Fatigue Properties of a 2 mm AA6060-T6 Butt Weld Produced Using the
Hybrid Metal Extrusion & Bonding (HYB) Process
Abstract
The present investigation is concerned with high-cycle axial fatigue
testing of a 2 mm AA6060-T6 HYB butt weld produced in the solid state
using AA6082 filler metal additions. It complements the three-point bend
testing and the tensile testing done in two previous studies. Also,
optical and scanning electron microscope investigations have been
carried out to reveal the macro/microstructure and document possible
surface & root defects deemed to be destructive to fatigue life. In the
as-welded condition, the HYB weld suffers from surface irregularities at
the weld face and “kissing” bond formation in the root region. Still,
these defects are not devastating for the structural integrity. As a
matter of fact, the subsequent benchmark testing shows that the fatigue
properties surpass those reported for a comparable AA6082-T6 gas metal
arc butt weld and fully match those reported for corresponding
high-strength laser beam and friction stir weldments.