The present work investigates the effects of laser beam power, focus position and advance speed on the geometry, microstructure and mechanical properties of fiber laser beam welded Ti-6Al-2Sn-4Zr-2Mo (denoted as Ti-6242) butt joints used for high temperature applications. Detailed microstructural and mechanical studies were performed on welds produced using optimized parameters (a laser beam power of 5 kW, a focus position of 0.0 mm and an advance speed of 6.2 m/min). The Ti-6242 base material is characterized by a globular (α+β) microstructure. The heat input during laser beam welding led to the formation of a martensitic α’-phase fusion zone. The heat affected zone consisted of globular grains and acicular crystallites. These local transformations were connected with a change in the micro-texture, average grain size and β-phase content. Furthermore, the microhardness increased from 330 HV 0.3 to 450 HV 0.3 due to the martensitic transformation. The mechanical behavior of the laser beam welded Ti-6242 butt joint loaded in tension was determined by the properties of the Ti-6242 base material. The local increase in hardness provided a shielding effect that protected the Ti-6242 butt joint against mechanical damage.
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of 6061 Aluminum Alloy Welded by Fiber Laser Beam Welding
