A Review on Laser-Assisted Joining of Aluminium Alloys to Other Metals

Abstract

Modern industry requires different advanced metallic alloys with specific properties since conventional steels cannot cover all requirements. Aluminium alloys are becoming more popular, due to their low weight, high corrosion resistance, and relatively high strength. They possess respectable electrical conductivity, and their application extends to the energy sector. There is a high demand in joining aluminium alloys with other metals, such as steels, copper, and titanium. The joining of two or more metals is challenging, due to formation of the intermetallic compound (IMC) layer with excessive brittleness. High differences in the thermophysical properties cause distortions, cracking, improper dilution, and numerous weld imperfections, having an adverse effect on strength. Laser beam as a high concentration energy source is an alternative welding method for highly conductive metals, with significant improvement in productivity, compared to conventional joining processes. It may provide lower heat input and reduce the thickness of the IMC layer. The laser beam can be combined with arc-forming hybrid processes for wider control over thermal cycle. Apart from the IMC layer thickness, there are many other factors that have a strong effect on the weld integrity; their optimisation and innovation is a key to successfully delivering high-quality joints.

Effect of Zn interlayer on friction stir butt welding of A1100 and SUS316L stainless steel

“…The Fe 2 Al 5 phase grows toward the steel in a preferable direction. Moreover, with further inter-diffusion of Fe and Al atoms across the initially formed Fe 2 Al 5 layer, Fe 4 Al 13 crystals, also widely recognised as FeAl 3 , grow into the aluminium side, forming the FeAl 3 phase [35][36][37][38]. Though, the Fe 2 Al 5 phase remains the most dominant phase, with a much higher thickness than any other type of Al-Fe IMC phases [37].…”

Parallel Diffractive Multi‐Beam Pulsed‐Laser Ablation in Liquids Toward Cost‐Effective Gram Per Hour Nanoparticle Productivity

“…2) The steady-state optical absorptance of Au at our laser wavelength (1064 nm) is 3%, [85] lower compared to the FeNi which is 35%. The higher the optical absorptance of the material at the irradiation laser wavelength, the higher the energy absorbed by the target material, [86][87][88] leading to a higher ablation volume. 3) The intrinsic chemical disorder of alloy materials as FeNi [89] contributes to a stronger electron-phonon coupling and lower thermal conductivity, [89] resulting in a lower threshold fluence than the corresponding elemental materials.…”

Green nanoparticle synthesis at scale: a perspective on overcoming the limits of pulsed laser ablation in liquids for high-throughput production

“…The laser wavelength defines these processes, as each material's absorption, reflectance, and scattering depend on the wavelength of the incident light. [124][125][126] Higher absorption of the target at the laser wavelength leads to a higher energy density delivered to the sample and so the ablated volume increases. For example, for laser ablation in air, if a material has a low absorptivity at 1064 nm, the amount of ablated material with an Nd:YAG 1064 nm laser will be lower.…”