Mechanical properties of laser welded aluminum alloys
- Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL (United States)
- Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)
The demand for lighter weight vehicles has prompted accelerated development in processing aluminum alloys for automobile structural applications. One of the current research initiatives centers on laser beam welding of aluminum alloys. Autogenous butt welds have been performed on Al 3003, 5754, 6111, and 6061-T6 plates with a 6 kW CO2 laser. For 6061, tensile data indicate about 60% of the base metal strength was attained in the as-welded condition, with a brittle fracture occurring through the weld. A post-weld heat treatment to the T6 condition resulted in a recovery of original ultimate tensile strengths, although these also failed in the weld. Hardness measurements of the post-weld T6 reveal a uniform hardness across the HAZ and fusion zone that is comparable to the original hardness. All 3003 welds fractured in the parent material in a ductile fashion. A high quality bead was consistently achieved with the 3003 alloy, whereas the other alloys demonstrated bead irregularities. SEM photographs reveal large, spherical pores, suggesting that they were formed by gas entrapment rather than by shrinkage.
- OSTI ID:
- 535592
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961073--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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