Microstructure and mechanical properties of adjustable-ring-mode laser welded and hot-stamped Al–Si coated boron steel joints

Abstract

The microstructure and mechanical properties of adjustable-ring-mode (ARM) laser-welded, hot-stamped 22MnB5 steel joints were analyzed and compared with those of Al–Si coated 22MnB5. Al segregation into the fusion zone (FZ) was suppressed by a ring beam introduced via ring-beam-mode (RBM) and dual-beam-mode (DBM) laser welding. Dilution of the Al–Si coating in the FZ induced α-ferrite formation during hot stamping. After hot stamping, the α-ferrite fraction in the FZ decreased (from 23 vol% to 4.27 vol%) more than that in the center-beam-mode (CBM) welded joints owing to the ring beam. Electron backscattered diffraction analysis indicated the distribution of high-density and uniform geometrically necessary dislocations, which caused coordinated deformation in the martensite grains, in the RBM and DBM FZs. The average microhardness in the FZ in the tailor-welded blank (TWB) joints was ∼30–40 HV lower than that in the RBM and DBM welded base metal (480 HV) and that in the FZ of the CBM reduced to 295 HV because of the formation of a large amount of ductile α-ferrite. The tensile strength and elongation of the TWB joint in the CBM were ∼989 MPa and 1.1 %, respectively, which were significantly lower than those of the RBM (1245 MPa and 1.96 %, respectively) and DBM (1321 MPa and 2.12 %, respectively). Finally, the 22MnB5 steel sheets were subjected to ARM laser welding without removing the coating layer to evaluate the effect of the ring beam on Al segregation suppression in the FZ and mechanical properties of the TWB joints.

Keywords

• ARM laser
• Hot-stamped
• Al–Si coated
• Microstructure
• Mechanical properties
• Ring beam