Materials Science Forum Vols.

475-479 (2005) pp 309-312

Online available since 2005/Jan/15 at www.scientific.net
© (2005) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland
doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.475-479.309

Analysis of Porosity Characteristics in Weld Metal of High Strength

Aluminum Alloy and the Effect of Mixed Shielding Gas

ZHANG Xiaomu a, ZHANG Zhiyong, PENG Yun, TIAN Zhiling

HE Changhong, XIAO Hongjun, MA Chengyong

Central Iron & Steel Research Institute, Beijing 100081, China

a
zhangxiaomu@yahoo.com.cn

Keywords: aluminum alloy, welding, porosity, mixed gas shielding, mechanical properties

Abstract: Aluminum alloy has being widely used in modern automobile and aeronautic industry.
However, the welding of aluminum alloy, especially high strength aluminum alloy，is difficult.
Porosities are usually brought in the weld metal. In this paper, MIG welding using mixed gas
shielding is carried out. The characteristic shapes of porosity in weld metal are described, the
mechanism of porosity formation is analyzed, and the factors that influence the tendency of porosity
formation are studied. Experiment results indicate that by the use of mixed shielding gas of
38%He+62%Ar, the number of porosity is reduced, the width of HAZ and softened zone is
decreased, and the mechanical properties of welded joint is increased.

Introduction
With the development of industrial technology, aluminum alloy is used more and more widely.
However, because of the characteristics of aluminum alloy, its welding is difficult. Some defects,
such as porosity, inclusion and crack, make the weldment not meet requirements of design. Porosity
is the main defect that deteriorates the quality of weldment. Porosity not only damages soundness of
weldment but also decreases section area of welded joint and carrying capacity. Corrosion-resistant
of weld metal may also be weakened by porosity. Therefore investigation for porosity
characteristics in weld metal should be carried out. In recent years there are some studies on weld
porosity in the world and a few in China. [1，2]

Experiment Procedure
A base plate of 20 mm thickness 2219 aluminum alloy and a commercial welding wire 2319 were
used for the experiment. Chemical compositions and mechanical properties of base plate are given
in table 1. Before experiment, the surface oxide of base plates was removed by brushing.
Table 1 Chemical compositions (wt.pct) and mechanical properties of base plate
Si Fe Cu Mn Mg Rm（MPa） A（%）
0.20 0.30 6.0 0.3 0.02 395 11

A Fronius TPS-450 power source was used for the experiment of gas metal arc welding. The
welding parameters are : welding voltage of 30～40 V, pulse frequency of 50～100 Hz, inter-pass

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temperature of 62℃, travel speed of 40 cm/min. Two kinds of shield gas, 100% Ar and
38%He+62%Ar, were used respectively. The gas flow rate is 32 L/min.

Experiment results
Hardness distributing curves of welded joints are shown in figure 1. It is indicated that the softened
area of weld No. S1 is wider than that of weld No. S2. Observation of samples indicates that there
are a lot of porosity in weld No. S1 and the amount of porosity is decreased remarkably in weld No.
S2. The tensile strength (shown in Table 2) of weld No. S2 is higher than that of weld No. S1.

Table 2 Tensile properties of all-weld-metal

Weld No S1 S2
Shield gas 100% Ar 38%He+62
%Ar
Tensile 265 305
strength,
(MPa)
Elongation, 6.5 5.0
(%)
Reduction of 10.5 8.5
area, (%)
Figure 1 Hardness curves of welded joint

It can be seen by metallographic examination that the shape of porosity is mainly round or elliptic.
Most of them are typical hydrogen porosities. According to the form and position of porosities,
porosities can be divided into different types: （1）Pinholes. Their diameters are small and their
walls are smooth. They locate at the midst of weld metal. Their appearances are shown in figure 2a.
（2）Subcutaneous porosities. Their diameters are bigger. These porosities, some of which locate at
the surface to form hemicycle hole, are concentrated at weld subsurface. Their appearances are
showed in figure 2b. （3）Shoulder porosity. These porosities distribute in chain form along fusion
line of weld and occur in both sides of the fusion line. The shape of the porosities that locate in
weld are round or elliptic. The porosities
that locate between weld and base metal are
in various shapes. Their appearances are
shown in figure 2c. （4）Core porosity.
These porosities distribute in chain form at
the center of weld and their dimension is
large. Their shapes are elliptic or columnar.
The direction of major axis of most
porosities is perpendicular to weld surface.
Their appearances are shown in figure 2d.

Figure 2 Appearances of porosities

Discussion and analysis
Mechanism of porosity formation. The porosity in weld metal of aluminum alloy is mainly
hydrogen pore. Because of the solubility of hydrogen in solid state aluminum alloy is quite different
 Materials Science Forum Vols. 475-479 311

from that in liquid state aluminum alloy, a lot of hydrogen separate out from weld metal when it
transforms from liquid to solid. As a result of fast cooling, residual hydrogen that cannot escape
from weld metal form porosities. For aluminum alloy welding, the hydrogen which forms porosities
is from the fallowing sources [3，4，5]:（1）Product of moisture and organic substance on the surface
of weld wire and plate.（2）Solid solution hydrogen, decomposition of hydrate, and decomposition
of crystallized water of oxidation film on welding wire and plate.（3）The moisture that is in
shielding gas and welding atmosphere. （4）Hydrogen sources come from improper welding
process.
Hydrogen that is dissolved in molten pool will undergo three stages: nucleation, growth and float up.
If molten pool solidification has completed before bubbles go up, the bubbles will be detained in
weld metal and form porosities. Welding is a non-equilibrium state that is affected by various
factors and porosity is liable to generate in weld metal. During the process of welding, chemical
reaction of aluminum alloy and H2O takes place according to the following equation:
3H2O+2Al=Al2O3+6H. （1）
Part of the atom state hydrogen produced from the above reaction is absorbed by aluminum alloy;
the other part combines into molecule and form porosities. The reaction is so intensive rightward
that almost all hydrogen in H2O is absorbed by aluminum alloy. Therefore small amount of water in
welding wire and base metal will result in serious hydrogen absorption of weld metal. [6] Free
enthalpy of equation（1）is △F=-20700+63.8T. According to the mass action law, there is a relation
equation as below at 500℃:
lnKp=△F/(RT)=102.5. （2）
where Kp is a balance constant of equation（1） and its value equals to R3H2/R3H2O.
lnP3H2/lnP3H2O=102.5 or PH2/PH2O=7.3×1014. （3）
If the temperature is 1000K（727℃）and H2O fractional pressure in atmosphere is 1.3 kPa, hydrogen
fractional pressure of interface between liquid metal and shield gas may reach 9.02×1015 Pa and
hydrogen content in liquid aluminum alloy is 3.24×105 cm3/100g.[7] The condition for the growth
of bubble is:
Pg>Pa+Ph+Ps. （4）
where Pg is inside pressure of bubble, Ph is pressure of metal on top of bubble, Ps is additive
pressure to overcome surface tension of bubble, and Pa is atmosphere pressure.
Ps=K（2б/R）. （5）
where б is surface tension of liquid metal (For liquid aluminumб=0.9 N/cm2), R is bubble radius,
and K is a constant. The value of Ph is very small and can be neglected. Equation（4）may be
simplified into:
Pg>1+9.87×10-7（2σ/R）. （6）
Equation（6）indicates the relation of inside pressure of bubble (Pg) to radius of bubble (R). At the
beginning of bubble formation, its radius is very small and Ps is great. It is difficult for bubble to
grow up. In the margin of molten pool, there are available surface for bubble nucleation. Under the
effect of interface tension, the shape of bubble is near round, its radius is big, the value of Ps is
reduced, and the bubble nucleation and growth are easy.
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The effect of mixed shielding gas. The difference of physical properties between argon gas and
helium gas is great. Compared with 100%Ar shielding gas, arc physical characters of
38%He+62%Ar mixed gas are greatly changed and a series of influences on welding process are
induced.
When the argon gas is mixed with helium gas, the gas ionization potential increases greatly, and the
temperature at the surface of molten pool increases. Therefore, the oxide film that has high surface
tension is prone to be destroyed and it is easier for bubble to escape from molten pool. Furthermore,
fingerlike shape of molten pool produced by 100% Ar shielding arc welding is changed and the
width of molten pool is increased. Figure 3 shows the cross section shapes of molten pool welded
with the two shield gases. The improved molten pool
shape makes the bubble easier to escape. The effect of
mixed shielding gas makes Ph and PS in equation（4）
Pg
decrease, and the value of increases. It
Pa + Ph + Ps
also causes bubble to be prone to escape. Figure 3 Cross section shape of molten
pool welded with different shield gas
Conclusions
1) Most porosities generated during welding of thick plate aluminum alloy are pinhole,
subcutaneous porosity, core porosity. Most of these porosities are typical hydrogen porosity.
2) 38%He+62%Ar mixed shield gas is able to change physical condition of molten pool surface
and change the shape of molten pool and makes the bubble easier to escape.
3) 38%He+62%Ar shield gas is able to evidently reduce the tendency of porosity generation.
Compared with the 100%Ar shield gas, the width of HAZ and softened zone is reduced, and the
mechanical properties of welded joint are increased.

References
[1] S. M. Devincent, J. H. Devletian, S. A. Gedeon. Weld Properties of the Newly Developed
2519-T87 Aluminum Armor Alloy, Welding Journal, July 1988, 33-43.
[2] Zhaoming Tang. Welding Technique of Aluminum Alloy, welding, 1995，No.1, 46-47. (In
Chinese)
[3] Hanzhong Huang. Defects and Their Control in the Welding of Aluminum and Aluminum Alloy,
Equipment and Technoligy of Petrochemical Industry, 1997, 18 (5), 51-57. (In Chinese)
[4] Xiuhua Liu, Wenju Jiang, Hongwei Zhang. Prevention of Welding Porosity of Superhard
Aluminum Alloy 7A10, Proceedings of First International Conference on Light Metal Smelting and
Processing Equipment in China, 455-457. (In Chinese)
[5] A. Haboudou, P. Peyre, A. B. Vannes. Influence of Surface Preparation and Process Parameters
on the Porosity Generation in Aluminium Alloys, CLFA, avenue prieur de la Côte d’or, 94114
Arcueil, France Ecole Centrale de Lyon,Ecully,France.
[6] Shilin Zhang, Songzan Ren. Concise Handbook of Aluminum Alloys, Published by Shanghai
Technology Literatures Press. (In Chinese)
[7] Rongzhang Tian, Zhutang Wang. Handbook of Aluminum Alloy and Its processing, Published by
Zhongnan University Press. (In Chinese)
PRICM-5
10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.475-479

Analysis of Porosity Characteristics in Weld Metal of High Strength Aluminum Alloy and the Effect of
Mixed Shielding Gas
10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.475-479.309