Solidification Cracking Restraining Mechanism of Al-Cu-Mg-Zn Alloy Welds Using Cold Metal Transfer Technique
Zhuoxin Li, Lingshan Ou, Yipeng Wang, Hong Li, M. Bober, J. Senkara, Yu Zhang
Abstract
Aluminum alloy 7075 (with 7055 and 7150 filler wires) was welded using a digital welding machine that can switch arc mode between MIG, CMT and CMT+P modes. The transverse-motion weldability test of joints welded under different arc modes showed that the solidification cracking susceptibility was lower in CMT-technique-based welds than in MIG welds. The temperature cycle of the welding pool under different arc modes was recorded using mini-thermocouples, which showed that the cooling rate was lower in CMT welded samples than in MIG welded samples. The low cooling rate promoted the growth of α-Al dendrites through the back diffusion effect. Electron probe micro-analysis showed that micro-segregation of the α-Al dendrites was lower in the CMT welded samples than in the MIG welded samples. The T-(fAl)1/2 curve of each weld was calculated, which showed that CMT-based welding enhanced the bridging of adjacent α-Al dendrites, reducing the tendency for solidification cracking.