Effect of Mg and Si on intermetallic formation and fracture behavior of pure aluminum-galvanized carbon-steel joints made by weld-brazing

Abstract

Commercial pure aluminum and galvanized carbon steel were lap-welded using the weld-brazing (WB) technique. Three types of aluminum filler materials (4043, 4047, and 5356) were used for WB. The joint strength and intermetallic compounds at the interface of three series of samples were analyzed and compared. Depending on the Si content, a variety of ternary Al-Fe-Si intermetallic compounds (IMCs) such as Fe₄(Al, Si)₁₃, Fe₂Al₈Si(τ₅), and Fe₂Al₉Si₂ (τ₆) were formed at the interface. Mg element in 5356 filler material cannot contribute to the formation of Al-Fe intermetallic phases due to the positive mixing enthalpy of Mg-Fe. The presence of Mg enhances the hot cracking phenomenon near the Al-Fe intermetallic compound at the interface. Zn coating does not participate in intermetallic formation due to its evaporation during WB. It was concluded that the softening of the base metal in the heat-affected zone rather than the IMCs determines the joint efficiency.

Keywords

weld-brazing / Al-steel / ternary Al-Fe intermetallic / joint efficiency / hot cracking

References

[1] MerkleinM, GieraA, GeigerM. Deep drawing of friction stir welded thin sheet aluminium steel tailored hybrids [J]. Steel Research International, 2005, 76(23): 250-256

[2] KusudaY. Honda develops robotized FSW technology to weld steel and aluminum and applied it to a mass-production vehicle [J]. Industrial Robot: An International Journal, 2013, 40(3): 208-212

[3] LiuX, LanS-h, NiJ. Analysis of process parameters effects on friction stir welding of dissimilar aluminum alloy to advanced high strength steel [J]. Materials & Design, 2014, 59: 50-62

[4] NarsimhacharyD, ShariffS M, PadmanabhamG, BasuA. Influence of wire feed rate on mechanical and microstructure characteristics of aluminum to galvanized steel laser brazed joint [J]. Journal of Manufacturing Processes, 2019, 39: 271-281

[5] FedorovV, ElßnerM, UhligT, WagnerG. Interfacial microstructure and mechanical properties of brazed aluminum/stainless steel-joints [J]. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 2017, 181: 012009

[6] AgudoL, JankN, WagnerJ, WeberS, SchmaranzerC, ArenholzE, BrucknerJ, HacklH, PyzallaA. Investigation of microstructure and mechanical properties of steel-aluminium joints produced by metal arc joining [J]. Steel Research International, 2008, 79(7): 530-535

[7] ÇömezN, DurmuçH. Corrosion behavior and mechanical properties of cold metal transfer welded dissimilar AA7075-AA5754 alloys [J]. Journal of Central South University, 2020, 27(1): 18-26

[8] GatzenM, RadelT, ThomyC, VollertsenF. Wetting behavior of eutectic Al-Si droplets on zinc coated steel substrates [J]. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 2014, 214(1): 123-131

[9] YangJ, LiY L, ZhangH, GuoW, ZhouY. Control of interfacial intermetallic compounds in Fe-Al joining by Zn addition [J]. Materials Science and Engineering A, 2015, 645323-327

[10] BozziS, Helbert-EtterA L, BaudinT, CriquiB, KerbiguetJ G. Intermetallic compounds in Al₆₀₁₆ /IF-steel friction stir spot welds [J]. Materials Science and Engineering A, 2010, 527(1617): 4505-4509

[11] SpringerH, KostkaA, DosS J F, RaabeD. Influence of intermetallic phases and Kirkendall-porosity on the mechanical properties of joints between steel and aluminium alloys [J]. Materials Science and Engineering A, 2011, 528(1314): 4630-4642

[12] QinG-l, JiY, MaH, AoZ-yong. Effect of modified flux on MIG arc brazing-fusion welding of aluminum alloy to steel butt joint [J]. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 2017, 245: 115-121

[13] PouranvariM, AbbasiM. Dissimilar gas tungsten arc weld-brazing of Al/steel using Al-Si filler metal: Microstructure and strengthening mechanisms [J]. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2018, 749: 121-127

[14] BorrisutthekulR, SeangsaiA, PaonilW. GTAW of zinc-coated steel and aluminum alloy [J]. Engineering Journal, 2018, 22(3): 39-49

[15] MilaniA M, PaidarM, KhodabandehA, NateghS. Influence of filler wire and wire feed speed on metallurgical and mechanical properties of MIG welding-brazing of automotive galvanized steel/5754 aluminum alloy in a lap joint configuration [J]. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 2016, 82(9–12): 1495-1506

[16] MohammadpourM, YazdianN, YangG, WangH-p, CarlsonB, KovacevicR. Effect of dual laser beam on dissimilar welding-brazing of aluminum to galvanized steel [J]. Optics & Laser Technology, 2018, 98: 214-228

[17] LinJ, MaN-s, LeiY-p, MurakawaH. Shear strength of CMT brazed lap joints between aluminum and zinc-coated steel [J]. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 2013, 213(8): 1303-1310

[18] ShiY, LiJ, ZhangG, HuangJ-k, GuY-fen. Corrosion behavior of aluminum-steel weld-brazing joint [J]. Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, 2016, 25(5): 1916-1923

[19] SilvayehZ, VallantR, SommitschC, GötzingerB, KarnerW, HartmannM. Influence of filler alloy composition and process parameters on the intermetallic layer thickness in single-sided cold metal transfer welding of aluminum-steel blanks [J]. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 2017, 48(11): 5376-5386

[20] YahiroA, MasuiT, YoshidaT, DoiD. Development of nonferrous clad plate and sheet by warm rolling with different temperature of materials [J]. ISIJ International, 1991, 31(6): 647-654

[21] SongJ L, LinS B, YangC L, FanC L. Effects of Si additions on intermetallic compound layer of aluminum-steel TIG welding-brazing joint [J]. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2009, 488(1): 217-222

[22] LiX-l, ScherfA, HeilmaierM, SteinF. The Alrich part of the Fe-Al phase diagram [J]. Journal of Phase Equilibria and Diffusion, 2016, 37(2): 162-173

[23] GuptaS P. Intermetallic compound formation in Fe-Al-Si ternary system: Part I [J]. Materials Characterization, 2002, 49(4): 269-291

[24] DongH-g, YangL-q, DongC, KouS. Improving arc joining of Al to steel and Al to stainless steel [J]. Materials Science and Engineering A, 2012, 534: 424-435

[25] SuY-c, HuaX-m, WuY-xiong. Influence of alloy elements on microstructure and mechanical property of aluminum-steel lap joint made by gas metal arc welding [J]. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 2014, 214(4): 750-755

[26] ShabadiR, SueryM, DeschampsA. Characterization of joints between aluminum and galvanized steel sheets [J]. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 2013, 44(6): 2672-2682

[27] KahP, RajanR, MartikainenJ, SuorantaR. Investigation of weld defects in friction-stir welding and fusion welding of aluminium alloys [J]. International Journal of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, 2015, 10(1): 1-10

[28] QinG-l, AoZ-y, ChenY, ZhangC, GengP-hao. Formability behavior of Al/steel MIG arc brazed-fusion welded joint [J]. Journal of Materials Processing Technology, 2019, 273: 116255

[29] DuY, SchusterJ C, LiuZ-k, HuR-x, NashP, SunW-h, ZhangW-w, WangJ, ZhangL-j, TangC-y, ZhuZ-j, LiuS, OuyangY-f, ZhangW-q, KrendelsbergerN. A thermodynamic description of the Al-Fe-Si system over the whole composition and temperature ranges via a hybrid approach of CALPHAD and key experiments [J]. Intermetallics, 2008, 16(4): 554-570

[30] RaghavanV. Al-Fe-Si (aluminum-iron-silicon) [J]. Journal of Phase Equilibria and Diffusion, 2009, 30(2): 184-188

[31] Nayeb-HashemiA A, ClarkJ B, SwartzendruberL J. The Fe–Mg (iron-magnesium) system [J]. Bulletin of Alloy Phase Diagrams, 1985, 6(3): 235-238

[32] SenkovO N, MiracleD B. A new thermodynamic parameter to predict formation of solid solution or intermetallic phases in high entropy alloys [J]. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2016, 658603-607

[33] BaleC W, ChartrandP, DegterovS A, ErikssonG, HackK, BenM R, MelançonJ, PeltonA D, PetersenS. FactSage thermochemical software and databases [J]. Calphad, 2002, 26(2): 189-228

[34] MurakamiT, NakataK, TongH-j, UshioM. Dissimilar metal joining of aluminum to steel by MIG arc brazing using flux cored wire [J]. ISIJ International, 2003, 43(10): 1596-1602

[35] BehrensB A, KoschK G. Production of strong steel-aluminum composites by formation of intermetallic phases in compound forging [J]. Steel Research International, 2011, 82(11): 1261-1265

[36] SinghJ, AroraK S, ShuklaD K. Dissimilar MIG-CMT weld-brazing of aluminium to steel: A review [J]. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 2019, 783: 753-764

[37] YuanR, DengS-j, CuiH-c, ChenY, LuF-gui. Interface characterization and mechanical properties of dual beam laser welding-brazing Al/steel dissimilar metals [J]. Journal of Manufacturing Processes, 2019, 40: 37-45

[38] ZhangP-l, ShiH-c, TianY-t, YuZ-s, WuD. Effect of zinc on the fracture behavior of galvanized steel/6061 aluminum alloy by laser brazing [J]. Welding in the World, 2021, 65(1): 13-22

[39] ChenJ, ShalchiA B, ZhangR, RonaB. On the joint formation and interfacial microstructure of cold metal transfer cycle step braze welding of aluminum to steel butt joint [J]. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, 2020, 51(10): 5198-5212