Journal of Welding Science

In this research, the effect of temperature and time parameters are investigated on the microstructure and mechanical properties of  dissimilar brazing of 17-4 PH stainless steel and Ti-6Al-4V alloy with BNi-2 filler metal. The microstructure of the joint is evaluated with optical and scanning electron microscopes and the mechanical properties of the joint are also evaluated with tensile-shear and microhardness tests. It can be seen that at a constant temperature of 1050°C, increasing the time from 15 to 30 minutes decreases the shear strength from 34.66 to 29.39 MPa. Formation of brittle intermetallic compounds like NiTi2 and FeTi2 increase strength and promote brittle fracture.At a fixed time of 15 minutes, increasing the temperature from 1050 to 1100 °C causes the strength to increase from 34.66 to 38.46 MPa. Also, the increase in temperature and time increases the ISZ thickness formed in the joints on the side of the filler metal - Ti-6Al-4V from 41.40 to 81.48 microns. The increase in temperature and time also causes more diffusion of boron into the SS-filler joint, which forms various boron compounds and widens this region.

In this study, mechanical properties of the transient liquid phase (TLP) bonds between Hastelloy X to Ni3Al IMC at temperature range of 800 - 900 °C were investigated. The microstructure of the joints was examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy. Also, high temperature XRD (HTXRD) analysis was utilized to investigate the phase changes at different temperatures of half-joints. According to microscopic observations, the joint cross-section consisted of three regions including diffusion affected zone (DAZ), isothermal solidification zone (ISZ), and Athermal solidification zone (ASZ), which increasing temperature and time result in ISZ consisting of nickel-rich solid solution developed across the microstructure. The optimum joint bonding strength was achieved for the sample treated at 1100 °C – 180 min equal to 355 ± 4.5 MPa. The ultimate tensile strength reached 36.5 ± 1 and 20.5 ± 1 MPa at temperatures of 800 °C and 900 °C, respectively. Fracture occurred on the side of the IMC substrates at both test temperatures due to the presence of shrinkage porosity during the solidification stage of IMC and crystal lattice parameters mismatch with the matrix.

316 steel is used in transportation, space, and chemical equipment. This steel is in demand in these industries due to its durability. It is used to increase the lifespan and renovate equipment. The research explores the impact of laser energy density on st6 cladding. It specifically focuses on the microstructure and geometric characteristics of the cladding. The cladding is applied on 316 steel. The experiment was designed with energy density changes from 40 to 116 J/mm and powder rate changes between 12 and 20 g/min. Optical and electron microscopic images were used to evaluate the samples. The results indicated that the dendritic arms grew larger with increased energy density. The dimensions increased from 1.5 to approximately 3. In other words, the speed of cooling is doubled. Increasing energy density from 40 to 75 J/mm reduced cobalt to chromium ratio from 2 to 0.7. It also decreased cobalt to iron ratio from 35 to 3. The changes emphasize how energy density affects microstructure and phase transformations.

In this study, the effects of friction stir welding (FSW) parameters on the properties of dissimilar joints formed between 5083 aluminum alloys and 316L austenitic stainless steel, with a thickness of 4 mm, are investigated. The tool speed is varied in the range of 16 to 25 mm/min, while the tool rotation speed is maintained at a constant value of 250 rpm. To examine the microstructure of different weld regions, both optical and scanning electron microscopes are employed. To assess the mechanical properties, hardness and tensile tests are conducted. The results shows the formation of a composite region characterized by steel reinforcement particles dispersed within an aluminum matrix. At the steel-aluminum interface, a single layer of discontinuous intermetallic composition with a thickness of approximately 2 micrometers is observed. Notably, when the rotation speed is set to 250 rpm and the tool speed is 16 mm/min, a tensile strength of 298 MPa and ductility of 26% (93% of the tensile strength and 50% of the ductility of the 5083 aluminum alloy) are achieved.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of diffusion welding parameters on the microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of the dissimilar joint between AISI 418 stainless steel and Inconel 738 superalloy using Ni interlayer with a thickness of 50 µm. The experiments were performed in a vacuum furnace at three temperatures of 1000, 1050 and 1150 °C for 45, 60, 75 and 90 min under the pressure of 5 MPa.The results show that voids and non-bonded areas are seen in the samples that were bonded at a lower temperature (1000 °C). By increasing the joining temperature from 1000 °C to 1050 °C, all micro discontinuities have disappeared, which shows that the microplastic deformation of roughness has improved. Then, by increasing the temperature to 1150 °C,non-bonded areas are observed in the joint due to the reduction of pressure on the contact surfaces. When pure nickel is used as an interlayer, intermetallic compounds of
γ' [Ni3(Al, Ti)] are formed in the γ matrix phase on the side of Inconel 738 superalloy while compounds of FeNi3 and γ (γFe, Ni) are formed on the side of AISI 418 stainless steel. According to the results of line scan analysis, the slope and penetration of elements in Inconel 738 superalloy is lower than AISI 418 stainless steel , which indicates less penetration in Inconel 738 superalloy. In the sample welded at the temperature of 1050 °C and the time of  90 Min, the penetration value of the nickel interlayer in AISI 418 stainless steel  and Inconel 738 superalloy was 40 µm and 35 µm, respectively. By comparing the maximum hardness, it can be concluded that the joint at the temperature of 1050 °C and the time of 90 Min has a lower maximum hardness than other samples. Therefore, it has better joint characteristics than other samples in terms of intermetallic compounds. The highest value of shear strength was obtained at the temperature of 1050 °C and the time of 90 Min, which is equal to 270 MPa.

The present study focuses on optimizing the mechanical properties and microstructure of laser welding in Haynes 25 (L-605) cobalt-based superalloy. Initially, the influence of laser welding variables such as laser power, pulse frequency, welding speed, and pulse width on the mechanical and metallurgical properties of the weld joints is investigated. By examining the welding variables, the values of G (thermal gradient) and R (cooling rate) are calculated, and their ratio (G/R) and cooling rate (G×R), which predominantly affect the solidification microstructure, are determined. The structural correlation with the mechanical properties resulting from welding is examined.  In this research, it is considered to obtain the welding variables to create a high percentage of the structure in the form of equiaxed dendrite. Microstructural analysis reveals the growth of equiaxed grains and dendritic structures in the weld zone. The high cooling rate in the weld pool leads to dendritic solidification starting from columnar dendrites at the weld walls and ending in equiaxed dendrites at the center of the weld. The microhardness value in the weld zone is HV 328, which is very close to the microhardness of the base material. The tensile strength of the weld samples reaches about 93% to 94% of the base metal tensile strength. Tensile testing of the weld samples indicates a ductile-brittle fracture. Examination of the scanning electron microscope confirms the presence of dimples, intergranular cracks, and microvoids in the fracture zone.

In this research, the transient liquid phase bonding of St52 carbon steel to WC-Co cermet using a copper interlayer with 50 μm thickness was done. For this purpose, samples were jointed to each other at a constant temperature of 1100 ºC and bonding times of 1, 15, 30, and 45 min. The microstructure of the joints was examined using an optical microscope and scanning electron microscope equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. XRD analysis was also used to investigate the effect of bonding on the phase changes of the bonding area. Microhardness and tensile shear tests were also conducted to study the mechanical properties of the samples. Microstructural investigations showed the formation of three different zones including isothermal and athermal solidification zones and DAZ in the WC-Co base material side, which determine the characteristics of the samples. The isothermal solidification zone contained a Fe-rich solid solution and the athermal solidification zone contained a Cu-rich solid solution. η phase was not formed in the DAZ of WC-Co cermet at bonding times of 1 and 15 min. This phase was formed in the DAZ of WC-Co cermet by increasing the bonding time to 30 and 45 min. The microhardness studies showed that all samples had the same trend. Maximum microhardness was 1100 HV which was related to WC-Co base cermet and the lowest microhardness was about 220 HV which was related to steel base metal. Also, the maximum tensile-shear strength of the bonded samples was about 180 MPa for a bonded sample at a bonding time of 15 min, which was due to the increase in the volume fraction of iron-rich solid solution, as well as proper microstructural continuity and the presence of an optimal amount of copper-rich phase in the microstructure.

The dissimilar joint of alumina to copper with active filler metals Ag-Cu-Ti-Sn and Ag-Cu-Ti-Sn-%3.5Zr were done using the induction brazing process at temperatures of 840 and 860 ℃ for 15 minutes. The microstructures of joints were evaluated using optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Vickers hardness test and shear tensile strength test were used to evaluate the mechanical properties. The results of the microstructural studies showed that the Al2O3/Cu joints using Ag-Cu-Ti-Sn and Ag-Cu-Ti-Sn-%3.5Zr fillers contain a reaction layer at the interface between alumina and the filler metal. At the area of the reaction layer with Ag-Cu-Ti-Sn filler metal, two TiO and Cu3Ti3O phases were observed, and also at the reaction layer with Ag-Cu-Ti-Sn-%3.5Zr filler metal, two TiO and ZrO2 phases were observed. The results of the shear strength test showed that due to the greater thickness of the filler metal and the lower thickness of the reaction layer, the joint with the filler metal Ag-Cu-Ti-Sn-%3.5Zr (14 MPa) has a higher shear strength as compared with the joint with filler metal Ag-Cu-Ti- Sn (9 MPa).

Soldering plays a crucial role in the electronics industry, driving the need for constant improvements in physical and mechanical properties and the management of intermetallic compound formation. Research in composite materials aims to achieve a uniform distribution of reinforcing particles within solder matrix to enhance their performance. This study investigates the integration of cobalt microparticles into SAC0307 lead-free soft solder alloy using the accumulative roll bonding (ARB) method. Microstructural analysis confirmed a homogeneous dispersion of cobalt particles within the solder after three ARB passes. Moreover, increasing cobalt content led to a reduction in the size of Cu₆Sn₅ intermetallic compounds, from 9 µm to 5 µm with 1% cobalt by weight. Examination of β-Sn grain morphology revealed the impact of cobalt particles on recovery and recrystallization kinetics in the solder. Mechanical testing indicated a 20% decrease in interlayer strength within composite solder sheets. Tensile tests showed a 28% increase in strength and a 31% decrease in elongation for composite solder alloy containing 1% cobalt. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results revealed minimal change in the melting temperature of composite solder foil.
 

In this research, the influence of friction stir welding parameters (tool traverse speed ranging from 50 to 150 mm/min, and tool rotational speed ranging from 300 to 1100 rpm) was investigated on the microstructure and mechanical properties of AA5052 aluminum/PP-Z30S polypropylene joint. Results showed that joint formation was accompanied by the formation of mechanical locks in the shape of anchor-like aluminum pieces. Decreasing the heat input (either by increasing the tool traverse speed or decreasing the tool rotational speed) resulted in the formation of larger anchors. The results of tensile-shear test showed that increasing the tool traverse speed from 50 to 100 mm/min led to an enhancement in the fracture load (by ~10%), while at higher traverse speeds, the fracture load decreased (from 235 to 181 N) due to the formation of defects and voids at the joint interface. An increase in the tool rotational speed from 300 to 900 rpm resulted in a superior fracture load (by 70%) due to the formation of anchors perpendicular to the polymer surface with greater penetration depth.

In this study, 316L stainless steel and WC-10Co cermet were bonded by transient liquid phase process with BNi-2 interlayers with different thicknesses of 25 and 50 μm. The bonding process was conducted at 1050 °C for 1, 15, and 30 min. After bonding, the microstructure of the joints was examined using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Microhardness and tensile-shear tests were also performed to study the mechanical properties of the bonded samples. Microstructural analyses revealed that the formation mechanism of the solidified region in all samples was isothermal solidification, resulting in an isothermal solidification zone upon bonding. Additionally, the only phase present in the isothermal solidification zone was a nickel-based solid solution. In the diffusion-affected zone of the steel base material, complex borides formed regardless of the interlayer thickness. In the diffusion-affected zone of the WC-Co material, a brittle eta phase formed. Microhardness tests indicated that the maximum hardness in all samples was approximately 1100 Vickers, which was attributed to the presence of hard WC particles in the WC-Co base material. Furthermore, the highest tensile-shear strength, approximately 240 MPa, was observed in the bonded sample for 15 min with 50 μm thickness interlayer.

In this research, the effect of heat input on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the joint of two dissimilar steels D6AC and VCN 200 steel was investigated. For this purpose, the samples were welded with the current intensity of 130, 145 and 160 Ampers by GTAW process and using ER120 SG welding wire with a diameter of 2.4 mm. The metallographic results showed that the microstructure of the weld metal consisted of  lath martensite and acicular ferrite phases, which increased the volume fraction of ferrite from 5 to 32% with the increase of heat input, and the morphology of the ferrite changed from acicular to polygonal ferrite due to the decrease in the cooling rate. The HAZ area microstructure consist of bainite, lath martenrite and ferrite. The highest strength value was obtained in the welded sample with low heat input. With the increase of heat input, the tensile strength has decreased from 1154 to 965 MPa. Also, with the increase of heat input, the impact energy has increased in the welding zone due to the increase of stable phases, and in the HAZ zone due to the growth of the primary austenite grains and the reduction of the grain boundary locking effect. The results of the fracture analysis showed that the fracture occurred in the weld zone with low heat input, brittle fracture, and in the HAZ area, combination of ductil and brittle fracture occurred. With the increase in heat input, dutil fracture occurred in the welding zone and brittle fracture occurred in the HAZ zone due to grain growth.

In this research, copper/silver-silicon carbide Cu-Ag-SiC composite was prepared by the friction stir processing (FSP). For this purpose, nanometer and micrometer SiC particles were used as reinforcing particles. In order to evaluate the microstructural properties, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscope and optical microscope were employed. Evaluation of mechanical properties through microhardness measurement, tensile test and pin on disc test were utilized to evaluate the wear behavior of the composite. The results of X-ray analysis revealed the presence of two phases of CuAg solid solution along with SiC particles, which indicated the formation of Cu-Ag-SiC composite. The addition of nano-particles led to a significant decrease in the intensity of peaks compared to micro-particles. This indicated a decrease in the grain size of the CuAg matrix. Using the FSP in the presence of reinforcing particles and without it led to a decrease in the crystal size and average grain size compared to the sample without FSP. So that the grain size of the sample without FSP and the FSPed sample without reinforcing particles and with nano-reinforcing particles were found to be about 46.3, 19.2 and 3.6 µm, respectively. The wear mechanism in the sample before FSP was adhesive wear due to its soft nature of the matrix, and after FSP in the sample without reinforcing particles, the adhesive wear decreased and due to the addition of silicon carbide micro and nano- particles reinforcement, the wear mechanism in entirely altered to abrasive wear. Overall, it can be stated that the addition of silicon carbide nanoparticles by FSP leads to the fabrication of  Cu-Ag-SiC composite with high mechanical properties.

In this study, the effect of friction stir welding on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Fe-24Ni-4Cr austenitic steel was investigated. For this purpose, a sheet with a thickness of 1 mm was subjected to friction stir welding using a WC-5%Co tool at a traverse speed of 100 mm/min and a tool rotational speed of 450 rpm. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis revealed that this process led to grain refinement and an increase in high-angle grain boundaries in the stir zone, attributed to dynamic recrystallization during welding. Phase maps indicated an increase in the BCC phase fraction in the stir zone compared to the base metal. Given the high strain rate and the presence of stabilizing elements, this phase was primarily strain-induced martensite. Mechanical property assessments showed a significant increase in the tensile strength of the stir zone (450 MPa) compared to the base metal (350 MPa). Moreover, the yield strength of the stir zone (388 MPa) was substantially higher than that of the base metal (145 MPa), which can be attributed to grain refinement, an increase in high-angle grain boundaries, a higher dislocation density, and martensite formation. However, the ductility of the stir zone decreased due to higher stress concentration and dislocation density in this region. These findings suggest that friction stir welding can be an effective method for enhancing the strength and hardness of austenitic steels, but process conditions must be carefully controlled to prevent reductions in toughness and ductility.

Wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is a prominent technique for producing large metallic components due to its high deposition rate. Utilizing austenitic stainless steels in this process not only reduces production costs but also provides greater design freedom. Among these steels, SS310, known as heat-resistant steel in the industry, offers excellent oxidation resistance and high-temperature performance. However, it is highly susceptible to hot cracking during welding and additive manufacturing processes. In this study, the microstructure and mechanical properties of SS310 fabricated using WAAM with Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) and Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) processes were compared. The results revealed that the CMT process, due to its lower heat input, effectively reduces the susceptibility of SS310 to hot cracking compared to the GMAW process. These findings emphasize the importance of selecting an appropriate process to achieve high-quality components and minimize structural defects.

This research looks at how microstructure and mechanical properties change in resistance spot welds of QP980 advanced high-strength steel. It specifically focuses on the effects of zinc coating and how it influences weld nugget formation, mechanical properties, and fracture behavior. The study involved microscopic examinations, mechanical tests, and finite element simulations to determine the thermal history of different weld zones. A key finding was that rapid cooling during the welding process led to the formation of, metastable phases, such as martensite, in both the weld nugget and the heat-affected zone. A finite element model of the welding process was used to simulate heat distribution and analyze the microstructure in various weld regions. This model showed that reaching the peak temperature during four-pulse resistance spot welding is delayed. This delay, along with proper hold times, helps prevent the formation of voids. The simulated thermal history and the rapid heating/cooling conditions effectively predicted the evolution and transformation of the microstructure in different weld areas. It was found that the presence of a zinc coating, and the resulting reduction in electrical contact resistance, delayed the formation of the weld nugget at lower welding currents. However, at higher currents, the primary source of heat generation shifted from contact resistance to bulk resistance within the steel sheet. This led to larger weld nuggets in coated samples compared to uncoated ones. While uncoated samples showed higher weld nugget hardness (512 Vickers) and greater tensile-shear strength (with a maximum load-bearing capacity of 28.1 kN in uncoated samples versus 24 kN in coated samples), coated samples were able to achieve the critical weld nugget size for a change in fracture mode at lower welding currents (9 kA compared to 9.5 kA).