Microstructure and mechanical properties of Ti/Al dissimilar joints produced by laser-MIG welding–brazing

Abstract

We butt-welded AA6061 aluminum alloy to Ti6Al4V titanium alloy, dissimilar light metals, by using laser-MIG hybrid welding–brazing without grooves. The parameters of the laser and arc were optimized to produce sound joints with good formation and mechanical properties. The microstructure of the layer of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy. We also tested the tensile strength of the joints with and without reinforcement. The morphology and thickness of the IMCs varied throughout the joints. A continuous thin layer of TiAl3 appeared on the top surface of the Ti6Al4V, on which some rod-like IMCs grew toward the fusion zone. In the upper region of the butt plane, because more heat accumulated there from the high-power laser coupled with the MIG arc, double-layer IMCs with a thickness of [Formula: see text]10.0 [Formula: see text]m formed, composed of TiAl (near the Ti alloy) and TiAl3 (near the fusion zone). In the lower region of the butt plane, the double-layer IMCs became continuous and uniform, the serrated morphology disappeared, and the thickness of the IMC layer decreased to 4.0 [Formula: see text]m. On the backside of the joint, the thickness of the compound layer (TiAl3) was about 1.0 [Formula: see text]m. The average tensile strengths of the reinforced and unreinforced joints were 226 MPa and 210 MPa, respectively, which are up to 88% and 81% of the AA6061 tensile strength, respectively.