Experimental and numerical investigation of laser beam-welded Al-Cu-Li joints using micro-mechanical characteristics

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The local tensile mechanical properties of laser beam-welded joints of AA2198 alloy with Al–Si filler wire were experimentally investigated. For this purpose, micro-flat tensile specimens were extracted from the fusion zone and the heat-affected zone. The chemical composition of the filler wire affects the local mechanical properties in the fusion zone, showing an approximately 26% decrease in yield strength from the radiation exposure side to the weld root side. The effect of post–weld heat treatment on the tensile mechanical behavior was additionally investigated for different heat treatment artificial ageing conditions. The maximum yield strength increase was noticed for 48 h of artificial ageing for the weld root side of the fusion zone. Several approximations were proposed to correlate the hardness measurements with the local tensile mechanical properties of the welded joint that allow for a fast assessment of the global tensile mechanical behaviour of the welded joint. To evaluate the effect of (i) artificial ageing and (ii) geometrical imperfections of the weld on the mechanical behavior of the welded joint, finite element analyses were performed, using the local mechanical properties as input to the model. It is shown that the local mechanical properties of the fusion zone play a pivotal role on the strain localization and fracture of the welded joint.
Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Materials Research and Technology
Volume19
Pages (from-to)2431-2446
Number of pages16
ISSN2238-7854
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.07.2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Dr. V. Ventzke for performing EDX analysis and Mr. M. Horstmann and Mr. H. Tek from the Department of Laser Processing and Structural Assessment of Helmholtz Zentrum Hereon for their valuable technical support. This publication was funded by the Open Access Publication Fund of the Leuphana University Lüneburg, which is gratefully acknowledged.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s).

    Research areas

  • Al-Cu-Li alloy, Laser beam welds, Local mechanical properties, Microhardness, Microstructure, Finite element model
  • Engineering