Laser welding of Ti–6Al–4V to Nitinol

Formation of brittle intermetallic phases in addition to different thermal expansion coefficients associated with dissimilar welding leads to the formation of transverse cracks in weld metal and eventually restricts widespread applications of dissimilar joints. Therefore, joining technology should be expanded in field of dissimilar welding in order to solve its difficulties. In the present study, an experimental work with pulsed Nd:YAG laser was performed for dissimilar welding of Ti–6Al–4V and Nitinol. Autogenous welding of these two alloys resulted in joints with poor strength and ductility due to the formation of transverse cracks in the weld metal. Therefore, the chemical composition of the weld metal has to be modified in order to reduce the formation of brittle phases and eliminate subsequent cracking. In this work, this was done by insertion of a copper interlayer with a thickness of 75 μm between the base metals. The results indicated that insertion of copper interlayer has a great influence on the reduction of the amount of Ti₂Ni brittle intermetallic phase, elimination of transverse cracks through the weld metal and eventually improvement of mechanical properties of the joints. Insertion of copper interlayer was very useful since it altered the cracked autogenous joint to a joint which could withstand a tensile stress of 300 MPa.     

Effect of Ni interlayer on partial transient liquid phase bonding of Zr–Sn–Nb alloy and 304 stainless steel

Zr–Sn–Nb alloy and 304 stainless steel were joined by means of partial transient liquid phase bonding. The effects of Ni interlayer on the microstructure and properties of the joints were investigated. The reaction layers are formed in both joints and which are mainly composed of σ-FeCr layer, Zr(Cr, Fe)₂ + α-Zr layer and α-Zr + Zr₂(Ni, Fe) layer. The intermetallic compounds are compact relatively and cracks are formed in the reaction layer of the direct bonded joint. In the joint with Ni interlayer, many α-Zr phases dispersedly exist in the reaction layer and the thickness of the reaction layer is distinctly larger than that without Ni interlayer. As a result of lower residual stresses and wider crack-free reaction layer, the bonding strength of the joint increases by using Ni interlayer.     

TIG–MIG hybrid welding of ferritic stainless steels and magnesium alloys with Cu interlayer of different thickness

The joining of ferritic stainless steels and magnesium alloys is light and economic for weight reduction of automobiles. Unlike previous conventional welding method, a novel TIG–MIG hybrid welding is applied for the joint successfully in this study. The melted Mg weld metal wets the ferritic stainless steels surface to form a brazed Mg–Cu to steel connection when the interlayer thickness is 0.02 mm. When the interlayer thickness is 0.1 mm, the intermetallic compounds transition layer determined the tensile-shear strength of joints. Intermetallic compounds transition layer has been found in the 0.1 mm thick interlayer joints and no particle has been found in the 0.02 mm thick interlayer joints. Based on the analysis of microstructure and properties, joining and strengthen mechanisms of the joint were discovered. As the thickness of the Cu interlayer increases, the joining mechanism changed. The joining and strengthen mechanisms are mainly determined by the thickness of the interlayer. The tensile-shear strength of 0.1 mm thickness Cu interlayer joints is improved by 47% compared to 0.02 mm Cu.     

Investigation of fracture for friction welded joint between pure nickel and pure aluminium with post-weld heat treatment

The present paper described the investigation of the fracture of friction welded joint between pure nickel (Ni) and pure aluminium (Al) with post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). Most of joints autogenously fractured from the adjacent portion of the intermediate layer (interlayer) consisting of intermetallic compound (IMC) on the weld interface due to growing of that after long heating time during the cooling process after PWHT. The IMC interlayer was composed with mainly NiAl, and that grew at the weld interface with PWHT. The joint fracture temperature increased with increasing width of the IMC interlayer in the axial direction of the joint. That is, the fracture of the joint occurred at the interface between NiAl layer and Al base metal. The fractured surface was covered with a little Ni₂Al₃ and/or NiAl₃, and that was like as disbonding. Furthermore, when the width of the IMC interlayer was smaller than approximately 40 μm, the joint fracture temperature of the joint was under about 470 K. However, when the width of the IMC interlayer exceeded 50 μm, the joint fracture temperature drastically increased up to about 800 K. Hence, it was able to be estimate that the joint fracture temperature increased with increasing width of the IMC interlayer. Therefore, one of the main reasons for the fracture of the joint could be concluded as remarkable decreasing of the bonding strength between NiAl layer and Al base metal, which was produced with PWHT.     

Interfacial microstructure and mechanical property of resistance spot welded joint of high strength steel and aluminium alloy with 4047 AlSi12 interlayer

Dissimilar materials of H220YD galvanised high strength steel and 6008-T66 aluminium alloy were welded by means of median frequency direct current resistance spot welding with employment of 4047 AlSi12 interlayer. Effects of interlayer thickness on microstructure and mechanical property of the welded joints were studied. The welded joint with interlayer employed could be recognised as a brazed joint. The nugget diameter had a decreased tendency with increasing thickness of interlayer under optimised welding parameters. An intermetallic compound layer composed of Fe₂(Al,Si)₅ and Fe₄(Al,Si)₁₃ was formed at the interfacial zone in the welded joint, the thickness and morphology of which varying with the increase of interlayer thickness. Reaction diffusion at the steel/aluminium interface was inhibited by introduction of silicon atoms, which restricted growth of Fe₂(Al,Si)₅. Tensile shear load of welded joints experienced an increased tendency with increasing interlayer thickness from 100 to 300 μm, and the maximum tensile shear load of 6.2 kN was obtained with interlayer thickness of 300 μm, the fractured welded joint of which exhibiting a nugget pullout failure mode.     

Study on cold metal transfer welding–brazing of titanium to copper

3 mm Pure titanium TA2 was joined to 3 mm pure copper T2 by Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) welding–brazing process in the form of butt joint with a 1.2 mm diameter ERCuNiAl copper wire. The welding–brazing joint between Ti and Cu base metals is composed of Cu–Cu welding joint and Cu–Ti brazing joint. Cu–Cu welding joint can be formed between the Cu weld metal and the Cu groove surface, and the Cu–Ti brazing interface can be formed between Cu weld metal and Ti groove surface. The microstructure and the intermetallic compounds distribution were observed and analyzed in details. Interfacial reaction layers of brazing joint were composed of Ti₂Cu, TiCu and AlCu₂Ti. Furthermore, crystallization behavior of welding joint and bonding mechanism of brazing interfacial reaction were also discussed. The effects of wire feed speed and groove angle on the joint features and mechanical properties of the joints were investigated. Three different fracture modes were observed: at the Cu interface, the Ti interface, and the Cu heat affected zone (HAZ). The joints fractured at the Cu HAZ had higher tensile load than the others. The lower tensile load fractured at the Cu interface or Ti interface was attributed to the weaker bonding degree at the Cu interface or Ti interface.     

Microstructure and mechanical properties of diffusion bonded W/steel joint using V/Ni composite interlayer

Diffusion bonding between W and steel using V/Ni composite interlayer was carried out in vacuum at 1050 °C and 10 MPa for 1 h. The microstructural examination and mechanical property evaluation of the joints show that the bonding of W to steel was successful. No intermetallic compound was observed at the steel/Ni and V/W interfaces for the joints bonded. The electron probe microanalysis and X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that Ni₃V, Ni₂V, Ni₂V₃ and NiV₃ were formed at the Ni/V interface. The tensile strength of about 362 MPa was obtained for as-bonded W/steel joint and the failure occurred at W near the V/W interface. The nano-indentation test across the joining interfaces demonstrated the effect of solid solution strengthening and intermetallic compound formation in the diffusion zone.     

Investigation of laser welding on butt joints of Al/steel dissimilar materials

Dissimilar metals of AA6013 aluminum alloy and Q235 low-carbon steel of 2.5 mm thickness were butt joined using a 10 kW fiber laser welding system with ER4043 filler metal. The study indicates that it is feasible to join aluminum alloy to steel by butt joints when zinc layer was hot-dip galvanized at the steel’s groove face in advance, and better weld appearance can be obtained at appropriate welding parameters. The joints had dual characteristics of a welding joint on the aluminum side and a brazing joint on the steel side. The smooth Fe₂Al₅ layer adjacent to the steel matrix and the serrated-shape FeAl₃ layer close to the weld metal were formed at the brazing interface. The overall thickness of Fe–Al intermetallic compounds layers produced in this experiment were varied from 1.8 μm to 6.2 μm at various welding parameters with laser power of 2.85–3.05 kW and wire feed speed of 5–7 m/min. The Al/steel butt joints were failed at the brazing interface during the tensile test and reached the maximum tensile strength of 120 MPa.     

Evaluation on diffusion bonded joints of TiAl alloy to Ti3SiC2 ceramic with and without Ni interlayer: Interfacial microstructure and mechanical properties

Diffusion bonding of TiAl alloys and Ti₃SiC₂ ceramics were carried out in a vacuum atmosphere. The microstructures and mechanical properties of the bonded joints were investigated. Results showed that three coherent intermetallic layers formed in the TiAl/Ti₃SiC₂ joints during bonding process. The compound layer adjacent to Ti₃SiC₂ substrate was indicated to be Ti₅Si₃, in which brittle fracture of the joints took place during shear strength test. The properties of diffusion bonded joints were greatly improved attributed to the formation of a good transition in the joint as well as the relief of the residual stress when using Ni foil as interlayer. Formation mechanisms of the compound layers during bonding process were discussed. Shear test results showed that the maximum shear strength reached 52.3 MPa. Corresponding fractograph indicated that the crack mainly propagated along Ti₃SiC₂ substrate adjacent to the bonding zone, accompanied with an intergranular and transgranular fracture mode.     

Microstructure and brazing mechanism of porous Si3N4/Invar joint brazed with Ag-Cu-Ti/Cu/Ag-Cu multi-layered filler

Porous Si_3N_4 was brazed to Invar alloy in this study, and Ag-Cu-Ti/Cu/Ag-Cu multi-layered filler was designed to inhibit the formation of Fe_2Ti and Ni_3Ti intermetallic compounds. The effects of the brazing temperature and the thickness of Cu interlayer on the microstructure and mechanical properties of brazed joints were investigated. The typical microstructure of the joint brazed with multi-layered filler was porous Si_3N_4/TiN + Ti_5Si_3/Ag-Cu eutectic/Cu/Ag-Cu eutectic/Cu-rich layer + diffusion layer/Invar. When the brazing temperature increased, the reaction layer at the ceramic/filler interface grew thicker and the Cu interlayer turned thinner. As the thickness of Cu interlayer increased from 50 to 150μm, the joint strength first increased and then decreased. In this research, the maximum shear strength(73 MPa) was obtained when being brazed at 1173 K with a 100μm Cu interlayer applied in the filler, which was 55% higher than that brazed with single Ag-Cu-Ti brazing alloy and had reached 86% of the ceramic. The release of residual stress and the barrier effect of Cu interlayer to inhibit the formation of Fe_2Ti and Ni_3Ti intermetallics played the major role in the improvement of joint strength.     

Joint properties of friction welded joint between pure magnesium and pure aluminium with post-weld heat treatment

The present paper described the investigation of the joint properties of friction welded joint between pure magnesium (CP-Mg) and pure aluminium (CP-Al) with post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). The joint in as-welded condition fractured from the adjacent region of the weld interface, although that had the same strength as the tensile strength of the CP-Al base metal. This joint had the intermediate layer (interlayer) consisting of intermetallic compound (IMC) on the weld interface, and its thickness was below approximately 1 μm. Most of joints subjected to PWHT autogenously fractured at IMC interlayer and that mainly occurred between Mg₂Al₃ and Mg₁₇Al₁₂ although those layers had a little each other at the fractured surfaces. The IMC interlayer grew to CP-Mg and CP-Al sides, and its thickness increased with increasing heating temperature and/or heating time. The main reasons for the autogenous fracture from the adjacent region of the weld interface of the joint were considered the growth of IMC interlayer of the joint during PWHT process. Furthermore, that fracture of the joint was thought the generating of the thermal stresses in the radial and/or circumferential directions during the cooling stage of PWHT process.     

Reliability studies of Cu/Al joints brazed with Zn–Al–Ce filler metals

This paper examines the effect of different Ce content on the properties and microstructures of Zn–22Al filler metals and Cu/Al brazing joints. The results indicate that, the spreading area on Cu substrates of Zn–22Al filler metal could be improved by 29.7% with the addition of 0.03 wt% Ce, whereas the oxidation resistance of the alloy increased significantly. The thermal behaviors of Zn–22Al filler metals were minimally influenced by the addition of Ce. The Zn–22Al–xCe filler metals show finer and more uniform microstructures when the added Ce content is in the range 0.03–0.05 wt%. Particularly, the addition of trace Ce into the Zn–22Al filler metal can refine the microstructures and decrease the thickness of the layer of intermetallic compounds produced in the Cu/Al brazing joints. Some bright (Zn,Al)–Ce intermetallic compounds particles were observed in the alloy when the Ce content exceeds 0.08 wt%. The results also indicate that the shear strength of Cu/Al joint brazed with Zn–22Al–0.05Ce is 30.3% higher than that of the Zn–22Al filler metal. Some hard and brittle Ce-bearing intermetallic compounds particles appear in the fracture surface when the Ce content is 0.25 wt%, which resulted in the weakening of the mechanical properties of Cu/Al brazing joints.     

Effect of gradient thermal distribution on butt joining of magnesium alloy to steel with Cu–Zn alloy interlayer by hybrid laser–tungsten inert gas welding

Experimental investigations on butt welding of magnesium alloy to steel by hybrid laser–tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding with Cu–Zn alloy interlayer are carried out. The results show that the gradient thermal distribution of hybrid laser–TIG welding, controlled by offset adjustment, has a noticeable effect on mechanical properties and microstructure of the joints. Particularly, at the offset of 0.2 mm, defect-free joints are obtained, and the tensile strength could attain a maximum value of 203 MPa. Moreover, the fracture of the joint with the 0.2 mm offset happens in the weld seam of Mg alloy instead of the Mg/Fe interface. Owning to the addition of the Cu–Zn alloy interlayer, a metallurgical bonding between Mg alloy and steel is achieved based on the formation of intermetallic compounds of CuMgZn and solid solutions of Cu and Al in Fe. Meanwhile, the same element distribution tendency of Fe and Al indicates the intimate interaction between Fe and Al in current experimental conditions.     

Diffusion bonding of TiAl intermetallic and Ti3AlC2 ceramic: Interfacial microstructure and joining properties

TiAl intermetallics and Ti₃AlC₂ ceramics were jointed through diffusion bonding using Ti/Ni interlayer. The effect of bonding temperature and holding time on interfacial microstructure and mechanical properties of the bonded joints were investigated. The typical interfacial microstructure of the joint from TiAl to Ti₃AlC₂ side could be divided into τ₃-Al₃NiTi₂, α₂-Ti₃Al, α-Ti + δ-Ti₂Ni, δ-Ti₂Ni, β₂-TiNi, η-TiNi₃, γ-(Ni)_ss, γ′-Ni₃(Al, Ti), γ′-Ni₃(Al, Ti) + Ti₃AlC₂, respectively. The value of the microhardness in the reactive zones increased due to the formation of intermetallcs. Lower or higher bonding temperature and longer or shorter holding time both resulted in low strength owing to the insufficient diffusion of atoms or excessive formation of intermetallics. A high bonding strength can be obtained when bonding at 920 °C for 60 min. Fracture occurred through the intermetallic layer adjacent to the Ti₃AlC₂ substrate during shear test, showing brittle intergranular and transgranular characteristic.     

Effect of calcium on the microstructure and mechanical properties of brazed joint using Ag–Cu–Zn brazing filler metal

The induction brazing of 316LN stainless steel using Ag–Cu–Zn filler metal containing various content of Ca was carried out to investigate the influence of impurity element Ca on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the brazed joint. The results showed that Ca additions caused the coarser of the grains and their irregular distribution. Increase of the Ca content resulted in the formations of brittle intermetallic compounds (IMCs) CaCu which perhaps lead to the formations of voids. All of the calcium-containing brazed joints performed better in microhardness than calcium-free ones and brazed joints containing 0.003 wt.% Ca showed the highest microhardness of 203HV. While the tensile strength decreased with the increment of Ca, from 460 MPa to 400 MPa. The combination effects of coarser grains, brittle IMCs and voids conduced to the reduction of tensile strength and microhardness of the brazed joints.     

Dissimilar joining of Ti3Al-based alloy to Ni-based superalloy by arc welding technology using gradient filler alloys

In this study, Ti–Al–Nb, Ti–Ni–Nb and Ni–Cr–Nb system alloys were designed and incorporated in order to construct a gradient structure at the surface of the joined Ti₃Al base material. And the Ti₃Al-based alloy and Ni-based superalloy were successfully joined together using gas tungsten arc (GTA) welding technology. The microstructure evolution, mechanical properties and fractured behaviors of the joints were investigated. The gradient structure remarkably decreased the formation tendency of brittle phases within the joints compared with a single filler alloy and thus improved the joint strength effectively. The average room-temperature tensile strength of the Ti₃Al/In718 dissimilar joint reached 353 MPa, and the strength value at 873 K was 245 MPa. At the Ti–Ni–Nb/Ni–Cr–Nb interface, some Ni₃(Nb, Ti) + (Nb, Ti)Cr₂ and TiNi₃ phases were detected in the Ti–Ni–Nb matrix. It was believed that their presence decreased the room-temperature strength of the Ti–Ni–Nb alloy but improved its high-temperature strength.     

Intermediate layer characterization and fracture behavior of laser-welded copper/aluminum metal joints

Copper and aluminum were welded using a continuous Nd:YAG laser, and the influence of the processing parameters on the intermediate layer was investigated. The intermediate layer along the interface was characterized, and the failure mechanism was identified. Four distinct zones with various intermetallic compounds and structures formed in the intermediate layer and determined the corresponding joint strength. Utilizing gradually increasing heat input produced different thicknesses for these four zones. A laser beam power of 1650 W and a welding speed of 95 mm/s were the optimized parameters. The thickness of the intermetallic compound γ₂-Cu₉Al₄ and the shear–tensile strength of the joint decreased with the increase of welding speed in the weld. The shear–tensile load of the dissimilar metal joint reached 539.52 N with the optimized parameters. Fracture during shear–tensile testing occurred in the zone with 20.08–54.65% Cu. It was concluded that eutectic and hypoeutectic structures containing a significant amount of θ-CuAl₂ led to a weak joint. The relationship between the mechanical properties and thickness of the different intermediate zones is thoroughly illustrated.     

Effect of interlayer addition on microstructure and mechanical properties of NiTi/stainless steel joint by electron beam welding

NiTi/Stainless Steel(SS) sheets have been welded via a vacuum electron beam welding process, with three methods(offsetting electron beam to SS side without interlayer, adding Ni interlayer and adding Fe Ni interlayer), to promote mechanical properties of the Ni Ti/SS joints. The joints with different interlayers are all fractured in the weld zone near the Ni Ti side, which is attributed to the enrichment of intermetallic compounds including Fe2 Ti and Ni3 Ti. The fracture mechanisms of different joints are strongly dependent on the types of interlayers, and the joints without interlayer, adding Ni interlayer and adding Fe Ni interlayer exhibit cleavage fracture, intergranular fracture and mixed fracture composed of cleavage and tearing ridge, respectively. Compared with the brittle laves phase Fe2 Ti, Ni3 Ti phase can exhibit certain plasticity, block the crack propagation and change the direction of crack propagation. The composite structure of Ni3 Ti and Fe2 Ti will be formed when the Fe Ni alloy is taken as the interlayer, which provides the joint excellent mechanical properties, with rupture strength of 343 MPa.     

Comparative study on local and global mechanical properties of bobbin tool and conventional friction stir welded 7085-T7452 aluminum thick plate

7085-T7452 plates with a thickness of 12 mm were welded by conventional single side and bobbin tool friction stir welding (SS-FSW and BB-FSW, respectively) at different welding parameters. The temperature distribution, microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of joints along the thickness direction were investigated, and digital image correlation (DIC) was utilized to evaluate quantitatively the deformation of different zones during tensile tests. The results indicated that heat-affected zone (HAZ), the local softening region, was responsible for the early plastic deformation and also the fracture location for SS-FSW samples, while a rapid fracture was observed in weld nugget zone (WNZ) before yield behavior for all BB-FSW specimens. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of SS-FSW joints presented the highest value of 410 MPa, 82% of the base material, at a rotational speed of 300 rpm and welding speed of 60 mm/min, much higher than that of BB-FSW joints, with a joint efficiency of only 47%. This should be attributed to the Lazy S defect produced by a larger extent of heat input during the BB-FSW process. The whole joint exhibited a much higher elongation than the slices. Scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analysis of the fracture morphologies showed that joints failed through ductile fracture for SS-FSW and brittle fracture for BB-FSW.     

The effect of gap size on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the transient liquid phase bonded FSX-414 superalloy

Optimization of transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding variables is essential to achieve a joint free from deleterious intermetallic constituents as well as with appropriate mechanical properties. In this research, TLP bonding of FSX-414 superalloy was performed using the MBF-80 interlayer. The effects of bonding time (1–30 min) and gap size (25–100 μm) were studied on the joint microstructure and its mechanical properties. Continuous centerline eutectic phases, characterized as nickel-rich and chromium-rich borides, were observed at the joints with incomplete isothermal solidification. The globular and acicular phases were seen at diffusion affected zone (DAZ). These phases could be nickel–chromium and cobalt–chromium borides. The time of complete isothermal solidification increased with increasing the gap size. This increase was consistent with the models based on the diffusion induced solid/liquid interface motion. A deviation of these models was observed for 75 and 100 μm gap size specimens. At complete isothermal solidification condition, the shear strength and the hardness of isothermal solidification zone decreased with increasing the gap size. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs of shear fracture surfaces of the specimens with incomplete isothermal solidification showed secondary cracks through the brittle centerline eutectic constituents.