Characterization of the Microstructure and Interfacial Morphology of Magnetic Pulse Welded Steel/Al Tubes

作者：Tianhan Hu, Bolong Li, Tianhai Wu, Hua Pan, Kai Ding, Yulai Gao · 发表于：Materials · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3390/ma18040757 · 被引用次数：6 · 研究领域：Advanced Welding Techniques Analysis、Welding Techniques and Residual Stresses、Aluminum Alloy Microstructure Properties

Facing the global energy crisis and increasingly stringent environmental protection regulations, automotive lightweighting has become a core issue for the sustainable development of the automotive industry. In particular, the qualified combination of steel and aluminum alloy has become a promising development direction to achieve the aim of lightweight design. As an innovative solid-phase welding technique, magnetic pulse welding (MPW) exhibits unique advantages in joining these dissimilar metals. The 6061 Al alloy and 20# steel tubes were joined by the MPW technique in this study. The microstructure and interface morphology of the MPW steel/Al tube were characterized using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and an electro-probe microanalyzer (EPMA). The microstructure in the region adjacent to the interface was similar to that of the base metals (BMs). The element transition zone could be observed at the interface. The thickness of the transition layer was approximately 6 μm. The transition layer did not possess high hardness and brittleness like the Fe-Al binary IMC layer. Therefore, the interface bonding quality and long-term stability of the MPW steel/Al joint were relatively good. The welded joint interface could be divided into three zones: the bonded zone in the center and unbonded zones on both sides. In particular, an obvious wavy interface with gradually increased amplitude was detected in the bonded zone. The interaction between the reflec...