Study on Microstructure and Fatigue Damage Mechanism of 6061 Aluminum Alloy Laser-Metal Inert Gas Hybrid Welding
摘要
6061 aluminum alloy is widely utilized in the automotive, high-speed rail, aerospace, and various other sectors due to its excellent corrosion resistance, weldability, and outstanding formability. In recent years, laser-arc hybrid welding has emerged as a novel technology for aluminum alloy welding, making it essential to investigate the fatigue properties of welded joints. In this paper, 6061 aluminum alloy plate with thickness of 4mm was welded by laser-MIG hybrid welding technology. Optical microscope observations reveal that the upper and lower regions of the hybrid welded joint are influenced by the laser-MIG arc and the single laser, respectively. The energy density and heat input differ between the two, resulting in a smaller equiaxed grain size in the upper part of the weld compared to the lower part. The fatigue limit of the 6061 aluminum alloy welded joint, determined through fatigue testing and S-N curve analysis, is 79.1 MPa for 106 cycles. Under cyclic loading with stress amplitudes (σa) of 95 MPa and 115 MPa, the fatigue crack initiation sites are located in the sub-surface of the specimens, which contain pores. The fatigue fractures under different stress amplitudes show ductile fracture characteristics.