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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Experimental and theoretical studies on transport processes in laser welding: Annual technical progress report, August 1, 1987-July 31, 1988

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:6979914

Vaporization of alloying elements is a serious problem in the laser welding of many important engineering alloys. Since the available mass transfer correlations are not applicable for credible assessment of the rates of transport of vaporized species in the gas phase, the role of gas phase mass transfer in the overall vaporization of alloying elements was examined by conducting several critical experiments. The rates of transport of alloying elements in the weld pool were determined from numerically computed fluid flow fields. Since the weld pool is surrounded by plasma during laser welding, the role of plasma in the vaporization of alloying elements was physically modeled by allowing molten copper drops to vaporize isothermally both in the presence and absence of plasma. The transport of alloying elements in both liquid and gas phases was found to be rapid and the overall vaporization rates were controlled by the plasma influenced intrinsic vaporization of alloying elements at the weld pool surface.

Research Organization:
Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park (USA). Office of Sponsored Programs
DOE Contract Number:
FG02-84ER45158
OSTI ID:
6979914
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/45158-T2; ON: DE88013933
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English