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Microstructure Refinement After the Addition of Titanium Particles in AZ31 Magnesium Alloy Resistance Spot Welds

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Abstract

Microstructural evolution of AZ31 magnesium alloy welds without and with the addition of titanium powders during resistance spot welding was studied using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The fusion zone of AZ31 magnesium alloy welds could be divided into columnar dendritic zone (CDZ) and equiaxed dendritic zone (EDZ). The well-developed CDZ in the vicinity of the fusion boundary was clearly restricted and the coarse EDZ in the central region was efficiently refined by adding titanium powders into the molten pool, compared with the as-received alloy welds. A microstructural analysis showed that these titanium particles of approximately 8 µm diameter acted as inoculants and promoted the nucleation of α-Mg grains and the formation of equiaxed dendritic grains during resistance spot welding. Tensile-shear testing was applied to evaluate the effect of titanium addition on the mechanical properties of welds. It was found that both strength and ductility of magnesium alloy welds were increased after the titanium addition. A TEM examination showed the existence of an orientation matching relationship between the added Ti particles and Mg matrix, i.e., \( \left[ {0 1\bar{1}0} \right]_{\text{Mg}} // \, \left[ { 1\bar{2} 1\bar{3}} \right]_{\text{Ti}} \,{\text{and}}\,\left( {000 2} \right)_{\text{Mg}} // \, ( 10\bar{1}0)_{\text{Ti}} \) in some grains of Ti polycrystal particles. This local crystallographic matching could promote heterogeneous nucleation of the Mg matrix during welding. The diameter of the added Ti inoculant should be larger than 1.8 µm to make it a potent inoculant.

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Acknowledgments

This research is supported financially by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada in the Framework of Strategic Magnesium Network Program (MagNet) and AUTO21 Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada. L.X. thanks NSERC for a Postgraduate Scholarship. We thank Dr. Julia Huang and Mr. Fred Pearson from Canadian Center for Electron Microscopy, McMaster University for help with preparing TEM films with FIB and TEM observation. Appreciation is also expressed to Dr Xiang Wang, McMaster University, for useful discussions on TEM analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical & Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada

    L. Xiao (PhD Candidate), L. Liu (PhD Candidate), S. Esmaeili (Assistant Professor) & Y. Zhou (Professor)

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  1. L. Xiao
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  2. L. Liu
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  3. S. Esmaeili
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  4. Y. Zhou
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Correspondence to Y. Zhou.

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Manuscript submitted November 23, 2010.

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Xiao, L., Liu, L., Esmaeili, S. et al. Microstructure Refinement After the Addition of Titanium Particles in AZ31 Magnesium Alloy Resistance Spot Welds. Metall Mater Trans A 43, 598–609 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-011-0881-y

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