Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Al/Steel Butt Joint by Hybrid CMT Welding with External Axial Magnetic Field.

The 6061 aluminum alloy and 304 stainless steel were welded by hybrid cold metal transfer (CMT) welding with external axial magnetic field. The effects of magnetic intensity and frequency on joint microstructure and mechanical properties were studied. It was found that the magnetic field can promote the spreading of aluminum weld metal on the steel surface and thus increase the bonding area of Al/steel butt joint. The welding process stability improved, while the wetting behavior worsened with the introduction of alternating frequencies. The thickness of the intermetallic compound (IMC) layer at Al/steel interface was reduced to 3 µm with the coil current of 2 A. The application of the magnetic field promoted the aggregation of Si atoms at the interface and inhibited the formation of brittle (Al, Si)13Fe4 phase. The fracture paths were transformed from (Al, Si)13Fe4 layer to Al8Fe2Si layer with the application of the magnetic field. The maximum tensile strength reached 130.2 MPa, an increase of 61.6% in comparison to the normal CMT process.

Weld Formation Mechanism and Microstructural Evolution of TC4/304 Stainless Steel Joint with Cu-Based Filler Wire and Preheating.

Ti-Fe intermetallic compounds were effectively suppressed with Cu-based filler wire and weld formation was greatly improved with the preheating of substrates when joining TC4 titanium alloy and 304 stainless steel. A Ti/Cu transition zone consisting of complex TiCu, Ti2Cu3, TiFe, and TiFe2 phases was formed between Cu-weld/TC4 interface, while Cu-weld/304ss interface was mainly composed of α-Fe and ε-Cu solid solution. At lower heat input, the undercut defect in back surface had potential to cause crack initiation and joint fracture. Though increasing heat input would improve weld morphology, the formation of thick interfacial reaction layer and weld cracking led to low weld quality and joint strength. The preheating of substrates had an obvious effect on wetting ability of liquid filler metal and could achieve a better weld quality at lower heat input. The back formation of weld was improved to decrease the occurrence of weld defects. The highest tensile strength of 365 MPa occurred at welding heat input of 0.483 kJ/cm, increasing by 47% compared to the joint without preheating. The interfacial reaction mechanism was discussed to reveal the relationship between microstructural characteristics and fracture behavior of Ti/steel welded joints with Cu-based filler wire.