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A Review of Technologies for Welding Magnesium Alloys to Steels

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Abstract

We survey various state-of-the-art methods for welding magnesium alloys and steels using different joint configurations. Microstructural characterizations indicate that four microstructures may form at the Mg/steel interface after welding: unwelded gap, metal oxides, solid solutions, or intermetallic compounds. Reaction products at the Mg/steel interface vary with different welding methods, alloying elements in base materials, interlayers or coatings applied, and preparations of base material before welding. Mechanical property characterizations, (a) lap tensile shear testing for lap-welded and spot-welded joints, (b) tensile testing for butt-welded joints and (c) fatigue properties of lap-welded and spot-welded joints are summarized and compared, separately. Reaction products at the Mg/steel interface are correlated with mechanical properties. Finally, ways to enhance Mg/steel joint strength, such as introducing interlocking features during friction stir lap and butt welding, are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support of the U.S. Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Office (DOE/VTO) Joining Core Program. The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is operated by the Battelle Memorial Institute for the United States Department of Energy under contract DE-AC06-76LO1830.

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    Tianhao Wang, Piyush Upadhyay & Scott Whalen

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Wang, T., Upadhyay, P. & Whalen, S. A Review of Technologies for Welding Magnesium Alloys to Steels. Int. J. of Precis. Eng. and Manuf.-Green Tech. 8, 1027–1042 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40684-020-00247-x

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