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Transverse-Weld Tensile Properties of a New Al-4Cu-2Si Alloy as Filler Metal

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Abstract

AA2195, an Al-Cu-Li alloy in the T8P4 age-hardened condition, is a candidate aluminum armor for future combat vehicles, as this material offers higher static strength and ballistic protection than current aluminum armor alloys. However, certification of AA2195 alloy for armor applications requires initial qualification based on the ballistic performance of welded panels in the as-welded condition. Currently, combat vehicle manufacturers primarily use gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process to meet their fabrication needs. Unfortunately, a matching GMAW consumable electrode is currently not commercially available to allow effective joining of AA2195 alloy. This initial effort focused on an innovative, low-cost, low-risk approach to identify an alloy composition suitable for effective joining of AA2195 alloy, and evaluated transverse-weld tensile properties of groove butt joints produced using the identified alloy. Selected commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) aluminum alloy filler wires were twisted to form candidate twisted filler rods. Representative test weldments were produced using AA2195 alloy, candidate twisted filler rods and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) process. Selected GTA weldments produced using Al-4wt.%Cu-2wt.%Si alloy as filler metal consistently provided transverse-weld tensile properties in excess of 275 MPa (40 ksi) UTS and 8% El (over 25 mm gage length), thereby showing potential for acceptable ballistic performance of as-welded panels. Further developmental work is required to evaluate in detail GMAW consumable wire electrodes based on the Al-Cu-Si system containing 4.2-5.0 wt.% Cu and 1.6-2.0 wt.% Si.

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Notes

  1. Weldalite® is a Registered Trademark of Lockheed Martin Corporation.

  2. Joint efficiency is a ratio of the UTS of the weld (as determined from a transverse-weld tensile test or an all-weld metal tensile test) to the UTS of the base metal. A joint efficiency less than 100% indicates an “undermatched” weldment, while a joint efficiency over 100% indicates an “overmatched” weldment. Commonly, most aluminum weldments are undermatched in the as-welded condition.

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Acknowledgments

The author is pleased to acknowledge Bruce Williams, Gregory Brandon, Gregory Vidakovich, and Christopher Forcellini of Concurrent Technologies Corp., Johnstown, PA, for their technical support, and Tony Anderson of ESAB Welding and Cutting Products, Florence, SC, for the use of Fig. 1.

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  1. Marietta, GA, 30062, USA

    K. Sampath

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  1. K. Sampath
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Correspondence to K. Sampath.

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Gas tungsten arc weld produced using AA2195 as base metal and a new Al-4Cu-2Si alloy as filler metal provides acceptable transverse-weld tensile properties in the as-welded condition showing potential for exceeding the minimum ballistic performance requirements for welded aluminum armor.

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Sampath, K. Transverse-Weld Tensile Properties of a New Al-4Cu-2Si Alloy as Filler Metal. J. of Materi Eng and Perform 18, 1218–1225 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-009-9371-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-009-9371-4

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