Influence of different fillers on microstructure and tensile properties of welded AA5083 aluminium alloy joints

Abstract

A rare aggregation of properties makes aluminium and its alloys one of the most versatile engineering and construction materials available today. Aluminium is light in weight, yet some of its alloy has strengths exceeding the mild steel which retains strong at low temperatures, excellent corrosion resistance, high reflectivity, good electrical and heat conductor, non-magnetic, non-toxic and other properties. This research investigated different fillers on microstructure and tensile properties of welded AA5083 aluminium alloy joints. Aluminium 5083 can be successfully welded with filler alloys 5183 and 5356 which any of these three filler alloys may be suitable for welding this base alloy. The reason to choose one of these filler alloys over the others is determined on the application and service requirements of the component being welded. Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMA W) or Metal Inert Gas (MIG) has been chosen to weld aluminum alloy 5083. The mechanical properties of the weld were investigated using the tensile testing machine and hardness. Besides, the microstructure of the welds, including the nugget zone and heat affected were observed using optical microscopy. The corrosion resistances of welded AA5083 aluminium alloy joints were investigated in a highly corrosive environment made in the salt spray chamber. The results of these tests are presented in this paper. This study revealed that, the tensile strength of 5083 alloy welded with filler 5356 was nearly similar to the base metal but the ductility was considerably lower while filler 5183 displayed excellent ductility, good tensile strength but low in yield strength.