Effect of Femtosecond-Laser-Induced Surface Textures on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Mg/Ti Dissimilar Alloys Laser Lap Welds: A Numerical and Experimental Study

The strength of the joints in the Mg/Ti laser welding is difficult to meet the requirement because of the metallurgical incompatibility. This study investigates the influence of microgroove width on the diffusion of molten Mg and the mechanical properties of joints by laser welding Ti6Al4V and AZ31B, employing femtosecond lasers to fabricate microgrooves on the surface of Ti alloys. The optimal contact angle of 56.4 degrees is achieved at the microgroove width of 100 mu m because the leading and trailing edges of the microgroove texture can stimulate the formation of the microriveted structure, facilitating the fluidity of the liquid AZ31B. The joint's tensile-shear capability is increased to 2449.9 N, which is 2.8 times stronger compared to joints without microgroove textures, when using a microgroove width of 100 mu m and a laser power of 52%. The numerical simulation of the laser welding process was implemented to analyze the temperature field and the fluid characteristics within the melt pool. In the results, it is shown that the microgroove enhanced the material exchange at the interface and accelerated the interfacial reaction, which stimulates the formation of Ti-Al and Mg-Al intermetallic compounds at the central interface of the joint and enhances the Mg/Ti metallurgical bonding. In this study, femtosecond-laser surface texturing is employed for laser welding of Ti6Al4V(Ti) and AZ31B(Mg), addressing the metallurgical incompatibility challenge of Mg/Ti joints. The microgroove texture improves the wetting and spreading of molten Mg alloy, thereby enhancing joint quality. Simulations demonstrate the promotion of Ti-Al and Mg-Al intermetallic compound formation, strengthening the metallurgical bond.image (c) 2024 WILEY-VCH GmbH