Liquid metal embrittlement in solid-state welding of Mg/galvanized steel

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Authors

  • Ting Chen
  • Hao Wang
  • Banglong Fu
  • Chunjie Huang
  • Tong Shen
  • Uceu F.H.R. Suhuddin
  • Emad Maawad
  • Thomas Klassen
  • Guoliang Qin
  • Benjamin Klusemann

The phenomenon of liquid metal embrittlement (LME) poses safety concerns for welded joints in the manufacturing field. In present study, LME was observed in refill friction stir spot welding (refill FSSW) of dissimilar magnesium (Mg) to galvanized steel. This marks the first reported proof of evidence of LME in the field of solid-state welding. Microstructural characterization of cracks formed during the welding process revealed typical characteristics of LME, specifically the penetration and enrichment of Zn at the Mg alloy grain boundaries and the formation of a liquefied phase. Tensile tests of Zn-coated Mg alloy were conducted at elevated temperatures to validate the LME phenomenon in refill FSSW and to identify the temperature range in which LME occurs. Based on these observations, a mechanism of LME formation for the Mg-Zn system in refill FSSW is proposed. Additionally, strategies to prevent LME are suggested and experimentally validated.

Original languageEnglish
JournalMaterials Research Letters
Volume13
Issue number7
Pages (from-to)785-792
Number of pages8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

    Research areas

  • Liquid metal embrittlement, Mg alloys, refill friction stir spot welding, solid-state welding, Zn
  • Engineering