Influence of temper condition on microstructure and mechanical properties of semisolid metal processed Al–Si–Mg alloy A356

Abstract

The microstructures and mechanical properties of strontium modified semisolid metal high pressure die cast A356 alloy are presented. The alloy A356-F (as cast) has a globular primary grain structure containing a fine eutectic. Solution treatment results in spheroidisation of the eutectic silicon particles under the T4 and T6 temper conditions. The A356-T5 maintains the fibrous silicon morphology after artificial aging. A356-T4 has better ductility and impact strength than A356-T5 due to its spheroidised silicon morphology. The impact properties of semisolid metal high pressure die cast A356 are controlled mainly by the silicon morphology and alloy strength (hardness), whereas tensile strength is determined by the degree of solid solution coupled with precipitate formation during aging.     

Diode laser brazing of aluminium alloy to steels with aluminium filler metal

Abstract

Diode laser brazing of aluminium alloy (A5052) to interstitial free steel (IF steel) or type 304 stainless steel (SUS304) was conducted using aluminium filler metal (BA4047) with Nocolock flux. The processing parameters of laser power, wire feed rate and travel speed were varied. The strength of lap joints of A5052 on steels was evaluated by tensile shear test. The joint strength of A5052/steels was increased with increasing laser power and reached the maximum strength, more than approximately 80% of the A5052 base metal strength, at a laser power of 1300 W. Voids and incomplete penetration of filler metal were observed at the A5052/braze layer interface when the laser power was below 1100 W. The Fe–Al intermetallic compounds were formed at the steel/braze layer interfaces and grew drastically when the laser power exceeded 1300 W. Superior brazability of A5052/steels was found at brazing conditions corresponding to a temperature of filler metal droplet of 1050–1250 K.     

Influence of GMAW-P current waveforms on heat input and weld bead shape

Abstract

Manufacturers use different, proprietary pulse current programming algorithms in their synergic 'one knob control' pulsed gas metal arc welding (GMAW-P) power supplies. Since the different pulse waveforms produced by these supplies can produce somewhat different welding characteristics, inconsistent results can be obtained when transferring welding procedures between different GMAW-P power supplies. A primary objective of this work was to characterise the differences in welding heat input and weld bead shape that could be produced by the pulsed current waveforms from four different commercial supplies. To eliminate the affects of subtle differences in electrical characteristics and to ensure that the exact shape of all waveforms was fully known, the comparison was also done by simulating the waveforms generated by three of the four power supplies on the fourth supply, which was equipped with waveform programming capability. Then, the four waveforms were used to create 'bead on plate' welds over a range of wire feed speed settings, and corresponding heat inputs were calculated from current and voltage samples recorded by a computer data acquisition system during welding. Welds were also done at the same wire feed speed setting using a constant voltage supply. All welds were then cross-sectioned for penetration and dilution measurements. In general, all of the waveforms produced good metal transfer and weld quality. However, the heat input and beads shapes varied noticeably. The heat inputs for the four pulse waveforms and constant voltage welds differed by as much as 150 J mm^?1 (17% of the maximum heat input) at the highest wire feed speed of 212 mm s^?1. The weld penetration differed by 1 mm (22% of the maximum penetration) at a wire feed speed of 169 mm s^?1 and the dilution differed a maximum value of 6.5% dilution (22% of the maximum dilution) at a wire feed speed of 169 mm s^?1 .     

Microstructures of gas metal arc weld metal of 950 MPa class steel

Abstract

The effects of shielding gas composition on the properties and microstructure of single pass weld metals produced by GMA (gas metal arc) groove welding of 950 MPa class steel plates have been investigated. The shielding gas employed was a mixture of argon (Ar) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) (0–25%), and the weld heat input was ～3 kJ mm. With increasing CO₂ content, the hardness of the weld metal decreased from 380 HV to 280 HV, and the absorbed energy of the Charpy impact test decreased from 130 J to 90 J. The microstructures of the weld metal, consisting primarily of low carbon martensite and carbide free bainite, became more bainitic as the CO₂ content of the shielding gas was increased. It was also found that the MA constituent, embrittling microstructure, was formed in the granular bainitic area, the volume fraction of which increased with the CO₂ content of the shielding gas.     

Charpy toughness and microstructure of vibrated weld metal

Abstract

Vibration during welding can be used to obtain certain changes in mechanical properties of weld metal. Research work on the influence of vibration on the secondary microstructure of welds and hence on the Charpy toughness was performed. Vibration during welding exhibits positive effects on the microstructure constituent formation. Multipass welding was simulated with reheating of the original single pass weld in order to obtain similar microstructure to multipass welds. Microstructures were examined with an optical microscope. Additionally, fractographic examination of the rupture of Charpy specimens was performed. Changes in the microstructure according to vibration were observed which affect toughness of the weld metal. Vibration during welding was rated more effective in the case of reheating the weld metal, which is the case in multipass welding.     

In situ observation of morphological development for acicular ferrite in weld metal

Abstract

Acicular ferrite is regarded as the most desirable microstructural feature, in view of strength and toughness, in mild and low alloy steel weld metals. Recent evolution and diversity of mechanical property for base metal demand the same property as the weld. Therefore, understanding of the formation mechanism for acicular ferrite microstructure in weld is one of the essential problems for low alloy steel weld. In the present work, the morphological development of acicular ferrite in situ, was observed during weld cooling. The sample designed to form acicular ferrite microstructure was schematically heated and cooled by infrared imaging furnace and the morphological developments were directly observed using laser scanning conforcal microscopy. The nucleation and growing at inclusion, sympathetic nucleation and impingement event of acicular ferrite were directly shown in high time resolution.     

Thermal and metal transfer behaviours in pulsed current gas metal arc weld deposition of Al–Mg alloy

Abstract

The control of pulsed current gas metal arc (GMA) welding is highly critical owing to the simultaneous influence of the pulse parameters on thermal and metal transfer behaviours of the process. An analytical model has been developed to provide a theoretical understanding of the influence of pulse parameters on the behaviour of metal transfer and thermal characteristics in pulsed current GMA welding using Al–Mg filler wire. The variations in thermal and metal transfer behaviours with changes in pulse parameters have been satisfactorily analysed considering a summarised influence of pulse parameters defined by a dimensionless factor &phis; = (I _b/I _p)ft _b, proposed previously. A large number of process parameters have been considered, as a result of using four different GMA welding power sources. The hypothesis has been verified using some previously reported experimental results. The theoretical model may be useful in the control of pulse parameters to achieve desired behaviours of thermal and metal transfer under different conditions of weld fabrication, thereby facilitating more universal application of GMA welding.     

Impact toughness of 316 stainless steel weld metal on elevated temperatures aging

Abstract

Shielded metal arc welding electrodes of a modified E316-15 austenitic stainless steel, for service at 673–823 K with delta ferrite in the range of 3–7 ferrite number, have been developed indigenously for welding of 316L(N) stainless steel structural materials for the Indian Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor. Delta ferrite content in weld metals for high temperature service is restricted for limiting the formation of embrittling secondary phases during service. To study the effect of high temperature exposure on microstructure and mechanical properties, the 316 weld metal was aged at three different temperatures of 923, 973 and 1023 K, for various durations up to 500 h. The activation energy for the transformation of delta ferrite has been estimated to analyse the mechanism associated with the micro structural changes that led to the deterioration in toughness on elevated temperature aging of this weld metal.     

Synthesis of novel composite materials via the deposition of precious metals onto protonated titanate (TiO2) nanotubes

Abstract

Methods for the deposition of precious metals (Au, Pt, Pd and ruthenium hydrated oxide) onto the surface of nanotubular titanates are considered. Viable techniques include preliminary ion exchange of precious metal cations onto the nanotubes followed by chemical, electrochemical or photochemical reduction to the metal. The morphology and size of the metal nanoparticles ranged from spheroidal particles of a few nanometres to larger, rod like particles. The deposits, which were densely loaded onto the surface and were uniformly distributed, had a high surface area and good chemical stability. The size of metal nanoparticles ranged from 1 to 50 nm.     

Effect of shielding gas composition on low temperature toughness of Al5083–O gas metal arc welds

Abstract

There is an ever increasing range of shielding gases, which vary from the pure gases to complex mixtures based on argon, helium, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. The commercially available gas mixtures should be considered in terms of their suitability for ensuring arc and metal transfer stability, performance, and weld quality. The objective of the present paper is to study the toughness of Al5083–O aluminium alloy, to evaluate the variation of welding zone toughness as a function of the shielding gas composition and the testing temperature. To achieve these objectives, gas metal arc welding was performed with four different shielding gas compositions (100%Ar?0%He, 67%Ar+33%He, 50%Ar?50%He, and 33%Ar+67%He), and tests were carried out at four different temperatures, namely,+25°C (+77°F), ?30°C (?22°F), ?85°C (?121°F), and ?196°C (?321°F). The welding zone was divided into four subzones for analysis, namely, weld metal, fusion line, heat affected zone, and base metal according to the notch position. Tensile and yield strengths did not show a great effect of testing temperature at +25°C to ?85°C, but increased greatly at ?196°C. Also, strain tended to increase as test temperature decreased. Shielding gas composition does not have a great influence on mechanical properties. The size and number of defects were least in the 33%Ar?67%He mixture. This shows that the higher the helium gas content, the lower the number of defects detected via radiographic inspection. In the impact test, the maximum load was lowest in the weld metal and highest in the base metal at room temperature, and the maximum load and displacement were higher and lower respectively at ?196°C than those at other test temperatures, showing that the lower the test temperature, the higher the maximum load, without any special features related to the phase composition being observed in the load–deflection response. The absorbed energy of the weld metal notched specimens did not depend significantly on test temperature and shielding gas mixture. Conversely, the other specimens showed that as temperature was decreased, absorption energy increased slightly up to a maximum at ?85°C, but then decreased markedly at ?196°C.