Alloying element vaporization and weld pool temperature during laser welding of AlSl 202 stainless steel

Alloying element vaporization rates, plasma composition, and the changes in weld composition during laser welding of 202 stainless steel are discussed in this paper. Iron, manganese, and chromium were the most dominant species in the plasma. During laser welding it is always a difficult task to measure the temperature of the weld pool since this region is surrounded by hot plasma. In this paper a novel technique for the determination of weld pool temperature is presented. It is demonstrated that the relative rates of vaporization of any two elements from the molten pool can serve as an indicator of weld pool temperature, irrespective of the element pair selected. The composition of the solidified region calculated from the measured values of vaporization rate, plasma composition, and the volume of the solidified region was in good agreement with the weld composition determined by electron probe microanalyis technique.     

Mechanism of alloying element vaporization during laser welding

Vaporization of alloying elements is a serious problem in the laser welding of many important engineering alloys. Since the available mass transfer correlations are not applicable for credible assessment of the rates of transport of vaporized species in the gas phase, the role of gas phase mass transfer in the overall vaporization of alloying elements was examined by conducting several critical experiments. The rates of transport of alloying elements in the weld pool were determined from numerically computed fluid flow fields. Since the weld pool is surrounded by plasma during laser welding, the role of plasma in the vaporization of alloying elements was physically modeled by allowing molten copper drops to vaporize isothermally both in the presence and absence of plasma. The transport of alloying elements in both liquid and gas phases was found to be rapid and the overall vaporization rates were controlled by the plasma influenced intrinsic vaporization of alloying elements at the weld pool surface. The experimentally obtained rates of vaporization of alloying elements from laser melted stainless steel weld pools were compared with the corresponding theoretically calculated values.     

Nugget formation and growth during resistance spot welding of aluminium alloy 5182

Abstract

Surface interaction at the worksheet/worksheet interface during resistance spot welding of aluminium alloy 5182 with spherical tip electrodes was investigated. Oxide layer cracking and nugget formation were focused. Both experimental work and finite element analysis were employed to explain the contact behaviour at this interface. It was found that sheet separation and thus bending occurred during the squeezing phase of the resistance spot welding process and suggested a profound influence on nugget formation. The sheet separation caused enlarged and aligned cracks in the surface oxide layers which led to a good metal‐to‐metal contact near the periphery of the faying surface. High current densities which occurred at the beginning of the current phase caused significant heat generation in this zone. Consequently, the melting at the faying surface started near the periphery and moved in towards the central zone of the contact region to produce a ‘doughnut shaped’ nugget with a filled‐in but thin central region.

On a étudié l'interaction de la surface à l'interface feuille de travail‐feuille de travail lors du soudage par points par résistance de l'alliage d'aluminium 5182 avec des électrodes à bout sphérique. On s'est concentré sur la fracture de la couche d'oxyde et sur la formation du noyau. On a utilisé tant le travail expérimental que l'analyse par éléments finis pour expliquer le comportement de contact à cette interface. On a trouvé que la séparation de la feuille, et donc le pliage, se produisait lors de la phase de compression du procédé de soudage par points par résistance, suggérant une influence profonde sur la formation du noyau. La séparation de la feuille résultait en fissures agrandies et alignées dans les couches d'oxyde de la surface, ce qui amenait un bon contact de métal à métal près de la périphérie de l'aire de contact. Des densités élevées de courant, qui se produisaient au début de la phase de courant, résultaient en un dégagement important de chaleur dans cette zone. Conséquemment, la fonte de l'aire de contact commençait près de la périphérie et se déplaçait vers la zone centrale de la région de contact, produisant un noyau en forme d'anneau avec une région centrale remplie, mais mince.     

Resistance spot welding of galvanized steel: Part II. Mechanisms of spot weld nugget formation

Dynamic inspection monitoring of the weld current, voltage, resistance, electrode displacement, and force was performed in conjunction with a detailed study of the effects of material variations and weld process parameter modifications on resistance spot welding of coated and uncoated steels. In order to determine the mechanisms of weld nugget formation and growth, scanning electron microscopy photos were taken of the developing nugget. These physical changes were then related to the dynamic inspection curves and the welding current lobe. The effects of material variations and weld process modifications, the results of which were presented in Part I, can be explained through an understanding of these mechanisms.     

Resistance spot welding of precoated steel sheet: Computational heat-transfer analysis

The heat-transfer phenomenon during the resistance spot welding of the precoated steel sheet, consisting of a thin organic coating coated on a steel sheet, has been investigated theoretically using a two-dimensional finite-element heat-transfer model. Material parameters such as the thermal conductivity of the coating and the thickness of the sheet were varied under various welding conditions in order to optimize the welding process. These welding parameters included the contact resistance at the steel/steel interface, the welding current, and the welding time. The effect of these material and welding parameters on the weldability was demonstrated; the selection criteria for the organic coating and accompanying welding conditions were proposed from this study.     

Mechanism governing nitrogen absorption by steel weld metal during laser welding

The existence of monatomic nitrogen in the plasma just over the keyhole during CO₂ laser welding was confirmed by the monochromatic image of a specific spectrum line emitted by monatomic nitrogen. The smaller reaction area of the molten pool with monatomic nitrogen is considered to lead to less nitrogen absorption during CO₂ laser welding than that during arc welding. The effect of the penetration mode shows that the nitrogen absorption during CO₂ laser welding mainly occurs on the upper surface of the molten pool. The nitrogen content in a reduced-pressure nitrogen atmosphere during CO₂ laser welding is in good agreement with that obtained during yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser welding within the range of low nitrogen (partial) pressures. This result supports the supposition that the different behaviors of nitrogen absorption between CO₂ laser welding and YAG laser welding can be reasonably attributed to the lesser amount of monatomic nitrogen during YAG laser welding.     

Emission spectroscopy of plasma during laser welding of AISI 201 stainless steel

The rates of vaporization of alloying elements from the weld pool were related to the emission spectra of the plasma during pulsed laser welding of AISI 201 stainless steel under various welding conditions. The temperature distribution in the plasma was determined from the spectra obtained from various locations in the plasma plume. The extent of ionization of the plasma was calculated from the electron temperatures To understand the role of surface active elements, emission spectra and the vaporization rate of iron that resulted from the welding of ultrapure iron samples were compared with those from the welding of oxidized samples or samples that were doped with sulfur or oxygen. M.M. Collur, formerly Graduate Student, Pennsylvania State University This paper is based on a presentation made in the T.B. King Memorial Symposium on “Physical Chemistry in Metals Processing” presetned at the Annual Meeting of The Metallurgical Society, Denver, CO, February, 1987, under the auspices of the Physical Chemistry Committee and the PTD/ISS.     

Effects of Au plating on dynamic resistance during small-scale resistance spot welding of thin Ni sheets

The effects of Au plating on dynamic resistance during small-scale resistance spot welding of thin Ni sheets have been investigated. Compared to the small-scale resistance spot welding of bare Ni, the Au-plated material showed much lower initial static resistance, and the contribution of constriction resistance to overall dynamic resistance reduced to a negligible value very early in the welding sequence because of the low softening temperature and its lack of surface oxide film. For the same reason, the asperity heating and surface breakdown stages during resistance spot welding of bare Ni were not observed during resistance spot welding of Au-plated Ni. Furthermore, the partial surface melting stage was replaced by the solid-state bonding and brazing stages. Step increases in the sheet-to-sheet dynamic resistance curves of Au-plated Ni were shown to be due to the peripheral unzipping of a prior solid-state bond caused by uneven local thermal expansion. The electrode-to-electrode dynamic resistance curve when welding Au-plated material is not useful for monitoring the state of nugget formation.     

Stir zone microstructure and strain rate during Al 7075-T6 friction stir spot welding

The factors determining the temperature, heating rate, microstructure, and strain rate in Al 7075-T6 friction stir spot welds are investigated. Stir zone microstructure was examined using a combination of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) microscopy, while the strain rate during spot welding was calculated by incorporating measured temperatures and the average subgrain dimensions in the Zener-Hollomon relation. The highest temperature during friction stir spot welding (527 °C) was observed in spot welds made using a tool rotational speed of 3000 rpm. The stir zone regions comprised fine-grained, equiaxed, fully recrystallized microstructures. The calculated strain rate in Al 7075-T6 spot welds decreased from 650 to about 20 s⁻¹ when the tool rotational speed increased from 1000 to 3000 rpm. It is suggested that the decrease in strain rate results when tool slippage occurs when the welding parameter settings facilitate transient local melting during the spot welding operation. Transient local melting and tool slippage are produced when the welding parameters produce sufficiently high heating rates and temperatures during spot welding. However, transient local melting and tool slippage is not produced in Al 7075-T6 spot welds made using a rotational speed of 1000 rpm since the peak temperature is always less than 475 °C.     

Transient memory effects during plastic strain cycling of Al-Cu alloy

Results of cyclic tests on a commercial Al-Cu alloy show the transient memory effects mainly observed in the alloy aged at 200°C. Asymmetric tests give experimental proof that the constricted loops observed during the first cycles of this material are a form of strain memory. This transient effect is associated with the back stresses caused by the misfit of θ′ lamellae in the sheared matrix lattice; it is explained by means of a simple accommodation model. The isotropic hardening component of strain-hardening can be determined from cyclic tests by a method of which an outline is presented. According to the model of dislocation shuttling used to describe the cyclic hardening, the reverse straining should repeat the forward hardening: we present experimental proof that this is indeed the case for ε_α > 0.008, except for a difference in stress level caused by isotropic hardening during forward straining. During saturation cycling reduction of the strain amplitude gives rise to a second memory effect: the small loops are formed by curves which closely repeat the former large-amplitude curves. As a corollary the small-amplitude peak stresses are shifted towards the first of these values, whether these are in tension or in compression.     

Investigation on the effect of laser pulse shape during Nd:YAG laser microwelding of thin Al sheet by numerical simulation

In the welding of thin A3003 Al sheet by a Nd:YAG laser beam, the laser pulse shape plays an important role in enhancing the welding penetration stability. In order to evaluate the effect of laser pulse shape during Nd:YAG laser welding of a thin Al sheet and to predict the welding performance by numerical simulation, a three-dimensional finite differential method (FDM) analysis is presented for heating with different laser pulse shapes and related welding parameters. The simulated results give good agreement with experimental results, where a sound weld shape and crack-free weld pool are obtained. The simulation results show that the welding stability is greatly affected by the modulation of laser pulse shape for the same laser energy and welding parameters. As a rectangular laser pulse is modulated to have three stages with high, medium, and low power levels for the first, second, and third stages, respectively, more energy is absorbed in the melt pool, and the cooling rate is reduced. While a high power level at the first stage increases the laser beam absorption, the thermal energy of the third stage prevents fast cooling of the melt pool. Also, evaporation is prevented by proper modulation of the laser pulse. If the laser pulse is modulated properly, the optimum melt-pool size and cooling rate can be obtained; also, the desired weld depth and welding stability are achieved for the conduction welding mode. The numerical simulation method can be used to determine the proper conditions for good welding performance.     

Weld metal composition change during conduction mode laser welding of aluminum alloy 5182

Selective vaporization of volatile elements during laser welding of automotive aluminum alloys affects weld metal composition and properties. An experimental and theoretical study was carried out to seek a quantitative understanding of the influences of various welding variables on vaporization and composition change during conduction mode laser welding of aluminum alloy 5182. A comprehensive model for the calculation of vaporization rate and weld metal composition change was developed based on the principles of transport phenomena, kinetics, and thermodynamics. The calculations showed that the vaporization was concentrated in a small high-temperature region under the laser beam where the local vapor pressure exceeded the ambient pressure. The convective vapor flux driven by the pressure gradient was much higher than the diffusive vapor flux driven by the concentration gradient. The computed weld pool geometry, vaporization rates, and composition changes for different welding conditions agreed well with the corresponding experimental data. The good agreement demonstrates that the comprehensive model can serve as a basis for the quantitative understanding of the influences of various welding variables on the heat transfer, fluid flow, and vaporization occurring during conduction mode laser welding of automotive aluminum alloys.     

Effects of oxygen and sulfur on alloying element vaporization rates during laser welding

Inadequate control of weld metal composition due to vaporization of volatile alloying elements is a serious problem in the welding of many important engineering alloys. Effectiveness of surface active elements such as oxygen or sulfur in blocking vaporization sites on the weld pool surface was investigated. Several iron samples doped with oxygen or sulfur were exposed to a carbon dioxide laser beam in pulsed mode. The time average metal vaporization rates and the emission spectra were compared with those obtained from ultra pure iron samples. Since the weld pool surface area and temperature distribution are affected by oxygen and sulfur, the true effects of these elements on metal vaporization rates cannot be easily evaluated from welding data. Therefore, rates of isothermal vaporization of iron and copper drops doped with oxygen or sulfur were determined both in the presence and the absence of low pressure argon plasma. These rates were compared with the rates of vaporization of ultrapure metal drops. Presence of sulfur or oxygen in metals always resulted in increased metal vaporization rates. The results are analyzed on the basis of interfacial phenomena.     

汽车钢板点焊工艺的发展

通过文献调研分析了冷轧、镀锌及高强汽车板的焊接特点。采用普通点焊工艺,铁锌合金镀锌板比纯镀锌板点焊工艺窗口宽约30%,但预热后纯镀锌板焊接性能较好;FEA模拟Mn-Si系TRIP800钢的焊点十字拉伸强度明显高于Mn系DP450钢,但实际试验结果却明显较低;Mn系1.5mm规格的DP800钢在点焊电流11 000A及时间0.6s时,焊点拉剪试验以韧性特征为主,焊点拉剪力高于20kN。1 300MPa热成型钢点焊接头有一定软化倾向。不同种类高强钢的合金元素含量和生产工艺的不同,其焊接性能体现出较大差异。     

Electrode pitting in resistance spot welding of aluminum alloy 5182

Electrode pitting was investigated in resistance spot welding of 1.5-mm-thick sheet aluminum alloy 5182 using a medium-frequency direct-current welder and electrodes with a tip face curvature radius of 50 mm and tip face diameter of 10 mm. Detailed investigation of the metallurgical interactions between the copper electrode and aluminum alloy sheet was carried out using scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results indicated that electrode degradation, which eventually leads to weld failure, proceeded in four basic steps: aluminum pickup, electrode alloying with aluminum, electrode tip face pitting, and cavitation. Since pitting and cavitation result from Al pickup and alloying, periodic electrode cleaning could extend electrode tip life by limiting the buildup of Al on the tip face. This work is part of the effort to improve electrode tip life in resistance spot welding of aluminum alloys for automotive applications.     

Radiation effects on time-dependent deformation: Creep and growth

Observations of irradiation creep strain as well as irradiation growth strain and related microstructures are reviewed and compared to mechanisms for radiation effects on time-dependent deformation. Composition, microstructure, stress, and temperature affect irradiation creep less than thermal creep. Irradiation creep rates can often dominate thermal creep rates, particularly at low temperatures and low stresses. Irradiation creep mechanisms are classified in two general categories: (1) stress-induced preferential absorption and (2) climb glide. In the former, creep results from dislocation climb, whereas in the latter, creep results from dislocation glide. The effects of irradiation creep on failure modes in nuclear environments are discussed.     

Radiation effects on time-dependent deformation: Creep and growth

Observations of irradiation creep strain as well as irradiation growth strain and related microstructures are reviewed and compared to mechanisms for radiation effects on time-dependent deformation. Composition, microstructure, stress, and temperature affect irradiation creep less than thermal creep. Irradiation creep rates can often dominate thermal creep rates, particularly at low temperatures and low stresses. Irradiation creep mechanisms are classified in two general categories: (1) stress-induced preferential absorption and (2) climb glide. In the former, creep results from dislocation climb, whereas in the latter, creep results from dislocation glide. The effects of irradiation creep on failure modes in nuclear environments are discussed. This paper is based on a presentation made in the symposium “Irradiation-Enhanced Materials Science and Engineering” presented as part of the ASM INTERNATIONAL 75th Anniversary celebration at the 1988 World Materials Congress in Chicago, IL, September 2–29, 1988, under the auspices of the Nuclear Materials Committee of TMS-AIME and ASM-MSD.