No abstract

No abstract

Martensitic stainless steel (MSS) resistance spot welds are prone to quasi-cleavage interfacial failure with very low energy absorption capability due to formation of hard and brittle carbon and chromium rich martensite in the fusion zone (FZ). In this work, a new pathway is proposed to enhance strength/toughness of the MSS resistance spot welds based on modification of the FZ composition/microstructure via introducing a nickel interlayer. This altered the FZ microstructure from dual phase microstructure of martensite and δ-ferrite to austenitic microstructure with finely dispersed ultra-fine chromium rich carbides. Formation of a tough predominately austenitic microstructure in the FZ enabled achieving a pullout failure with an unprecedented level of energy absorption.

Resistance spot weldability of martensitic stainless steels is impaired by the formation of brittle martensite in the fusion zone (FZ). In this paper, in situ rapid tempering via applying a second pulse current after a first melting/solidification pulse during resistance spot welding of AISI 420 martensitic stainless steel sheets was used as a pathway to enhance the toughness of the FZ. By using proper second pulse conditions, the FZ with reduced hardness can be generated which is featured by a decomposed martensitic structure with nano-sized carbide precipitations. The improved toughness as a consequence of this modified microstructure resulted in remarkable enhancement of the peak load and energy absorption of the spot welds compared to the singlepulse welds.