Effects of Phase Evolution on Mechanical Properties of Laser-Welded Ferritic Fe-Al-Mn-C Steel

In the present study, the evolution of microstructure in laser-welded joints of ferrite-based dual-phase Fe-Al-Mn-C steel sheets was analyzed and its effect on the mechanical properties of the joints was investigated. Laser welding was performed using different powers and welding speeds to attain different heat inputs. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) examinations and hardness measurements were used to characterize the microstructure of the welds. The tensile properties were found to depend on the heat input, but joint strength exceeding that of the base metal (BM) were obtained at low heat inputs. However, the fracture location shifted from the base metal to the heat-affected zone (HAZ) as the heat input was increased. The HAZ consisted of a mixture of austenite, ferrite and martensite, and its width increased with increasing the heat input. It was supposed that the incompatibility between the ferrite, austenite and martensite phases led to early void formation and fracturing of the phase interfaces in the wide HAZ.