Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2008) 36:254262 DOI 10.

1007/s00170-006-0848-0

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Effect of pulsed current welding on mechanical properties of high strength aluminum alloy
V. Balasubramanian & V. Ravisankar & G. Madhusudhan Reddy

Received: 9 August 2006 / Accepted: 18 October 2006 / Published online: 4 January 2007 # Springer-Verlag London Limited 2006

Abstract High strength aluminum alloys (Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys) have gathered wide acceptance in the fabrication of lightweight structures requiring high strength-to-weight ratio, such as transportable bridge girders, military vehicles, road tankers and railway transport systems. The preferred welding processes of high strength aluminum alloy are frequently the gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process and the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process due to their comparatively easy applicability and better economy. Weld fusion zones typically exhibit coarse columnar grains because of the prevailing thermal conditions during weld metal solidification. This often results in inferior weld mechanical properties and poor resistance to hot cracking. In this investigation, an attempt has been made to refine the fusion zone grains by applying a pulsed current welding technique. Rolled plates of 6 mm thickness were used as the base material for preparing single pass welded joints. A single V butt joint configuration was prepared for joining the plates. The filler metal used for joining the plates was AA 5356 (Al-5Mg (wt%)) grade aluminum alloy. Four different welding techniques were used to fabricate the joints: (1) continuous current GTAW (CCGTAW), (2) pulsed current GTAW (PCGTAW), (3) continuous current GMAW (CCGMAW) and (4) pulsed current GMAW (PCGMAW). Argon (99.99% pure) was used as the shielding gas. Tensile properties of the welded joints
V. Balasubramanian (*) : V. Ravisankar Department of Manufacturing Engineering, Annamalai University, Annamalai Nagar, 608 002 Tamil Nadu, India e-mail: visvabalu@yahoo.com G. Madhusudhan Reddy Metal Joining Section, Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Kanchanbag (P.O.), Hyderabad 560 058, India

were evaluated by conducting tensile tests using a 100 kN electro-mechanical controlled universal testing machine. Current pulsing leads to relatively finer and more equi-axed grain structure in GTA and GMA welds. In contrast, conventional continuous current welding resulted in predominantly columnar grain structures. Grain refinement is accompanied by an increase in tensile strength and tensile ductility. Keywords High strength aluminum alloy . Gas metal arc welding . Gas tungsten arc welding . Pulsed current welding . Grain refinement . Tensile behaviour

1 Introduction The weldability characteristics of aluminum alloys vary widely from alloy system to alloy system. Hot cracking or solidification cracking tendency is the most important factor governing the weldability of aluminum alloys. Almost all the heat treatable alloys are unfortunately prone to hot cracking. The susceptibility to solidification cracking is greatly influenced by the composition of the weld metal and hence the proper choice of filler material is an important aspect in controlling solidification cracking [1]. The use of non-heat treatable fillers which can resist hot cracking is more meaningful in welding 7xxx series alloys. In these alloys, as long as the weld metal contains 3% Mg or more, hot cracking is not a serious problem. Post weld solution treatment is often not necessary for 7xxx series alloys and thus a direct aging treatment can be employed. Another way of controlling solidification cracking is to refine the fusion zone grain structure. Coarse columnar grains are often more susceptible to solidification cracking than fine equi-axed grains. This may be because fine equi-

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2008) 36:254262

255

axed grains can deform to accommodate contraction strains more easily [2]. Weld fusion zones typically exhibit coarse columnar grains because of the prevailing thermal conditions during weld metal solidification. This often results in inferior weld mechanical properties and poor resistance to hot cracking. While it is thus highly desirable to control solidification structure in welds, such control is often very difficult because of the higher temperatures and higher thermal gradients in welds in relation to castings and the epitaxial nature of the growth process. Nevertheless, several methods for refining weld fusion zones have been tried with some success in the past: inoculation with heterogeneous nucleants, microcooler additions, surface nucleation induced by gas impingement and introduction of physical disturbance through techniques such as torch vibration [3]. The use of inoculants for refining the weld fusion zones was not as successful as in castings because of the extremely high temperatures involved in welding and also due to the undesirable effects of the inoculating elements on weld mechanical properties at the levels required for producing grain refinement. Other techniques like surface nucleation and microcooler additions were also turned down because of the complicated welding set-ups and procedures associated with their use. In the process, two relatively new techniques, current pulsing and magnetic arc oscillation, have gained popularity because of their striking promise and the relative ease with which these techniques can be applied to actual industrial situations with only minor modifications to the existing welding equipment [4]. Pulsed current welding, developed in the 1950s, is a variation of constant current welding which involves cycling of the welding current from a high level to a low level at a selected regular frequency. The high level of the peak current is generally selected to give adequate penetration and bead contour, while the low level of the background current is set at a level sufficient to maintain a stable arc. This permits arc energy to be used efficiently to fuse a spot of controlled dimensions in a short time producing the weld as a series of overlapping nuggets and limits the wastage of heat by conduction into the adjacent parent material as in normal constant current welding. In contrast to constant current welding, the fact that heat energy required to melt the base material is supplied only during peak current pulses for brief intervals of time allows the heat to dissipate into the base material leading to a narrower heat affected zone (HAZ). The technique has secured a niche for itself in specific applications such as in welding of root passes of tubes, and in welding thin sheets, where precise control over penetration and heat input are required to avoid burn through [5] . Current pulsing has been used by a few investigators [6, 7] to obtain grain refinement in weld fusion zones and

improvement in weld mechanical properties. Significant refinement of the solidification structure has been reported in aluminum alloys and titanium alloys. Most of the reported literature is focused on pulsed current welding of medium strength aluminum alloys and the published information on pulsed current welding of high strength aluminum alloys could be counted with fingers. Hence, the present investigation has been carried out to understand the effect of the pulsed current welding technique on tensile properties of high strength aluminum alloy (AA 7075).

2 Experimental work High strength aluminum alloys (Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys) have gathered wide acceptance in the fabrication of lightweight structures requiring a high strength-to-weight ratio, such as transportable bridge girders, military vehicles, road tankers and railway transport systems. The rolled plates of AA 7075 aluminum alloy were cut into the required sizes (300150 mm) by power hacksaw cutting and grinding. The single V butt joint configuration, as shown in Fig. 1, was prepared to fabricate GTA and GMA welded joints. The initial joint configuration was obtained by securing the plates in position using tack welding. The direction of welding was normal to the rolling direction. All necessary care was taken to avoid joint distortion and the joints were made after clamping the plates with suitable clamps. A single pass welding procedure was applied to fabricate the joints. AA 5356 (Al-5%Mg) grade filler rod and wire were used for GTA and GMA welding processes, respectively. High purity (99.99%) argon gas was used as the shielding gas. The chemical composition and mechanical properties of the base metal and weld metals are presented in Table 1. The welding conditions and process parameters presented in Table 2 were used to fabricate the joints by continuous current and pulsed current welding processes. The welded joints were sliced using a power hacksaw and then machined to the required dimensions as shown in Fig. 2 for preparing tensile specimens. American Society

Fig. 1 Dimensions of single V butt joint configuration (all dimensions in mm)

256 Table 1 Chemical composition (wt %) of base metal and weld metal Type of material Base metal (AA 7075) Weld metal (GTAW) Weld metal (GMAW) 0.13 5.04 0.14 0.42 0.25 0.10 0.12 0.20 Bal 303 380 6.8 4.5 114

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2008) 36:254262

Zn 5.61 0.12 Mg 4.52 5.02 Mn 0.03 0.12 Fe 0.29 0.40 Si 0.08 0.25 Cu 1.61 0.11 Cr 0.10 Ti 0.02 0.17 Al Bal Bal Mechanical properties of base metal and weld metal Yield strength (MPa) 417 308 Ultimate tensile 520 376 strength (MPa) Elongation (%) 14.2 7.2 Reduction in cross 9.1 4.7 sectional area (%) Notch tensile strength 610 (MPa) Notch strength ratio 1.18 Hardness (VHN) 140 121

(a) Unnotched (Smooth) Specimen

(b) Notched Specimen

Fig. 2 Dimensions of tensile specimen (all dimensions in mm). a Unnotched (smooth) specimen. b Notched specimen

Table 2 Welding conditions and process parameters Process Welding machine Tungsten electrode diameter (mm) Filler rod/wire diameter (mm) Voltage (volts) Current (amps) Welding speed (mm/min) Heat input (kJ/mm) Peak current (amps) Base current (amps) Pulse frequency (Hz) Pulse on time (%) Shielding gas Gas flow rate CCGMAW Lincoln PCGMAW Lincoln CCGTAW Lincoln 3 PCGTAW Lincoln 3

1.6 30 200 150 4 Argon 16 l/min

1.6 30 150 3 200 100 6 50 Argon 16 l/min

3.0 24 150 120 3 Argon 16 l/min

3.0 24 120 2 150 75 6 50 Argon 16 l/min

for Testing of Materials (ASTM) guidelines were followed for preparing the test specimens. Two different tensile specimens were prepared to evaluate the transverse tensile properties. The smooth (unnotched) tensile specimens were prepared to evaluate yield strength, tensile strength and elongation. Notched specimens were prepared to evaluate notch tensile strength and notch strength ratio of the joints. Tensile tests were carried out in a 100 kN, electromechanical controlled universal testing machine. The specimen is loaded at the rate of 1.5 kN/min as per ASTM specifications, so that the tensile specimen undergoes deformation. The specimen finally fails after necking and the load versus displacement has been recorded. The 0.2% offset yield strength is derived from the diagram. The percentage of elongation was also evaluated and the values are presented in Table 3. A Vickers microhardness testing machine (Model 3212; Zwick, UK) was employed for measuring the hardness of the weld metal with 0.5 kg load and the values were recorded and presented in Table 3. Microstructural examinations were carried out using a light optical microscope (VERSAMET-3; Union Optical, Japan) incorporated with image analyzing software (Clemex-Vision, Canada). The specimens for metallographic examination were sectioned to the required sizes from the joint comprising weld metal, HAZ and base metal regions and polished using different grades of emery papers. Final polishing was done using the diamond compound (1 m particle size) in the disc polishing machine. Specimens were etched with Kellers reagent to reveal the microstructure. The fractured surface of the tensile tested specimens was analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (Model 5610LV; JEOL, Japan) at higher magnification to study the fracture morphology to establish the nature of the fracture.

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2008) 36:254262 Table 3 Transverse tensile properties of welded joints Joint type Yield strength (MPa) Ultimate tensile strength (MPa) Elongation Reduction in (%) c.s.a (%) Notch tensile strength (MPa) Notch strength ratio (NSR)

257

Joint efficiency (%) 45.2 48.8 52.3 56.7

CCGMAW PCGMAW CCGTAW PCGTAW

180 195 205 220

235 254 272 295

6.5 8.5 10.4 12.3

4.25 6.75 7.30 8.55

240 279 304 342

1.02 1.10 1.12 1.16

Samples were preserved by coating with commercial oxide proof oil. Before examining under SEM, the specimens were cleaned ultrasonically with carbon tetra chloride and acetone.

3 Results 3.1 Tensile properties The transverse tensile properties such as yield strength, tensile strength, percentage of elongation, percentage of reduction in cross-sectional area, notch tensile strength, notch strength ratio and joint efficiency of continuous and pulsed current welded AA 7075 aluminum alloy joints were evaluated. In each condition, three specimens were tested and the average of three results is presented in Table 3. The yield strength and tensile strength of unwelded parent metal are 417 MPa and 520 MPa, respectively. But the yield strength and tensile strength of CCGMAW joints are 180 MPa and 235 MPa, respectively. This indicates that there is a 55% reduction in strength values due to CCGMA welding. However, the PCGMAW process is found to be beneficial to enhance the strength of welded joints and the yield strength and tensile strength of PCGMAW joints are 195 MPa and 254 MPa, respectively. This shows that there is an 8% increase in strength values due to pulsed current welding. Similarly, the yield strength and tensile strength of CCGTAW joints are 205 MPa and 272 MPa, respectively, which are 48% lower compared to the parent metal. However, the PCGTAW process is found to be beneficial to improve the strength of welded joints and the yield strength and tensile strength of PCGTAW joints are 220 MPa and 295 MPa, respectively. This shows that there is a 7% increase in strength values due to pulsed current welding. Of the four types of welded joints, the joints fabricated by PCGTAW exhibited very high strength values and the enhancement in strength value is approximately 25% compared to CCGMAW joints and 15% compared to PCGMAW joints. The elongation and reduction in cross-sectional area of unwelded parent metal are 14.2% and 9.1%, respectively. But the elongation and reduction in cross-sectional area of

CCGMAW joints are 6.5% and 4.2%, respectively. This suggests that there is a 55% reduction in ductility due to CCGMA welding. However, the PCGMAW process is found to be useful to enhance the ductility of welded joints and the elongation and reduction in cross-sectional area of PCGMAW joints are 8.5% and 6.75%, respectively. This shows that there is a 30% increase in ductility due to pulsed current welding. Similarly, the elongation and reduction in cross-sectional area of CCGTAW joints are 10.4% and 7.3%, respectively, which are 20% lower compared to the parent metal. However, the PCGTAW process is found to be beneficial to improve the ductility of welded joints and the elongation and reduction in cross-sectional area of PCGTAW joints are 12.3% and 8.55%, respectively. This points out that there is an 18% increase in ductility due to pulsed current welding. Of the four types of welded joints, the joints fabricated by PCGTAW exhibited very high ductility values. Notch tensile strength (NTS) of unwelded parent metal is 610 MPa. But the notch tensile strength of a CCGMAW joint is 240 MPa. This reveals that the reduction in NTS is approximately 60% due to CCGMA welding. However, the PCGMAW process is found to be useful to enhance the notch tensile strength of welded joints and the NTS of PCGMAW joints is 279 MPa. This shows that there is a 16% increase in NTS due to pulsed current welding. Similarly, the NTS of CCGTAW and PCGTAW joints are 304 MPa and 342 MPa, respectively. This points out that there is a 12% increase in NTS due to pulsed current welding. Of the four types of welded joints, the joints fabricated by PCGTAW exhibited very high NTS values and the enhancement is 40% compared to CCGMAW and 20% compared to PCGMAW. Another notch tensile parameter, NSR, is found to be greater than unity (>1) for all the joints. This suggests that the AA7075 alloy is insensitive to notches and they fall into the notch ductile materials category. The NSR is 1.18 for unwelded parent metal but it is 1.02 for CCGMAW joints. NSR is improved by the pulsed current welding technique irrespective of the welding processes. Of the four types of welded joints, the joints fabricated by PCGTAW exhibited a relatively higher NSR (1.16) and the improvement in NSR

258

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2008) 36:254262

is 12% compared to CCGMAW and 5% compared to PCGMAW. Joint efficiency is a ratio between tensile strength of welded joint and tensile strength of unwelded parent metal. The joint efficiency of CCGMAW joints of AA7075 aluminum alloy is merely 45%. The pulsed current welding technique is found to improve the joint efficiency irrespective of the welding processes. Of the four types of welded joints, the joints fabricated by PCGTAW exhibited a relatively higher joint efficiency (57%) and the improvement in joint efficiency is 25% compared to the CCGMAW joints, 16% compared to PCGMAW joints and 8% compared to CCGTAW joints. 3.2 Hardness The hardness across the weld cross-section has been measured using Vickers micro-hardness testing machine and the values are presented in Table 4. The hardness of the base metal (unwelded parent metal) in its initial T6 (solution heat treated and naturally aged) condition is approximately 140 VHN. But the hardness of the CCGMAW joints in the weld metal region is 70 VHN. This suggests that the hardness is reduced by 70 VHN in the weld center due to welding heat and the usage of lower hardness filler metal (Al-5%Mg). However, the pulsed current welding technique has enabled regaining of the hardness level to some extent in the weld metal region. Of the four joints, PCGTAW joints show hardness of 100 VHN which is 30 VHN higher than the CCGMAW joints. Similarly, the CCGTAW joints recorded hardness of 85 VHN, which is 15 VHN higher than the CCGMAW joints. PCGMAW joints exhibited hardness of 80 VHN, which is 10 VHN greater than the CCGMAW joints. Similar trends have been observed in PMZ, HAZ and BM regions also. The hardness is relatively higher in the PMZ and HAZ regions compared to the WM region and this may be due to the formation of very fine recrystallised grains in that region. 3.3 Microstructure Microstructures of all the joints were examined at different locations and it was observed that all the joints invariably
Table 4 Micro-hardness values (VHN) Joint type Location WM CCGMAW PCGMAW CCGTAW PCGTAW 70 80 85 100 PMZ 80 90 100 110 HAZ 95 104 116 122 BM 136 138 140 142

contained three distinctive regions: (i) a weld metal (WM) region, (ii) a partially melted zone (PMZ), and (iii) a heat affected zone (HAZ). An appreciable difference in grain size (average grain diameter) was observed in the weld metal region but the grain size was almost similar in the PMZ and HAZ regions of all the joints. Hence, the micrographs taken at the weld metal region (weld centre) alone are displayed in Fig. 3 for comparison purposes. From the micrographs it can be understood that the current pulsing is very effective in the fusion zone region. Further, an attempt has been made to measure the average grain diameter of the weld metal region (fusion zone) of all the joints applying Heyns line intercept method and the measured average grain diameter is presented in the respective micrographs. The measured average grain diameter of CCGMAW joints is 80 m but the average grain diameter of PCGMAW joints is 60 m; this indicates that reduction in grain diameter is 25% due to pulsed current welding of the GMAW process. Similarly, the measured average grain diameter of CCGTAW joints is 40 m but the average grain diameter of PCGTAW joints is 20 m; this also points out that the reduction in grain diameter is 50% due to pulsed current welding of the GTAW process. Of the four techniques, the PCGTAW technique produces very fine grains in the weld metal region compared to all other techniques and 75% reduction in grain diameter has been observed compared to CCGMAW joints; 66% reduction in grain diameter has been observed compared to PCGMAW joints. Generally, in Al-Zn-Mg-Cu alloys two different strengthening precipitates will form and they are: (i) MgZn2 and (ii) CuAl2. The black particles seen in the weld metal region are strengthening precipitates but there is an appreciable difference in size of the precipitates. Fine precipitates generally belong to CuAl2 and coarse precipitates belong to MgZn2 because the maximum available copper for the precipitation reaction is only 1.6% in this alloy but the available magnesium and zinc for the precipitation is plenty. However, both the precipitates are uniformly distributed throughout the matrix of the weld metal in pulsed current welds but in continuous current welds the precipitates are more densely available in the grain boundaries than in the grain interior. 3.4 Fracture surface The fractured surfaces of tensile test specimens of welded joints of AA7075 aluminum alloy have been analyzed using SEM to reveal the fracture surface morphology. Figures 4 and 5 display the fractographs of unnotched and notched tensile specimens, respectively. The displayed fractographs invariably consist of dimples which are an

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2008) 36:254262 Fig. 3 Optical micrographs of weld metal region. a CCGMAW (average grain diameter=80 m). b PCGMAW (average grain diameter=60 m). c CCGTAW (average grain diameter=40 m). d PCGTAW (average grain diameter=20 m)

259

indication that most of the tensile specimens failed in a ductile manner under the action of tensile loading. In the tension test, voids form prior to necking but after a neck is formed the void formation becomes much more prominent. An appreciable difference exists in the size of the dimples with respect to the welding processes. Fine dimples are seen in PCGTAW joints (Figs. 4d and 5d); coarse dimples are seen in CCGTAW joints (Figs. 4c and 5c); coarse and elongated dimples are seen in PCGMAW joints (Figs. 4b and 5b). However, an intergranular fracture feature has been observed in CCGMAW joints (Fig. 4a). This may be due to the combined influence of a coarse grained weld metal region and a higher amount of precipitate formation at the grain boundaries. Fine dimples are a characteristic feature of ductile materials and the PCGTAW joints have shown higher ductility compared to all other joints. The

dimple size exhibits a directly proportional relationship with strength and ductility, i.e., if the dimple size is finer, then the strength and ductility of the respective joint is higher and vice versa.

4 Discussion During tensile tests all the specimens were found to fracture within the weld region. Thus it may be assumed that the ultimate tensile strength presented in Table 3 is primarily the ultimate tensile strength of the weld. The use of pulsed current welding improves the strength of the weld over that observed for the case of continuous current welding. The refinement of microstructure due to the pulsed current welding results in a uniform distribution of the fine

260 Fig. 4 Fractographs of unnotched tensile specimen. a CCGMAW. b PCGMAW. c CCGTAW. d PCGTAW

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2008) 36:254262

precipitates more effectively governed by its zinc pick-up enhancing the amount of precipitates in the matrix. Similar observations have been made by other investigators [8, 9]. In general, hardness in the fusion zone is the lowest due to the as cast nature of the microstructure, which is characterized by coarse dendritic grains, interdendritic segregate phases, and the lack of strengthening phases. Hardness is slightly higher in pulsed current welds as compared to continuous current welds and this could be due to the refined microstructure and low segregation of strengthening phases. The moderately higher hardness of pulsed current welds close to the fusion boundary is possibly due to a large fraction of alloying elements in solid solution at the end of the weld thermal cycle, thereby giving conditions for extensive age hardening. This can be explained as follows: at the fusion boundary, precipitate dissolution occurs as the particles are exposed to temperatures higher than 400C during heating and cooling as a result of welding. The dissolution process enriches the solid solution of the aluminum matrix with Mg, Zn and Cu. This resulted in increasing hardness. However, from the results it is evident that the pulsed current parameters have greater influence on mechanical

and metallurgical properties. The enhancement in mechanical properties such as tensile properties and weld metal hardness are mainly due to the refinement in fusion zone grain size. Hence, the basic reason for the improvement in mechanical properties is the refinement produced in fusion zone grain size by the pulsed current welding technique. The mechanism involved in grain refinement by pulsing current is explained in detail below. The amplitude of thermal oscillations has been found to increase with increasing ratio of the peak to base currents and to decrease with rising pulse frequency. The consequence of the thermal fluctuations leads to periodic interruption in the process of solidification. As the pulse current decays, the solid liquid interface advances towards the arc and increasingly becomes vulnerable to any disturbances in the arc form. Heat transfer experienced by the weldment during welding can alter the microstructure and thus the property of the weldment. Therefore the heat transfer and fluid flow in the weld pool can significantly influence factors such as weld pool geometry, temperature gradient local cooling rates and solidification structure [10]. In general, the formation of equi-axed grain structure in CCGMAW weld is known to be difficult because of the

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2008) 36:254262 Fig. 5 Fractographs of notched tensile specimen. a CCMIG. b PCMIG. c CCTIG. d PCTIG

261

remelting of heterogeneous nuclei or growth centers ahead of the solid-liquid interface. This is due to the high temperatures in the liquid, thus making survival nuclei difficult. The evolution of microstructure in the weld fusion zone is also influenced in many ways by current pulsing, principally, the cyclic variations of energy input into the weld pool cause thermal fluctuations, one consequence of which is the periodic interruption in the solidification process. As the pulse peak current decays the solid-liquid interface advances towards the arc and increasingly becomes vulnerable to any disturbances in the arc form. As current increases again in the subsequent pulse, growth is arrested and remelting of the growing dendrites can also occur. Current pulsing also results in periodic variations in the arc forces and hence the additional fluid flows that lower temperatures in front of the solidifying interface [11]. Furthermore, the temperature fluctuations inherent in pulsed welding lead to a continual change in the weld pool size and shape favouring the growth of new grains. It should also be noted that effective heat input for unit volume of the weld pool would be considerably less in

pulse current welds for which reason the average weld pool temperatures are expected to be low [12]. It is important to note that while dendrite fragmentation has frequently been cited as a possible mechanism, evidence for the same has not been hitherto established/ demonstrated. It has been sometimes suggested that the mechanism of dendrite break-up may not be effective in welding because of the small size of the fusion welds and the fine interdendrite spacing in the weld microstructure. Thus grain refinement observed in the PCGTAW welds is therefore believed to be due to other effects of pulsing on the weld pool shape, fluid flow and temperatures. The continual change in the weld pool shape is particularly important. As the direction of maximum thermal gradient at the solid-liquid interface changes continuously, newer grains successively become favourably oriented. Thus, while each grain grows only a small distance, more grains grow resulting in a fine-grained structure [13]. The superior mechanical properties of PCGTAW joints are mainly due to the following reasons: (i) Finer grains in the weld metal region on the order of 20 m; (ii) More grain

262

Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2008) 36:254262 project No.ERIP/ER/0203351/M/01/633. The first two authors are very grateful to the third author, Dr. G. Madhusudhan Reddy, Scientist-F, Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad for his valuable suggestions, guidance and discussion.

boundary area due to fine grains (enhances resistance to deformation); and (iii) Uniform distribution of precipitates all over the matrix (enhances resistance to indentation).

5 Conclusions In this paper, the effect of a pulsed current welding technique on tensile properties of welded AA7075 aluminum alloy has been analyzed in detail. From this investigation, the following important conclusions have been derived: Of the four types of welded joints, the joints fabricated by PCGTAW exhibited very high strength values and the enhancement in strength value is approximately 25% compared to CCGMAW joints, 15% compared to PCGMAW joints and 8% compared to CCGTAW joints. (ii) PCGTAW joints exhibited relatively higher joint efficiency (57%) and the improvement in joint efficiency is 25% compared to CCGMAW joints, 16% compared to PCGMAW joints and 8% compared to CCGTAW joints. (iii) Hardness is lower in the weld metal (WM) region compared to the PMZ, HAZ and BM regions irrespective of welding technique. Very low hardness is recorded in the CCGMAW joints (70 VHN) and the maximum hardness is recorded in the PCGTAW joints (100 VHN). (iv) The PCGTAW technique produced very fine grains (20 m) in the weld metal region compared to all other techniques and the reduction in grain diameter was 75% compared to CCGMAW joints, 66% compared to PCGMAW joints and 50% compared to CCGTAW joints.
Acknowledgement The authors are grateful to the Department of Manufacturing Engineering, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, Tamil Nadu, India for extending the facilities of the Metal Joining Laboratory and Materials Testing Laboratory to carry out this investigation. The authors also wish to express their sincere thanks to the Directorate of Extramural Research & Intellectual Property Rights, Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO), New Delhi for the financial support to carry out this investigation through sponsored

References
1. Kim HT, Nam SW (1996) Solidification cracking susceptibility of high strength aluminum alloy weldment. Scr Mater 11391145 2. Janaki Ram GD, Mitra TK, Shankar V (2003) Microstructural refinement through inoculation of type 7020 Al-Zn-Mg alloy welds and its effect on hot cracking and tensile property. J Mater Process Technol 142:174181 3. Madhusudhan Reddy G, Gokhale AA, Prasad Rao K (1998) Optimization of pulse frequency in pulsed current gas tungsten arc welding of aluminum-lithium alloy sheets. J Mater Sci Technol 14:6166 4. Madhusudhan Reddy G, Sammaiah P, Murty CVS, Mohandas T (1999) Influence of welding techniques on microstructure and mechanical properties of AA 6061 (Al-Mg-Si) GTA welds. Proceedings of the international welding conference, New Delhi, India, pp 33-46 5. Prasad Rao K (2001) Recent trends in materials joining research. Proceedings of the national conference on recent advances in materials processing, Annamalai Nagar, India, pp 176-196 6. Mohandas T, Madhusudhan Reddy G (1996) Effect of frequency of pulsing in gas tungsten arc welding on the microstructure and mechanical properties of titanium alloy welds. J Mater Sci Lett 15:626628 7. Shelwatker DA, Madhusudhan Reddy G, Gokhale AA (2002) Gas tungsten arc welding studies on similar and dissimilar combinations of Al-Zn-Mg alloy RDE 40 and Al-Li alloy 1441. Sci Technol Weld Join 352361 8. Ghosh PK, Sharma V (1991) Chemical composition and microstructure in pulsed MIG welded Al-Zn-Mg alloy. J Mater Trans 32:145150 9. Potluri NB, Ghosh PK, Gupta PC, Reddy YS (1996) Studies on weld metal characteristics and their influences on tensile and fatigue properties of pulsed current GMA welded Al-Zn-Mg alloy. Weld Res Suppl 62s70s 10. Wang XG, Lin DC, Srivatsan TS (2003) Mechanism for the formation of equiaxed grains in welds of aluminum-lithium alloy 2090. Mater Sci Eng A 304309 11. Shinoda T, Ueno Y, Masumoto I (1990) Effect of pulsed welding current on solidification cracking in austenitic stainless steel welds. Trans Jpn Weld Soc 21:1823 12. Lin DC, Wang TS, Srivatsan TS (2003) A mechanism for the formation of equiaxed grains of aluminum-lithium alloy 2090. Mater Sci Eng A 335:304309 13. Kou S, Le Y (1986) Nucleation mechanism and grain refining of weld metal. Weld J 6570

(i)