Abstract
AA6061-T6 and AA7075-T6 aluminium metals are broadly used in structural and aerospace sectors due to their exceptional features, but fusion welding causes thermal cracks, high residual stresses, and coarse grains, weakening joints. To solve these issues, pulsed tungsten inert gas (P-TIG) welding was used to improve the grain structure and mechanical features of the dissimilar joints. In this investigation, four peak currents (110, 120, 165, and 175 A) and four pulse frequencies (4, 8, 12, and 16 Hz) with constant base current, pulse on time, and argon flow rate were utilized, and the microstructural features were investigated and correlated with the joint’s mechanical properties. The welded sample P4 developed a void-free joint with the maximum tensile strength (~ 201 MPa), elongation (~ 17%), microhardness (~ 101 HV), and compressive residual stresses (~ 76 MPa) compared to other welded samples. Microstructural evolutions revealed that, as the pulse current and frequencies increased, the grain refinement and grain boundary transformations across the FZ became more pronounced, and the segregation of alloying elements was lower. Specifically, for welded samples P4, the average grain size decreased to 21 μm, and the grain boundary transformations reached 73.32%. Moreover, the orientation density value of the welded joints was much lower than that of the base metals, suggesting that the texture was greatly reduced after welding, which further reduced the anisotropy of the mechanical properties.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the OIM & Texture Lab, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, for facilitating the EBSD characterization and the Precision Manufacturing Lab, Delhi Technological University, Delhi, for assisting with the residual stress characterization of the welded samples.
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MSBR worked in investigation, conceptualization, methodology, data curation, carried out the experiments, and writing—original draft. ANS helped in reviewing and editing and supervision. HM contributed to reviewing and editing. QM helped in formal analysis and visualization.
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Reyaz, M.S.B., Sinha, A.N., Mehdi, H. et al. Effect of Pulsed TIG Welding Parameters on the Microstructural Evolution and Mechanical Properties of Dissimilar AA6061-T6 and AA7075-T6 Weldments. Arab J Sci Eng 49, 10891–10911 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-023-08563-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-023-08563-5