Investigation on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Stud Welded Joints of Cu/304 Austenitic Stainless Steel under Different Welding Voltages

• Published in: Journal of materials engineering and performance 2023, Vol.32 (2), p.613-623
• Main Authors: Zhao, Xilong, Lu, Xinhong, Wang, Kun, He, Feng
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Characterization and Evaluation of Materials; Chemistry and Materials Science; Corrosion and Coatings; Engineering Design; Materials Science; Quality Control; Reliability; Safety and Risk; Technical Article; Tribology
• ISSN: 1059-9495; 1544-1024
• DOI: 10.1007/s11665-022-07123-6

In this study, stud welding of 304 austenitic stainless steel stud–copper plate was carried out at seventeen different welding voltages between 50 and 130 V. The microstructure, mechanical properties, electrical properties and fracture modes of the welded joints were investigated. Optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy spectrometry (EDS) and x-ray diffractometry (XRD) were used to analyze the microstructure of the weld metal. The mechanical properties of the welded joints were examined by tensile and microhardness tests. The fracture pattern was confirmed by SEM after the tensile test. A DC resistance meter is used to test the change in resistance of the weld metal. The results showed that the increase in the welding voltage leads to the increase in the welded joint depth of fusion and tensile load. The elements within the weld metal were not uniformly distributed. The microhardness and resistance values of the weld metal were elevated compared to the copper plate, with an average microhardness value of 339 HV. In brief, the optimum welding voltage was determined to be 105-120 V.