Journal of Welding Science and Technology of Iran

Electron beam welding of 17-4PH steel and Ti6Al4V alloy with copper interlayer

A. Khorram

This study aimed to investigate the effect of electron beam welding parameters on the microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of the dissimilar joint between 17-4PH stainless steel and Ti6Al4V alloy. For this purpose, the welding of these two alloys was performed with an copper interlayer with a thickness of 1 mm. Two different welding speeds of 0.7 and 0.9 m/min with four levels of beam offset (0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mm) from the center of the interlayer towards the steel were used to accomplish the experiments. The results show that by using the copper interlayer with thickness of 1 mm, the cracks caused by the formation of intermetallic compounds are removed from the weld pool. At the interface between the titanium and the weld pool, at the beam offset of 0 and 0.2 mm, a solid solution of copper and TiCu2 intermetallic compounds is formed, while at the beam offset of 0.4 and 0.6 mm, a solid solution of copper and TiCu intermetallic compounds is formed. The weld pool, at the beam offset of 0 and 0.2 mm, consists of TiCr2+TiFe2 intermetallic compounds while at the beam offset of 0.4 and 0.6 mm, solid solution of iron (α-Fe), solid solution of copper and TiCu intermetallic compounds are formed. The highest value of hardness is observed at the interface between the weld pool and the titanium alloy, as well as at the interface between the weld pool and the steel, which is due to the presence of intermetallic compounds with high hardness in these regions. By increasing the welding speed and the beam offset, the hardness value decreases, which is due to the reduction of brittle intermetallic compounds in the joint structure. By increasing the beam offset from 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm at the speed of 0.7 m/min, the shear strength increases from 180 MPa to 210 MPa and at the speed of 0.9 m/min, the shear strength raises from 230 MPa to 250 MPa. The welded sample with the welding speed of 0.9 m/min and the beam offset of 0.6 mm has the highest shear strength equal to 250 MPa. The failure in all samples happened at the interface between the weld pool and the titanium alloy, which shows that the weakest region in the joint is this interface.

Multi-objective optimization of kinematic tool parameters in FSW of Al-7075 and Al-6061 alloys by RSM

A. Behgozin

Optimization of Stir Friction Welding parameters such as linear and rotational speed of the tool can be effective to a large extent in improving welding properties. In this research, welding of two sheets of Aluminum of Al-7075 and Al-6061 were validated based on theoretical relations and numerical simulation. The simulation of the contact characteristics of the workpieces with the tool was done using the contact algorithms available in the Ansys software. From the FEM, rotational and linear speed and diameter of the tool were selected as design variables, and multi object optimization was carried out with genetic algorithm and RSM to reach the lowest tool temperature and residual stress.The parametric analysis of FSW of the threaded and non-threaded tool pins showed that the generated heat has proportional and inverse relation with rotation and linear speed of tool respectively. Tool with a diameter of 20 mm showed minimum residual stress in the workpiece. By increasing welding speed, the temperature curves become more compact and the effect of thread on heat generation was more evident in all cases at lower heat input.

Investigation of microstructure, hardness and intermetallic compound in friction stir welding of AA1050 aluminum alloy to copper

M.R. Khanzadeh

In this research, friction stir welding of aluminum 1050 to copper with variable speed was investigated. For friction stir welding, rotational speeds of 900 and 1200 rpm and traverse speeds of 36, 63, and 125 mm/min were used. In order to check the phases and microstructure, scanning electron microscope analysis, X-ray spectrometry, and hardness testing were used. The disturbance zone included Al2Cu3, Al4Cu9, AlCu4, Al2Cu, and AlCu phases. The results showed that the formation of intermetallic phases and severe plastic deformation in the welding area caused an increase in hardness. The highest hardness value in the stirred area was 97.8 Vickers at a rotation speed of 900 rpm and an advance speed of 36 mm/min.

Control of microstructure and solidification cracks in laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing of high-strength aluminum alloys

M. Sarkari Khorrami

As one of the important pillars of the fourth industrial revolution, metal additive manufacturing (AM) technologies provide a disruptive approach to digital manufacturing. Laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), as one of these technologies, has great potential in producing geometrically complex and high-performance parts. In recent years, the manufacturing of aluminum alloy parts using this technology has attracted much attention. However, their manufacturing still faces some challenging issues. One of the most serious issues encountered in the manufacturing of aluminum alloys, especially high-strength grades, is solidification cracking. In the present investigation, the formation mechanisms of solidification cracking, and the associated effective factors were reviewed. Controlling the solidification microstructure and grain refinement, using the addition of small quantities (<1 wt.%) of micro- or nano-sized particles to the initial alloying powder, was suggested as the most effective method for reducing solidification cracking. These particles act as nucleation sites, prevent grain growth, pin grain boundaries, and with the help of factors that provide constitutional supercooling can effectively minimize solidification cracking. Eventually, effects of various additives in grain refinement and their associated mechanism in reduction of solidification cracks of high-strength aluminum alloys by LPBF is presented.

Modeling of stir zone grain size variation in the friction stir processed Al-2024 according to the FSP parameters

A. Lalpour

In the present study, friction stir processing (FSP) technique was carried out on the AA2024 sheet at different traverse speed (63 to 250 mm/min) and rotation speed (315 to 800 rpm). The temperature and grain size of stirred zone (SZ) were measured and their relationship was analyzed and effect of FSP parameters on the grain size of SZ was determined. Experiment and analytical investigations revealed that SZ grain size complies the exponential temperature-dependent relationship and can be defined the mathematical equation. Calculations indicate that a change in operational variables (rotation and traverse speeds) makes no variation in strain rate, and it is constant.

Microstructure and mechanical properties in dissimilar friction stir welding between aluminum 1050 and 316L stainless steel

T. Saeid

The purpose of this research is to investigate the change of rotational speed and traverse speed on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the joint in friction stir welding of aluminum 1050 and 316L stainless steel. For this purpose, the microstructure, thickness of intermetallic compounds, hardness and tensile test on the joint were investigated. The proper selection of welding parameters leads to the creation of a joint with suitable metallurgical and mechanical properties. In this research, two rotational speeds of 560 and 900 rpm and four traverse speeds of 60, 80, 100 and 125 mm/min were performed. The microstructure consisted of four areas of the base metal, heat affected zone, thermo-mechanical affected zone and stir zone. In all the samples, the stir zone (SZ) contained a recrystallization microstructure with fine equiaxed grains. According to the Energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy results, an IMC layer formed in the joint interface. The hardness of the stir zone in all samples was higher than the aluminum base metal due to the formation of recrystallization fine equiaxed grains and the presence of steel particles. The best sample in terms of mechanical properties, mocrostructure and joint quality was obtained in the conditions of rotation speed of 900 rpm and advance speed of 125 mm/min. The strength was equal to 84 MPa with 77% efficiency.

Investigation of microstructure and mechanical properties of lead free composite solder containing cobalt microparticles produced by accumulative roll bonding

M. movahedi

The miniaturization and compaction trends in electronic equipment and the removal of lead (Pb) element from solder alloys due to environmental considerations have created a great challenge in the field of designing and developing of new solder alloys. Therefore, researchers have recently focused on composite solder alloys using reinforcing particles to improve the reliability of lead-free solders. In this research, SAC0307 solder alloys (99 wt.% Sn, 0.3 wt.% Ag, and 0.7 wt.% Cu) with different percentages of cobalt microparticles were made by the Accumulative Roll Bonding (ARB) method. Then, the effect of the particles on wettability, microstructures and mechanical characteristics of solder alloys was investigated. The lowest contact angle was 23◦in 0.2 wt.% cobalt sample. By adding cobalt to the solder matrix, the size of intermetallic compounds (IMCs), Cu6Sn5 and Ag3Sn, decreased and the percentage of eutectic phases increased. The shape of the interfacial intermetallic compounds changed from scallop to layer shape by adding cobalt, and their average thickness increased about 13-71% in composite samples. The shear strength of solders increased up to 38% by enhancement of cobalt microparticles in the solder alloy containing 0.4 wt.% cobalt; however, shear strength was decreased in the composite solder containing 1 wt.% cobalt due to the agglomeration of microparticles. The shear fracture surfaces showed that the nature of the fracture changed from ductile fracture in the form of elongated dimples to brittle fracture in the form of cleavage with the increase in the percentage of cobalt microparticles. The composite solder alloys containing 0.2-0.4 wt.% Co have the best wettability behavior and tensile shear strength.

Production of polylactic acid/chitosan polymer matrix scaffold reinforced with zinc oxide particles by 3D printing additive/welding manufacturing method and investigating their properties

S. M. Rafiaei

In this paper the production of chitosan and polylactic acid polymer scaffolds containing zinc oxide particles was carried out through the 3D printer method. Zinc oxide particles were processed through combustion synthesis method. According to the XRD results, the produced oxide has a high phase purity, and the evaporation of volatile impurities and the increase of crystallinity happened via performing the calcination process. In the X-ray diffraction pattern of PLA/ZnO/Chitosan, the broad peak in the range of 10-25 degrees indicates the amorphousness of the background polymer, and with the addition of ZnO, sharp and powerful peaks have appeared in the graph. The SEM images of zinc oxide synthesized by combustion method also showed that the size of ZnO nanoparticles is approximately 50 nm, while after the calcination heat treatment, the size of the particles increased greatly and reached an average size of 130-160 nm. Finally, the microscopic images obtained from the surface of scaffolds possessing 10% zinc oxide, 5% chitosan and polylactic acid showed that by optimizing the 3D printer, ZnO particles are uniformly dispersed in PLA/Chitosan polymer field.

Effect of post weld heat treatment on the structure and mechanical properties of explosive welding of austenitic steel 321 - aluminum 1050 - aluminum 5083

Gh. Khalaj

In this research, the effect of post weld heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the three-layer explosion welding joint of austenitic steel 321-aluminum 1050-aluminum 5083 was investigated. The welded samples were heat treated at 250 and 350°C for 10000 seconds. The structure and properties were investigated using optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, microhardness measurement and shear-compressive strength. The results showed that in all conditions, the interface of aluminum 5083-aluminum 1050 was smooth and with complete continuity; However, the interface between stainless steel 321 and aluminum 1050 had a reaction layer with variable and discontinuous thickness. During the heat treatment, the thickness of the interface layer increases according to the diffusion kinetics and reaches 18.6 microns in the maximum value. With the increase of heat treatment temperature, the average concentration of aluminum in the reaction layer of the interface increased from 85% to more than 90%, but the concentration of iron decreased from 10% to less than 5%. Also, shear-compressive strength decreases from 94.6 to 56.7 MPa.

Experimental investigation of the laser coating process of the inconel 718 powder on the H13 steel

M. Safari

In the present research, the coating process of Inconel 718 powder on the H13 steel substrate by direct powder deposition method with the help of 1 KW continuous fiber laser has been investigated. Hence, the effects of process parameters such as laser power, powder feed rate and laser scanning speed on the geometrical characterstics of the clad such as height and width of the clad are examined. In order to perform a comprehensive investigation on the effect of input parameters and their interactions on the height and width of the clad, design of experiment method based on response surface methodology is employed. The results show that the laser scanning speed and powder feed rate are as the important factors affecting the clad height, so that the clad height increases with increasing powder feed rate and decreasing laser scanning rate. Also, it is proved that by increasing the laser power and decreasing the laser scanning speed the width of the clad is increased.

Crack prevention by adjusting aluminum concentration in GTAW cladded AlxCoCrFeNi high entropy alloy

T. Saeid

In this study, gas-tungsten arc welding was used for the cladding of two high entropy alloys of AlCoCrFeNi (Al1) and Al0.7CoCrFeNi (Al0.7) onto plain carbon steel plates. The welding process was carried out at a welding current of 180 A and a welding speed of 1.4 mm/s. The microstructures, craking behavior, phase composition, and hardness of the clads were characterized using various methods, such as optical microscopy (OM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), X-ray diffractometry (XRD) analysis, and microhardness measurements. The results indicated that the Al1 clad had a petal-like structure of the BCC and Cr-rich phases. Both intergranular and transgranular cracks were identified in the Al1 alloy, which were recognized to be solidification cracks. Thermal stress and brittleness of the BCC phase promote cracking of the Al1. On the other hand, in the Al0.7 alloy, in addition to the BCC phase, a new FCC phase was formed with various Widmanstatten and dendritic morphologies in the clad microstructure and the Cr-rich phase was not observed. Furthermore, in this alloy with lower Al content, a crack-free clad was obtained. The crack prevention in the Al0.7 alloy was attributed to a combination of factors, including a decrease in the solidification range, formation of the FCC phase, and reduction in hardness.

Investigating the solidification microstructure of IN625 superalloy cladded by direct laser deposition process on IN713LC

M.R. Borhani

Inconel 713LC super alloy is one of the most widely used high-temperature alloys. Due to the high level of gamma prime phase caused by Ti and Al alloy more than a critical value, this alloy is considered as one of the non-weldable alloys. One of the basic repair methods of this series of superalloys is laser cladding methods. In this research, the IN713LC substrate was reconstructed with Inconel 625 powder by a direct laser deposition system. To characterize, optical and electron microscopy tests, porosity measurement, and XRD were carried out; The results showed that the R (growth rate of the dendrite tip) increases at high speeds of laser cladding; as a result, the G/R (combined solidification point) ratio decreases, and the structure tends towards the coaxial dendritic direction. For this reason, by increasing the speed of laser scanning from 4 to 6 mm/s, the coaxial dendritic structure increases. The hardness measurement results indicate a decrease in the hardness up to the junction area from 430 to 370 Vickers and fluctuations of about 50 Vickers. Due to the high solidification speed, the average distance between the secondary dendritic arm space was 0.8 at the bottom, 1.01 in the middle, and 1.75 micrometers at the top of the sample. Due to the high cooling speed, only carbides and lava phases are formed. Also, the porosity measurement results of the cladding indicate a maximum porosity of 0.1 percent.