2/27/2017 WeldabilityofmaterialsaluminiumalloysJobKnowledge21

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Aluminiumalloys
Weldabilityofmaterials
JobKnowledge21
Aluminiumanditsalloysareusedinfabricationsbecauseoftheirlowweight,goodcorrosionresistanceand
weldability.Althoughnormallylowstrength,someofthemorecomplexalloyscanhavemechanicalproperties
equivalenttosteels.Thevarioustypesofaluminiumalloyareidentifiedandguidanceisgivenonfabricating
componentswithoutimpairingcorrosionandmechanicalpropertiesofthematerialorintroducingimperfectionsinto
theweld.

Materialtypes
Aspurealuminiumisrelativelysoft,smallamountsofalloyingelementsare
addedtoproducearangeofmechanicalproperties.Thealloysaregrouped
accordingtotheprincipalalloyingelements,specificcommercialalloyshavea
fourdigitdesignationaccordingtotheinternationalspecificationsforwrought
alloysortheISOalphanumericsystem.

Thealloyscanbefurtherclassifiedaccordingtothemeansbywhichthe
alloyingelementsdevelopmechanicalproperties,nonheattreatableorheat
treatablealloys.

Nonheattreatablealloys
Materialstrengthdependsontheeffectofworkhardeningandsolidsolutionhardeningofalloyelementssuchas
magnesium,andmanganesethealloyingelementsaremainlyfoundinthe1xxx,3xxxand5xxxseriesofalloys.
Whenwelded,thesealloysmaylosetheeffectsofworkhardeningwhichresultsinsofteningoftheHAZadjacentto
theweld.

Heattreatablealloys
Materialhardnessandstrengthdependonalloycompositionandheattreatment(solutionheattreatmentand
quenchingfollowedbyeithernaturalorartificialageingproducesafinedispersionofthealloyingconstituents).
Principalalloyingelementsaredefinedinthe2xxx,6xxxand7xxxseries.Fusionweldingredistributesthehardening
constituentsintheHAZwhichlocallyreducesmaterialstrength.

Processes
Mostofthewroughtgradesinthe1xxx,3xxx,5xxx,6xxxandmediumstrength7xxx(e.g.7020)seriescanbefusion
weldedusingTIG,MIGandoxyfuelprocesses.The5xxxseriesalloys,inparticular,haveexcellentweldability.High
strengthalloys(e.g.7010and7050)andmostofthe2xxxseriesarenotrecommendedforfusionweldingbecause
theyarepronetoliquationandsolidificationcracking.

ThetechniqueofFrictionStirWeldingisparticularlysuitedtoaluminiumalloys.Itiscapableofproducingsoundwelds
inmanyalloys,includingthoseheattreatablealloyswhicharepronetohotcrackingduringfusionwelding.

Filleralloys
Fillermetalcompositionisdeterminedby:

weldabilityoftheparentmetal
minimummechanicalpropertiesoftheweldmetal
corrosionresistance
anodiccoatingrequirements

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Nominallymatchingfillermetalsareoftenemployedfornonheattreatablealloys.However,foralloyleanmaterials
andheattreatablealloys,nonmatchingfillersareusedtopreventsolidificationcracking.

ThechoiceoffillermetalcompositionforthevariousweldablealloysisspecifiedinBSEN1011Pt4:2000forTIGand
MIGweldingrecommendedfillermetalcompositionsforthemorecommonlyusedalloysaregivenintheTable.

AlloyDesignation ChemicalDesignation Classification Filler Application

ENAW1080A ENAWAl99.8(A) NHT R1080A Chemicalplant
ENAW3103 ENAWAlMn1 NHT R3103 Buildings,heatexchangers
ENAW4043A ENAWAlSi5(A) Fillerwire/rod
ENAW5083 ENAWAlMg4.5Mn0.7 NHT R5556A Ships,railwagons,bridges
ENAW5251 ENAWAlMg2Mn0.3 NHT R5356 Roadvehicles,marine
ENAW5356 ENAWAlMg5Cr(A) Fillerwire/rod
ENAW5556A ENAWAlMg5Mn Filerwire/rod
R4043A
ENAW6061 ENAWAlMg1SiCu HT Structural,pipes
R5356
ENAW7020 ENAWAlZn4.5Mg1 HT R5556A Structural,transport
HT=Heattreatable,NHT=NonHeattreatable
Imperfectionsinwelds
Aluminiumanditsalloyscanbereadilyweldedprovidingappropriateprecautionsaretaken.Themostlikely
imperfectionsinfusionweldsare:

porosity
cracking
poorweldbeadprofile

Porosity
PorosityisoftenregardedasaninherentfeatureofMIGweldstypical
appearanceoffinelydistributedporosityinaTIGweldisshowninthe
photograph.Themaincauseofporosityisabsorptionofhydrogeninthe
weldpoolwhichformsdiscreteporesinthesolidifyingweldmetal.The
mostcommonsourcesofhydrogenarehydrocarbonsandmoisturefrom
contaminantsontheparentmaterialandfillerwiresurfaces,andwater
vapourfromtheshieldinggasatmosphere.Eventracelevelsofhydrogen
mayexceedthethresholdconcentrationrequiredtonucleatebubblesintheweldpool,aluminiumbeingoneofthe
metalsmostsusceptibletoporosity.

Tominimisetherisk,rigorouscleaningofmaterialsurfaceandfillerwireshouldbecarriedout.Threecleaning
techniquesaresuitablemechanicalcleaning,solventdegreasingandchemicaletchcleaning.

Ingasshieldedwelding,airentrainmentshouldbeavoidedbymakingsurethereisanefficientgasshieldandthearc
isprotectedfromdraughts.Precautionsshouldalsobetakentoavoidwatervapourpickupfromgaslinesandwelding
equipmentitisrecommendedthattheweldingsystemispurgedforaboutanhourbeforeuse.

Mechanicalcleaning

Wirebrushing(stainlesssteelbristles),scrapingorfilingcanbeusedtoremovesurfaceoxideandcontaminants.
Degreasingshouldbecarriedoutbeforemechanicalcleaning.

Solvents

Dipping,sprayingorwipingwithorganicsolventscanbeusedtoremovegrease,oil,dirtandlooseparticles.

Chemicaletching

Asolutionof5%sodiumhydroxidecanbeusedforbatchcleaningbutthisshouldbefollowedbyrinsinginHNO3and
watertoremovereactionproductsonthesurface.

Solidificationcracks
Crackingoccursinaluminiumalloysbecauseofhighstressesgeneratedacrosstheweldduetothehighthermal
expansion(twicethatofsteel)andthesubstantialcontractiononsolidificationtypically5%morethaninequivalent

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steelwelds.

Solidificationcracksforminthecentreoftheweld,usuallyextendingalongthe
centrelineduringsolidification.Solidificationcracksalsooccurintheweldcrateratthe
endoftheweldingoperation.Themaincausesofsolidificationcracksareasfollows:

incorrectfillerwire/parentmetalcombination
incorrectweldgeometry
weldingunderhighrestraintconditions

Thecrackingriskcanbereducedbyusinganonmatching,crackresistantfiller(usuallyfromthe4xxxand5xxx
seriesalloys).Thedisadvantageisthattheresultingweldmetalmayhavealowerstrengththantheparentmetaland
notrespondtoasubsequentheattreatment.Theweldbeadmustbethickenoughtowithstandcontractionstresses.
Also,thedegreeofrestraintontheweldcanbeminimisedbyusingcorrectedgepreparation,accuratejointsetup
andcorrectweldsequence.

Liquationcracking
LiquationcrackingoccursintheHAZ,whenlowmeltingpointfilmsare
formedatthegrainboundaries.Thesecannotwithstandthecontraction
stressesgeneratedwhentheweldmetalsolidifiesandcools.Heat
treatablealloys,particularly6xxxand7xxxseriesalloys,aremore
susceptibletothistypeofcracking.

Theriskcanbereducedbyusingafillermetalwithalowermelting
temperaturethantheparentmetal,forexamplethe6xxxseriesalloys
areweldedwitha4xxxfillermetal.However,4xxxfillermetalshouldnot
beusedtoweldhighmagnesiumalloys(suchas5083)asexcessive
magnesiumsilicidemayformatthefusionboundarydecreasingductility
andincreasingcracksensitivity.

Poorweldbeadprofile
Incorrectweldingparametersettingsorpoorweldertechniquecanintroduceweldprofileimperfectionssuchaslackof
fusion,lackofpenetrationandundercut.Thehighthermalconductivityofaluminiumandtherapidlysolidifyingweld
poolmakethesealloysparticularlysusceptibletoprofileimperfections.

ThisJobKnowledgearticlewasoriginallypublishedinConnect,October1996.Ithasbeenupdatedsothewebpage
nolongerreflectsexactlytheprintedversion.

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