Local Plastic Deformation and Failure Behavior of Nd:YAG Laser Welds in AA5182-O and AA6111-T4

An experimental methodology that quantifies tensile properties and damage accumulation in Nd:YAG laser welds in aluminum sheet metals is presented. Coupons identified as AA5182-O and AA6111-T4, with bead-on-plate and lap welds in various configurations, were quasi-statically strained to fracture in a miniature tensile stage. Two-dimensional strain fields, measured with a state-of-the-art digital image correlation (DIC) algorithm, served as the basis for the calculation of true stress–true strain behavior and the salient tensile properties of the weld materials. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis provided estimates of fracture strength, while ultrasonic microscopy was used to quantify weld porosity and establish a qualitative linkage with observed deformation behavior. Although containing substantial porosity, the AA5182-O all-weld material was found to have greater ductility than the AA6111-T4 material. The nominal strength of the AA5182-O/AA6111-T4 lap welds exceeded that of welds in AA6111-T4/AA5182-O, up to 50 pct strain. This suggests that bimaterial lap-weld strength at large plastic strains is dependent upon the placement of each Al alloy relative to the laser beam. Atomic force microscopy confirmed that fracture consistently occurred along weld/base metal interfaces, irrespective of the alloy type.