Double-Pulse Ultrasonic Welding of Carbon-Fiber-Reinforced Polyamide 66 Composite

Ultrasonic welding of thermoplastics is widely applied in automobile and aerospace industries. Increasing the weld area and avoiding thermal decomposition are contradictory factors in improving strength of ultrasonically welded polymers. In this study, relations among the loss modulus of carbon-fiber-reinforced polyamide 66 composite (CF/PA 66), time for obtaining stable weld area, and time for CF/PA 66 decomposition are investigated systematically. Then, a double-pulse ultrasonic welding process (DPUW) is proposed, and the temperature evolutions, morphologies and structures of fractured surfaces, and tensile and fatigue properties of the DPUWed joints are measured and assessed. Experimental results show the optimal welding parameters for DPUW include a weld time of 2.1 s for the first pulse, a cooling time of 12 s, and a weld time of 1.5 s for the second pulse. The DPUW process enlarged the weld area while avoided decomposition of CF/PA 66 under appropriate welding parameters. Compared to the single-pulse welded joint, the peak load, weld area, and endurance limit of the DPUWed joint increased by about 15%, 23% and 59%, respectively. DPUW also decreases the variance in strengths of the joints

Challenges and Advances in Welding and Joining Magnesium Alloy to Steel

Hybrid structures built using Mg/steel are expected to have an increasing impact on the future developments of the manufacturing sector, especially where lightweight structures are required in order to reduce fuel consumption, greenhouse gases and improve efficiency of energy-converting systems. To this end, there is a pressing need for a joining technology to produce effective and low-cost dissimilar Mg/steel joints. Joining of these materials has always been a challenging task for researchers, due to the wide discrepancies in physical properties and lack of metallurgical compatibilities that make the welding process difficult. Based on the existing literature, a successful joint between magnesium alloys and steel can be achieved by inserting an interlayer at the interface or mutual diffusion of alloying elements from the base metal (BM). Thus, intermetallic phases (IMCs) or solid solutions between Mg and the interlayer and also the interlayer and Fe formed at the interface. However, the interfacial bonding achieved and the joints performance depend significantly on the intermediate phase. This paper reviewed the research and progress in the area of joining of Mg alloys to various grades of steel by variety of welding processes, with focus on the techniques used to control the morphology and existence state of intermediate phase and improving the mechanical properties

A comparative study on welding characteristics and mechanical properties of Ti–6Al–4V laser welded joints under the sub-atmospheric pressure and beam oscillation

Sub-atmospheric pressure environment and oscillation laser are both excellent ways to improve welded joint quality. However, the differences in their effects and mechanisms are unclear. Therefore, the differences between sub-atmospheric pressure and oscillating laser in weld formation, porosity suppression and grain size refinement were analyzed in this study. The results revealed that penetration depth of welded joint was increased to 6.09 mm under sub-atmospheric pressure environment while it was decreased to 3.3 mm under oscillation laser. Furthermore, reducing fluctuating vapor pressure and suppressing vortex formation were the main means to improve the keyhole stability and promote the escape of bubbles in a sub-atmospheric pressure environment. The improvement of the oscillating laser in these two aspects was attributed to enlarging keyhole area, shortening escape path and oscillation keyhole absorption. Additionally, the average grain size in the upper weld was reduced from 134.6 μm to 118.6 μm and 114.1 μm under the sub-atmospheric pressure environment and laser oscillation, respectively. The reduction of the temperature gradient led to former grain refinement while the increase of heterogeneous nucleation rate was responsible for latter grain refinement. Correspondingly, the mechanical properties of welded joints were improved. The study offered valuable insights for the application of laser welding with oscillation laser and sub-atmospheric pressure in industrial production

Design Method of Immiscible Dissimilar Welding (Mg/Fe) Based on CALPHAD and Thermodynamic Modelling

Joining dissimilar metals is a major challenge in joining technology; the weldability of immiscible systems is especially challenging. In this study, a design methodology for dissimilar welding is suggested. The Miedema model and Toop model are developed to calculate the thermodynamics of quaternary alloy systems (Mg-Fe-Al-Cu). Finite element modelling (FEM) of temperature fields and the calculation of phase diagrams (CALPHAD) are combined to provide prerequisite information for modelling. As a test subject, laser welded lap configuration joints of AZ31B magnesium alloy and DP590 steel with a copper coating were put into the design scheme. The interfacial elemental diffusion and formation of intermetallics (IMCs) along the interface during the welding process are predicted. This simulation design scheme predicts the interfacial reaction kinetics and identifies whether the intermediate element works or not. The effects of the Cu coating thickness on the weld constitution, interfacial microstructures and mechanical properties were studied. Cu coating promotes the weld formation fostering the metallurgical reaction of the fusion zone (FZ) with the steel brazing interface. The mechanism of interfacial reactions during the welding-brazing process has been clarified. The Vickers hardness distribution across the interface shows that the Cu-IMCs are ductile

Design method of immiscible dissimilar welding (Mg/Fe) based on CALPHAD and thermodynamic modelling

Joining dissimilar metals is a major challenge in joining technology; the weldability of immiscible systems is especially challenging. In this study, a design methodology for dissimilar welding is suggested. The Miedema model and Toop model are developed to calculate the thermodynamics of quaternary alloy systems (Mg-Fe-Al-Cu). Finite element modelling (FEM) of temperature fields and the calculation of phase diagrams (CALPHAD) are combined to provide prerequisite information for modelling. As a test subject, laser welded lap configuration joints of AZ31B magnesium alloy and DP590 steel with a copper coating were put into the design scheme. The interfacial elemental diffusion and formation of intermetallics (IMCs) along the interface during the welding process are predicted. This simulation design scheme predicts the interfacial reaction kinetics and identifies whether the intermediate element works or not. The effects of the Cu coating thickness on the weld constitution, interfacial microstructures and mechanical properties were studied. Cu coating promotes the weld formation fostering the metallurgical reaction of the fusion zone (FZ) with the steel brazing interface. The mechanism of interfacial reactions during the welding-brazing process has been clarified. The Vickers hardness distribution across the interface shows that the Cu-IMCs are ductile.</p

Vacuum brazing ZSCf composite ceramics to TC4 alloy with Ag-Cu filler

Abstract In this study, the carbon fiber reinforced ZrB₂-SiC composite ceramic was joined to Ti6Al4V alloy with Ag-Cu eutectic alloy filler at varied holding time and a fixed temperature of 800℃. Interface microstructure and shear strength of brazing joints were studied. The brazed ZSCf ceramics/AgCu/TC4 alloy is endowed with good metallurgical bondings. A typical interfacial structure of joints brazed for 10 min was found as ZSCf/TiC/Ti₅Si₃/Ag(s,s)/Cu(s,s) + TiC/TiCu/Ti₂Cu/(TiC + TiCu)/TC4 alloy. Increase of holding time did not vary the precipitated phase of the joints but decreased thickness of the Ag(s, s) and Cu(s, s) reaction layer and gradually thickened the Ti-Cu reaction layer near the TC4 side. The formation process of reaction products was discussed in detail. The holding time substantially influenced shear strength of the joints. A maximum shear strength of 39 MPa was reached at a brazing time of 20 min