A new physical simulation tool to predict the interface of dissimilar aluminum to steel welds performed by friction melt bonding

doi:10.1016/j.jmst.2019.05.004

Abstract

Abstract:

Optimization of the intermetallic layer thickness and the suppression of interfacial defects are key elements to improve the load bearing capacity of dissimilar joints. However, till date we do not have a systematic tool to investigate the dissimilar joints and the intermetallic properties produced by a welding condition. Friction Melt Bonding (FMB) is a recently developed technique for joining dissimilar metals that also does not exempt to these challenges. The FMB of DP980 and Al6061-T6 was investigated using a new physical simulation tool, based on Gleeble thermo-mechanical simulator, to understand the effect of individual parameter on the intermetallic formation. The proposed method demonstrates its capability in reproducing the intermetallic characteristics, including the thickness of intermetallic bonding layer, the morphology and texture of its constituents (Fe₂Al₅ and Fe₄Al₁₃), as well as their nanohardness and reduced modulus. The advantages of physical simulation tool can enable novel developing routes for the development of dissimilar metal joining processes and facilitate to reach the requiring load bearing capacity of the joints.

Key words: Physical simulation, Interface, Intermetallics, Nanoindentation, Joining

T. Sapanathan, N. Jimenez-Mena, I. Sabirov, M.A. Monclús, J.M. Molina-Aldareguía, P. Xia, L. Zhao, A. Simar. A new physical simulation tool to predict the interface of dissimilar aluminum to steel welds performed by friction melt bonding[J]. J. Mater. Sci. Technol., 2019, 35(9): 2048-2057.

Figures/Tables 11

Table 1 Chemical composition (wt%) of Al alloy and steels used in both FMB and physical simulation.

Alloying elements	Al	Fe	Mn	Si	Cu	Cr	Ni	C	Mg	Ti
AA6061-T6	97.50	0.44	0.05	0.56	0.24	0.19			0.93
DP980 steel	0.02	97.45	1.94	0.21	0.01	0.19		0.16		0.02
S355J2G3C steel	0.03	97.80	1.38	0.22	0.06	0.11	0.02	0.16		0.01

Fig. 1. Schematic representation of the FMB process for the case of an aluminum/steel assembly with a backing (support) plate in lap welding configuration.

Fig. 2. Schematic drawing of the experimental setup developed for physical simulation of FMB process in the Gleeble 3800 thermo-mechanical simulator.

Fig. 3. (a) Thermal cycle recorded by thermocouple during FMB process with different welding speeds. These thermal cycles were exported into physical simulation of the FMB process using the Gleeble system. (b) The holding pressure curves obtained from Gleeble experiments showing that the pressure simultaneously increases with the temperature and closely reaches the set values of 30 MPa and 35 MPa for GB100 and GB200, respectively.

Fig. 4. Comparison of IM bonding layer thickness including the sub-layers of the IM revealing two distinct layers in dark and light grey in the transverse section of the (a) FMB100 sample and (b) physical simulation sample GB100. Morphology on the edge of the IM (aluminum side) showing sharp epitaxial growth for (c) FMB100 and (d) GB100. ① and ② are two different constituent layers of the IM bonding layer further investigated using EBSD phase mapping.

Fig. 5. Comparison of IM bonding layer for the transverse section of the (a) FMB200 sample and (b) physical simulation sample GB200. Morphology of IM constituent layers (dark and light grey) and on the edge of the intermetallic (aluminum side) revealing the epitaxial growth with blunt edges for (c) FMB200 and (d) GB200.① and ② are two different constituent layers of the IM.

Fig. 6. Phase maps obtained from EBSD for samples: (a) FMB100 and (b) GB100. Blue and green represent Fe4Al13 and Fe2Al5, respectively. High angle grain boundaries (misorientation angle >15°) in Fe2Al5 phase are marked with red lines.

Fig. 7. IPF maps obtained along x direction for (a) FMB100 and (b) GB100 samples. Strongly textured, <100 > , IPF maps obtained along y direction for (c) FMB100 and (d) GB100 samples. IPF maps obtained along z direction for (e) FMB100 and (f) GB100 samples. The coordinate system used here is the same as the one used in Fig. 1, Fig. 2.

Fig. 8. Representative load-displacement curves obtained for aluminum alloy, steel, IMC from both FMB and Gleeble samples using a prescribed maximum load of 5 mN.

Fig. 9. Comparison of nanoindentation tests performed in arrays of 22 × 22 (484) points on the FMB100 and GB100 samples. Optical microcopy images showing the arrays of indents in the red box for (a) FMB100 and (b) GB100. Nanohardness distribution maps (in GPa) across the array for the interfaces of (c) FMB100 and (d) GB100 samples.

Fig. 10. Comparison of nanoindentation measurements performed along the parallel lines to the interface on IM bonding layers of the FMB100 and GB100 samples. Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) images of the indents showing (a) the indentation lines 1-4 corresponding to the FMB100 sample and (b) the indentation lines 5-10 corresponding to the GB100 sample. (c) Statistical average values of nanohardness (GPa) and reduced elastic modulus (GPa) along the lines (1-10) at the IM region come from both FMB100 and GB100 samples.

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