Weldability of Specific Materials

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alloy with matching filler metal is practicable only under very low
restraint. The higher strength heat- treatable alloys are also prone
to solidification cracking with the exception of Al-Zn-Mg types,
which are only slightly susceptible. Crack sensitive alloys are
usually welded with a filler metal, such as 5Mg, 5Si or 12Si, that
brings the weld metal composition out of the cracking range. In
doing so allowance must be made for dilution of the weld metal
by parent metal.
Liquation cracking in the HAZ may occur when welding high
strength Al alloys of the Duralumin or Al-Mg-Zn types. This type
of cracking is caused by the presence of low-melting point
constituents in the structure and is associated with relatively low
heat input rates. It may be overcome by using a low melting-point
filler alloy or by increasing the welding speed. Cracking has also
been observed well below the solidus (at about 200C) in high
strength Al alloys. This effect is also due to the formation of
intergranular films at or near the solidus. These intergranular
constituents cause embrittlement, which manifests itself as
low-temperature cracking.

8.11. WELDABILITY OF MAGNESIUM AND ITS ALLOYS

Magnesium is an extremely light weight metal and its al loys have high strength-to-weight ratio. It has a density of 1.7
g/cm 3 . Pure Mg melts at 649C ; has a thermal conductivity
of about 154 W/m.K while its alloys have thermal conduc tivities between 70 to 110 W/m.K. The average coefficient of
thermal expansion for Mg alloys is about 3 x 10 - 5 /C for a
temperature range of 20 to 400C.
Mg has low ductility compared to Al. Mg and its alloys are
notch sensitive, particularly under fatigue loading, because of low
ductility.
Pure Mg has too low a strength for engineering use; however,
its alloys are used in a wide variety of structural applications
where light weight is important. Structural applications include
industrial, material handling, commercial, and aerospace equip ment. In industrial machinery, such as textile and printing
machines, Mg alloys are used for parts that operate at high speeds.
Material-handling equipment includes dockboards, grain shovels,
and gravity conveyors. Commercial applications include luggage
casings and ladders. Good strength and stiffness at room and
elevated temperatures combined with light weight make Mg alloys
useful for some aerospace applications.