Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Laser-Welded Joints of Ti-22Al-25Nb/TA15 Dissimilar Titanium Alloys

Laser beam welding (LBW) was applied to join 1-mm-thick dissimilar titanium alloys, Ti-22Al-25Nb (at.%) and TA15, and the microstructure and mechanical properties of the welded joints were systematically analyzed. Defect-free joints were obtained, and the fusion zone mainly consisted of B2 and martensitic α′ phases because of the uneven distribution of the β phase stabilizer and rapid cooling rate of LBW. The phase compositions of the heat-affected zone varied with the different thermal cycles during the welding process. The different microstructures of the dissimilar titanium alloys led to an unsymmetrical hardness profile, with the welded seam exhibiting the lowest value of 271 HV. In room-temperature tensile tests, the fractures all occurred preferentially in the fusion zone. The strengths of the joints were close to those of the base metal but with prominently decreasing ductility. In tensile tests performed at 550 °C, all the joints fractured in the TA15 base metal, and the strength and plasticity of the welds were equivalent to those of the TA15 base metal.