affected zone (HAZ), residual stresses, and their effects. In this paper, a numerical model was developed using COMSOL Multiphysics of dissimilar laser welding (butt joint) of AISI 316L and Ti6Al4V thin sheet of 2.5 mm thickness. A continuous mode (CW) fiber laser heat source of 300 W laser power was used for the present study. A time-dependent prediction of temperature distributions was attempted. The heat source was assumed as a Hermit–Gaussian analytical function with a moving velocity of 120 mm/min. Both convective and radiant heat loss and phase change of the materials were considered for the analysis. In addition, variation of temperature-dependent material properties was also considered. The maximum and minimum temperature for the two materials at different times and the temperature in the different penetration depths were also predicted. It was found that the average temperature that can be achieved in the bottom-most surface near the weld line was more than 2400 K, which justifies the penetration. Averages of maximum temperatures on the weld line at different times at the laser spot irradiation were identified near 3000 K.The temperature fluctuation near the weld line was minimal and decreased more in the traverse direction. Scanning with a displaced laser relative to the interface toward the Ti6Al4V side reduces the maximum temperature at the interface and the HAZ of the 316L side. All of these predictions agree well with the experimental results reported in current literature studies. Full article

Laser welding-brazing was performed to join Ti and Al together. The dual-spot laser beam mode was selected as the heat source in this study. Ti-6Al-4V and 6061-T6 Al alloys were selected as the experimental materials. Al-12Si welding wire was selected as the filler material. The effect of groove shape on the weld appearance, microstructure, temperature field, and mechanical performance of Ti/Al welded-brazed butt joints was investigated. The interfacial intermetallic compound (IMC) layer at the Ti/Weld brazing interface was inhomogeneous in joints with I-shaped and Y-shaped grooves. In Ti/Al joints with V-shaped grooves, the homogeneity of temperature field and IMC layer was improved, and the maximum thickness difference of IMC layer was only 0.20 μm. Nano-sized granular Ti₇Al₅Si₁₂, Ti₅Si₃, and Ti(Al,Si)₃ constituted the IMCs. The tensile strength of Ti/Al joints with V-shaped grooves was the highest at 187 MPa. The fracture mode transformed from brittle fractures located in the IMC layer to ductile fractures located in the Al base metal, which could be attributed to the improvement of the IMC layer at the brazing interface. Full article

Ti4Al6V and 6061 Al dissimilar metals were butt welded by the laser oscillating welding method. The effects of laser offset, oscillation frequency, and energy distribution on the formation, microstructure, and tensile properties of dissimilar metal joints are discussed in detail. The experimental results show that the Ti6Al4V was micro melted with a laser offset of 1.1 mm, and a large number of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) were formed on the side of the Ti6Al4V. Additionally, there were some porosity defects in the fusion zone (FZ) due to an inappropriate laser oscillation frequency. When the laser offset was increased to 1.2 mm, the IMC distribution was uniform and the thickness was controlled below 2 μm. The porosity defects in the FZ decreased and the tensile strength of the joints increased significantly. The maximum value of tensile strength reached 173 MPa at a laser frequency of 28 Hz. Full article

In the process of laser welding, the uneven distribution of solute elements caused by element burning loss and flow of molten pool affects the quality of joints. In this paper, butt welding experiments were conducted on the 3 mm thick Ti–6Al–4V specimens with different preset ratios of Al and Si powders by using 4 kW fiber laser. The distribution of Al solute element and its influence on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the final weld joint were investigated. The results showed that the self-diffusion of Al element and the flow of molten pool affects the alloy elements distribution in laser welding. And the microhardness of the welded joint with Ti–6Al–4V and 90% Al + 10% Si powders was significantly higher than that with only Ti–6Al–4V, with the difference of about 130HV. At the same time, in the joint with 90% Al and 10% Si powders, the acicular α’ size was finer, and basketweave microstructure was present as well. This research is helpful to better understand the distribution of Al solute element and its influence on the joint quality during laser welding of Ti–6Al–4V alloy, which provides a certain reference for improving the weld or surface properties of Ti–6Al–4V alloy during laser processing. Full article

Underwater laser beam welding (ULBW) with filler wire was applied to Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Process parameters including the back shielding gas flow rate (BSGFR) (the amount of protective gas flowing over the back of the workpiece per unit time), focal position, and laser power were investigated to obtain a high-quality butt joint. The results showed that the increase of BSGFR could obtain the slighter oxidation level and refiner crystal grain in the welded metals. Whereas the back shielding gas at a flow rate of 35 L/min resulting in pores in the welded metals. With the increasing of the heat input, the welded metals went through three stages, i.e., not full penetration, crystal grain refinement, and coarseness. Crystal grain refinement could improve the mechanical properties, however, not full penetration and pores led to the decline in mechanical properties. Under optimal process parameters, the microstructure in the fusion zones of the underwater and in-air weld metals was acicular martensite. The near the fusion zone of the underwater and in-air weld metals consisted of the α + α′ phase, but almost without the α′ phase in the near base metal zone. The tensile strength and impact toughness of the underwater welded joints were 852.81 MPa and 39.07 J/cm², respectively, which approached to those of the in-air welded joints (861.32 MPa and 38.99 J/cm²). Full article

Laser welding–brazing of 5A06 aluminum to Ti6Al4V titanium in a butt configuration was carried out to discuss the influences of welding parameters on dissimilar joint properties. The effects of laser offset, welding speed, and laser power on the spreading length of the molten aluminum liquid, interface fracture zone width (IFZW), fracture roughness, intermetallic compounds (IMCs) thickness, and tensile strength were also investigated. The microstructure and fracture of the joint were also studied. The results show that the tensile strength of the joint is not only influenced by the thickness and type of IMCs, but also influenced by the spreading ability of the aluminum liquid, the fracture area broken at the Ti/fusing zone (FZ) interface, and the relative area of the brittle and ductile fracture in FZ. A dissimilar butt joint with an IMC thickness of 2.79 μm was obtained by adjusting the laser offset, welding speed, and laser power to 500 μm, 11 mm/s and 1130 W, respectively. The maximum tensile strength of the joint was up to 183 MPa, which is equivalent to 83% of the tensile strength of the 5A06 aluminum alloy. Full article