A Study of Fusion Zone Microstructures of Arc-Welded Joints Made from Dissimilar Aluminum Alloys

摘要

Arc welding has proven itself to be an economically affordable and efficient method for the joining of a wide variety of aluminum alloy structures that find extensive use in the industries of ground transportation and building construction. Welded joints, having a "T" configuration, in dissimilar aluminum alloys were produced using the semiautomatic arc welding process. In this study, a combination of a non-heat-treatable aluminum-magnesium alloy and a heat-treatable aluminum-magnesium-silicon alloy was successfully welded. Optical microscopy was used to characterize the fusion zone microstructures of the fillet-welded T joints. The intrinsic microstructural features and the development and presence of defects are highlighted.