Convection and joint characteristics in aluminum alloy melting zone during resistance spot welding of dissimilar Fe-Al material in external magnetic field

船引 雄太*; 伊與田 宗慶*; 菖蒲 敬久; 松田 朋己*; 林 雄二郎*; 佐野 智一*; 他8名*

Journal of Manufacturing Processes, 115, p.40 - 55, 2024/04

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmapro.2024.01.049

In resistance spot welding (RSW) of Fe and Al alloy, an intermetallic compound (IMC) is formed at the joining interface, and it is known that the joining strength of the joint decreases as the IMC becomes thicker. In this study, the convection behavior in the Al alloy melting zone of an Fe-Al alloy RSW was varied and the effect on the joint characteristics was investigated. For this study, focusing on the electromagnetic force generated in the Al alloy melting zone, the convection behavior in the Al alloy melting zone was changed by adding an external magnetic field using neodymium magnets. In-situ evaluation of the convection behavior using synchrotron radiation and cross-sectional macro-observation of the joint revealed that the addition of an external magnetic field causes a non-axisymmetric change in the convection behavior in the Al alloy melting zone, which results in the deflection of the Al alloy melting zone. The addition of an external magnetic field increases the driving force of convection and homogenizes the temperature field at the joining interface, suggesting that the IMC near the center is formed thin and uniform. Furthermore, from the cross tension test and the observation of the fracture surface of the joint after the test, it was clarified that the CTS of the joint with an external magnetic field was improved by the propagation of cracks into the Al alloy melting zone during the test.