HAZ Characterization and Mechanical Properties of QP980-DP980 Laser Welded Joints

The QP980-DP980 dissimilar steel joints were fabricated by fiber laser welding. The weld zone (WZ) was fully martensitic structure, and heat-affected zone (HAZ) contained newly-formed martensite and partially tempered martensite (TM) in both steels. The super-critical HAZ of the QP980 side had higher microhardness (~ 549.5 Hv) than that of the WZ due to the finer martensite. A softened zone was present in HAZ of QP980 and DP980, the dropped microhardness of softened zone of the QP980 and DP980 was Δ 21.8 Hv and Δ 40.9 Hv, respectively. Dislocation walls and slip bands were likely formed at the grain boundaries with the increase of strain, leading to the formation of low angle grain boundaries (LAGBs). Dislocation accumulation more easily occurred in the LAGBs than that of the HAGBs, which led to significant dislocation interaction and formation of cracks. The electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) results showed the fraction of LAGBs in sub-critical HAZ of DP980 side was the highest under different deformation conditions during tensile testing, resulting in the failure of joints located at the sub-critical HAZ of DP980 side. The QP980-DP980 dissimilar steel joints presented higher elongation (~ 11.21%) and ultimate tensile strength (~ 1011.53 MPa) than that of DP980-DP980 similar steel joints, because during the tensile process of the QP980-DP980 dissimilar steel joint (~ 8.2% and 991.38 MPa), the strain concentration firstly occurred on the excellent QP980 BM. Moreover, Erichsen cupping tests showed that the dissimilar welded joints had the lowest Erichsen value (~ 5.92 mm) and the peak punch force (~ 28.4 kN) due to the presence of large amount of brittle martensite in WZ and inhomogeneous deformation.

Experimental study of nanoelectroplating steel spot welding structure under impact tensile-shear loading

The tensile shear fracture behavior of solder joints under impact load influences the whole vehicle’s safety substantially. This paper takes the QP980 steel resistance spot welding (RSW) structure as the research object to study the tensile-shear fracture behavior of the RSW structure under tensile-shear loading. The microstructure observation of the welded spot shows that the metallographic structure is the martensite. The porosity defects in the melting zone are the primary defect reflecting the obvious plate-cracks on both sides of the nugget. The paper demonstrates the Vickers hardness test result of the spot-welded zone. According to the test, the micro-hardness distribution result shows that the higher the martensite, the greater the hardness. A softened zone emerges adjacent to the heat-affected zone on the welded base material interface. The quasi-static and dynamic tensile-shear tests on the QP980 steel RSW lap-joint specimens show that the fracture on the BM is adjacent to the welded spot under quasi-static loading but close to the heat-affected zone under dynamic loading. Under dynamic loading, the weld seam and softened zone of the welded spot have a direct influence on the fracture. On the recovered specimen’s fractured section, there are a large number of apparent dimples on the section of the BM under quasi-static loading and the section of the HAZ under dynamic loading with nucleation, growth, and aggregation of cavitation, resulting in ductile fracture.

Particle Erosion Induced Phase Transformation of Different Matrix Microstructures of Powder Bed Fusion Ti-6Al-4V Alloy Flakes

In this study, powder bed fusion Ti-6Al-4V alloy flake was subjected to heat treatment at 800 °C for 4 h for inducing the complete transformation of the α’ phase into the α+β phases. An erosion experiment with 450 µm mean particle diameter of Al2O3 particles at a 90° impact on both the as- powder bed fusion (PBF) Ti-6Al-4V and the 4-h 800 °C heat-treated specimens to clarify the particle erosion-induced phase transformation behavior and its effect on mechanical properties. Particle erosion-induced phase transformation to the α phase was observed on both the as-PBF Ti-6Al-4V and the heat-treated specimens. It brought about a sequential formation from the surface to the bottom: (1) a surface softened zone, (2) a hardened zone, and (3) a hardness stabilization zone. The as-PBF Ti-6Al-4V was positively eroded by erosion particles, decreasing strength and ductility. In the case of the heat-treated specimens, we found decreased strength yet an increased ductility.

Evaluation of Microstructure and Selected Mechanical Properties of Laser Beam Welded S690QL High-Strength Steel

The paper presents results of microstructure and mechanical properties investigation of laser beam welded high-strength steel. Material for test was non-alloyed steel with yield strength of 690 MPa after quenching and tempering in delivery condition. Research carried out on the butt-welded joints shows fine-grain martensitic-bainitic structure of base metal and in the weld. Investigations of mechanical properties revealed the softened zone in HAZ where the hardness decrease without microstructural changes was observed. Moreover, an influence of softened zone and HAZ width on impact strength was observed where the occurrence of lower hardness led to fracture path deviation phenomenon.

Bending Moment Characteristics of Hard Roof before First Breaking of Roof Beam Considering Coal Seam Hardening

The mechanical properties of a coal seam affect the distribution of support pressure. Considering the strain hardening effect of coal seam, the support pressure relationship of three zones—softened, hardened, and elastic—of a coal seam with regard to a hard roof is proposed, and methods to determine an approximate expression for the support pressure of hardened zone of coal seam, the range of hardened zone, and the corresponding peak values of support pressure are provided. The deflection equations of a hard roof under three different support pressure relationships of coal seam before the first breaking were theoretically derived, and all the relevant integration constants were determined. Numerical examples of two cases are provided for calculating the bending moment of a hard roof and the support pressure of a coal seam. The analysis shows that as the working face advances, the maximum support pressure increases, the residual strength of coal seam at coal wall decreases, the overall deflection of roof gradually increases, the maximum bending moment of roof in the front of coal wall increases, and the advanced distance of roof bending moment peak gradually increases. As the depth of softened zone of coal seam increases, the similar conclusion is obtained, and the advanced distance of the roof bending moment peak increases at a relatively fast speed. Because the bending moment peak of hard roof is located near the support pressure peak in the softened zone of coal seam, the depth of softened zone of coal seam significantly affects the advanced distance of the bending moment peak of a roof. The actual advanced fracture distances of hard roof are distributed in a relatively broad range. The results indicate that there is a “large and long” type advanced fracture distance occurring in the actual stope. With the same overlying load and stope parameter conditions, the maximum support pressures of support roof in softened, hardened, and elastic zones considering a hardened coal seam are smaller than those in softened and elastic zones without hardening. However, the plumpness in front of the peak of the former support pressure curve is superior to that of the latter, and both the bending moment peak value and the advanced distance of bending moment peak of the former are higher than those of the latter.

Analytical Study on Microstructure and Mechanical Property in HAZ-Softened Weld Joint with High Heat Input of Low Carbon TMCP Steel

Three types of low-carbon TMCP steels with different strength of the same carbon equivalent were welded by the flux-cupper back for SAW(FCB) method in this work. The microstructure, hardness and tensile strength of the FCB welded joints were studied. Softening phenomenon occurs in the heat affected zone of low-carbon content and low carbon-equivalent TMCP EH36 steel after high heat input welding. The softened zone is mainly depended on the strength of the base metal (BM), which appears on the fine-grain zone and incomplete crystallize zone of BM with relative low strength, and on the coarse grain zone of BM with high strength. The ratio of the tensile strength between each FCB joint and BM is the same of 0.98 as the same carbon and carbon equivalent content of 0.5% and 0.315% of BM, which is almost independent of the strength of BM. The tensile strength of the incomplete crystallize zone depends on the strength of the BM, which results in the improved strength of the whole softened zone with the increasing strength of base metal.

Micro-Shear Properties of Welded Joints of ASTM4130 Steel

The effect of soaking time and temperature of post weld heat treatment on the micro-properties of the welded joints of ASTM4130 steel was investigated by using micro-shear test. The results show that micro-shear test can be adopted to evaluate the mechanical properties of uneven materials such as the welded joint. The micro-strength of the weld, fusion line and base metal is not obviously affected by the soaking time. The width and strength loss of the softened zone slightly decrease with increasing soaking time. The micro-shear strength of the weld firstly decreases and then significantly increases with increasing PWHT temperature. But the BM shows the opposite trend. The width and strength loss of the softened zone are not obviously affected by PWHT temperature. At PWHT temperature of 590 °C, the width of softened zone and the strength loss rate are the largest. In terms of hardness, width and degree of the softened and toughness, 640°C/165min PWHT is preferred.

Influence of Milling on Surface Integrity of Ti-6Al-4V

The present article addresses the influence of milling on the surface integrity of Ti-6Al-4V. Observation of the machined surface from a macroscopic perspective (naked eye) has highlighted anorange peelphenomenon. Under the machined surface no plastically deformed layer or lengthening of the grains were observed. As far as microhardness is concerned, a slightly softened zone was noted under the machined surface. Diffusion of vanadium from phase β to phase α also occurred but without resulting change to the microstructure. Measurement of microhardness and residual stresses showed that the finishing pass predominated over the roughing pass in terms of its influence on surface integrity. The response surface methodology was used in order to highlight those parameters influencing surface integrity. Its application and processing showed that the most influential factor is the nose radius for roughness and the cutting speed for residual stresses.

Behaviour of Dissimilar Friction Welds with the Introduction of Silver Interlayer

The present work discusses about the introduction of silver interlayers in dissimilar friction welding process. Thecharacteristics of silver interlayer influenced friction weld are compared with the silver free dissimilar friction welding process. The parameters which include temperature, heat generated, pressure, friction coefficient and width of the softened zone are derived for the silver enriched welds. These derived parameters are compared with those of the silver free welds. From this comparison it is found that the introduction of silver interlayers decreases heat generation during welding, friction coefficient and produces narrower softened zone regions. And also the width of the softened zone decreases which in turn increases the strength of the weld if the silver interlayer is formed at the bondline. From all the considerations it is concluded that, stable and strong friction welds can be produced by the influence of silver interlayer in dissimilar friction welding.