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TP 1902
Vol.57, No. 5, October 2004, pp. 451-459
ABSTRACT
Weld metals of AA 2219 (Al-6%Cu), welded with 2319 filler, exhibit yield strength values of about 40%
compared to their base metal counterparts. This study is an attempt to improve the yield strength of 2219 welds
by using fillers containing scandium. Pitting corrosion behavior of the welds has also been studied. Welds were
made with Al-Cu, Al-Cu-Sc, Al-Mg, and Al-Mg-Sc fillers. Manual AC-TIG process has been employed to
weld 8.5mm thick 2219 T87 alloy plates. Tensile and corrosion behavior of welds was studied and results
were substantiated by metallography. Metallographic studies showed extensive grain refinement in welds made
of scandium containing fillers. Presence of scandium, improved the resistance to cracking in case of welds
made of Al-Mg fillers. Improvement in mechanical properties has been observed due to the presence of
scandium and the rise in percent elongation was significant. Crack free welds with significant improvement
in mechanical properties were obtained with a weld metal composition having small amounts of Mg and Sc.
Scandium addition did not alter the pitting corrosion resistance of the weld metals. Magnesium containing weld
metals were found to be inferior in terms of pitting corrosion resistance.
alloys such as 2219, the joint strength is only 40% order. Ocenasek et al4 have investigated the effects
when compared to the T87 base metal strength. This of scandium additions to alloy 5754(Al-Mg-Mn-Cr).
is true both in autogenous welds as well as those Fuller et al5 have shown that small amounts of Zr
welded with the matching filler 2319, which contains additions to scandium containing alloys would delay
slightly higher contents of Ti and Zr. The loss of the onset and kinetics of over aging at 350 to 375C.
strength is due to the melting and quick However, they conclude that addition of Zr does not
resolidification, which renders all the strengthening have any effect on the hardness of the alloy. Many
precipitates to dissolve and the material is just as similar reports on different aluminum alloy systems
good as solution treated. prove the effectiveness of scandium in grain
refinement, strengthening and creep resistance.
Due to the poor weld metal strength, the sections of Importance of keeping Mg as one of the alloying
a structure, which are to be welded has to be twice elements in aluminum scandium alloys is highlighted
or thrice thicker compared to the rest of the area. by Marquiss et al6. Davidov et al7 have enlisted the
Most of the times, this is achieved by starting with principles of making scandium additions to different
a thick sectioned plate and reducing the thickness in existing aluminum alloy systems. They bring out,
sections, which are away from the welding area. from literature as well as their own work the point,
Chemical milling or CNC pocket milling is employed that out of the alloying elements generally used in
to cut away the portions and reduce the total weight aluminum alloys (Mg, Zn, Li, Cu, Si), Zn, Mg and
of the tank or a shell. Obviously the whole fabrication Li do not react with scandium and hence it is more
becomes costly and cumbersome. If the strength of expedient to add scandium to these alloying systems.
the weld metal/joint can be increased by about 20 to Very few researchers have investigated the effect of
30% the cost and weight savings would be significant. scandium additions on the corrosion behavior of these
Study of recent literature indicates that scandium alloys. Ahmad et al8 have added scandium (0.1% to
can provide the necessary grain refinement as well 0.3%) to an Al-2.5% Mg alloy (5052) and found
as strengthening in the weld metals. As far as wrought that scandium addition does not introduce any
alloys are concerned, the strengthening effect of appreciable loss in corrosion resistance in 3.5% NaCl
scandium is well documented. Seidman et al1 have solution. From the survey of literature it can be seen
investigated various aluminum scandium alloys at that the introduction of scandium is redefining
room temperatures as well as at temperatures up to aluminum alloys by raising the strength levels and
500C and found that room temperature flow stress creep properties. Some other studies have indicated
of aluminum increases significantly from about 20 positive results in case of strength at cryogenic
MPa for pure aluminum to about 200 MPa with an temperatures and fracture toughness9. A kind of
addition of 0.3% scandium. More interestingly they summary is given by Irving 10 on the use of scandium
also showed that this strength value would not change in the weld filler materials. In case of 6061 alloy
in case of any creep experiment conducted below cracking got reduced to zero with a small addition
300C. Apart from being added to pure aluminum, of scandium. In case of Al-Mg-Sc alloys, Lathabai
scandium also has been added to many existing et al 11 showed that the cracking susceptibility does
aluminum alloy systems, Al-Mg system being the not change at a scandium level of 0.26%, during a
most widely experimented with. Aiura et al2 have varestraint test, and they have suggested that weld
added scandium to 5083 alloy and investigated the metals might need higher levels of scandium content
effect. Small additions of scandium (0.2%) resulted when compared to their wrought alloy counterparts
in about 25% increase in yield strength of an extruded to obtain a good strengthening effect and resistance
product. It has been shown by Kendig et al3 that an to solidification cracking. Aluminum alloys belonging
Al-Mg alloy when added with suitable amounts of to 2000 and 7000 series have been investigated by
scandium and zirconium gives an yield strength up Norman et al12. Wedge shaped castings of the above
to 640 MPa. They have attributed this increase in alloys with different scandium contents are made,
strength to three mechanisms: sub-micron grain size, slices of material are cut from thicker as well as
precipitation strengthening due to Al3(Sc,Zr), and thinner sections of the wedge to study the effect of
solid solution strengthening, being effective in that cooling rate. The thinner section of the wedge would
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KOTESWARA RAO, et.al. : GAS TUNGSTEN ARC WELDED AA 2219 ALLOY USING SCANDIUM
CONTAINING FILLERS - MECHANICAL AND CORROSION BEHAVIOR
have undergone a cooling rate equivalent to the weld to weld two 8.5mm thick 2219 (T87) plates to form
metals in TIG or MIG welding and the material a joint. Joint design used is V-groove butt with 60
taken from that section would simulate the weld included angle and high purity argon is used for
metals. This method is adopted to reduce the time shielding and back purging. The electrodes and base
involved in making new fillers. They have reported plates are acid pickled, water and acetone washed
significant increase in ultimate tensile strength, about and finally wire brushed just before welding. Three
100MPa in case of 2024 alloy and up to 200 MPa passes were used to complete the weld. Welding
in case of 7475 alloy. Some work in this area has parameters used are given in Table 2 . It can be
been done at Defense Metallurgical Research noted that filler materials selected were 2319 and
Laboratory by Mukhopadhyay et al13 on 7010 alloy. 5356 and their equivalents containing about 0.25-
They have concluded that scandium greatly increases 0.3% scandium, which are designated as 2319Sc
the hot cracking susceptibility and about 25% rise in and 5025. Filler alloy 5025 was commercially
weld joint strength in the as welded condition. The available. The filler 2319Sc is made through the
present work aims at finding out the effect of melting route. Ingots are rolled in to sheets of
scandium and Zr additions, to some of the existing thickness 2.5mm, homogenized and cut into thin
filler alloys. In the presence of large amount of slices which can be used like stick electrodes for
copper in alloy 2219, how effective these additions manual GTA welding. Welds are also made with a
are, in improving the mechanical properties of these combination of 2319Sc and 5025 filler wires, by
welds, and what is their effect on corrosion behavior pre-placing weighed amounts of these wires in a
are the issues being considered. groove and making a bead on plate run. This resulted
in a weld metal with an approximate composition of
2. EXPERIMENTAL Al-6Cu-0.25Sc-0.4Mg. Specimens cut from the welds
were prepared for metallographic examination on
The chemical compositions of the base material the surface as well as in the through thickness
(AA2219) and the fillers used in this study are given direction. Etching the polished specimens with freshly
in Table 1. Manual AC-GTAW process is employed prepared Kellers reagent revealed the microstructure.
Table 1
CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS OF FILLERS AND BASE MATERIAL USED
Filler Material Cu Mg Sc Zr Ti Fe Si Mn Cr V
Table 2
WELDING PARAMETERS USED
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TRANS. INDIAN INST. MET., VOL. 57, NO. 5, OCTOBER 2004
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KOTESWARA RAO, et.al. : GAS TUNGSTEN ARC WELDED AA 2219 ALLOY USING SCANDIUM
CONTAINING FILLERS - MECHANICAL AND CORROSION BEHAVIOR
Etched specimens were primarily examined for shape specimens. Software based PAR Basic
and size of grains. Some of the typical microstructures electrochemical system has been used for conducting
are presented in Fig.1. Micro-hardness survey of potentio-dynamic polarization tests to study the
the weldments is done using Shimadju micro hardness general and pitting corrosion behavior of base metal
tester. Values are obtained across the weld up to a and welds. Saturated calomel electrode (SCE) and
distance of 20 mm from the fusion line. At least 10 carbon electrode were used as reference and auxiliary
values are taken in each area i.e in the weld; interface electrodes respectively. All the experiments were
and the HAZ and average values are presented as a conducted in 3.5% NaCl solutions with pH adjusted
graph in Fig.2. Tensile testing of sub-size specimens to 10. The potential scan was carried out at 0.166
made according to the ASTM E8 specification is mV/sec with initial potential of 0.25V(SCE) to final
done on an Instron universal testing machine. Tensile potential of pitting. The exposure area for these
testing was not done on welds made with 5356 filler experiments was 1 cm2. The potential at which
as visible cracks were observed at the fusion current increases drastically is treated as critical
boundary. Values of yield strength (proof), UTS pitting potential (Epit). Specimens exhibiting more
and percent elongation are presented in Table 3. All positive potential were considered as those with better
values presented are average values of at least 3 pitting corrosion resistance.
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TRANS. INDIAN INST. MET., VOL. 57, NO. 5, OCTOBER 2004
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KOTESWARA RAO, et.al. : GAS TUNGSTEN ARC WELDED AA 2219 ALLOY USING SCANDIUM
CONTAINING FILLERS - MECHANICAL AND CORROSION BEHAVIOR
spite of higher hardness of the weld metal as shown metal hardness when Mg is present in the weld
in Fig. 5. Correlation between the hardness of the metal, and an optimum level of Mg and scandium
weld metal and strength of the weld metal is not contents that would result in crack free welds with
observed which is mainly due to the presence of better tensile properties have to be found out. As far
micro fissures at the fusion line as shown in Fig.1 as corrosion is concerned pitting corrosion resistance
(f). Though the scandium additions help in reducing is not affected by the small addition of Sc as can be
the severity of cracking, it could not completely seen from Fig. 5 and Fig.6.
avoid it and hence the filler 5025, though it offers
high strength does not suit the welding applications 4.3 Al-Cu-Sc-Mg welds
of 2219 alloy. This is mainly due to the very small
ratio of Cu to Mg (6:4), which results in severe From the tensile test results (Table 3), it is evident
cracking in the absence of Sc and Zr. The high weld that a small addition of Mg to the weld metal
metal hardness, particularly at the interface of welds increases the yield strength while maintaining the
made with 5025 (132VHN) as shown in Fig.2, good ductility level. Consistent tensile test results
indicates that, smaller amounts of Mg and Sc when and careful metallographic observations revealed that
mixed with 2219 composition could result in higher using this composition produces crack free welds.
strength weld metals with lesser or no cracking. The literature clearly shows that the effect of
This observation is derived from the fact that at the scandium on Al-Mg alloy system is very
fusion boundary the dilution of the weld metal is significant6,7. One of the reasons proposed for this
high and that area contains more of copper and less effect is that Mg acts as nucleant for precipitation of
of Mg in contrast to the center of the weld. Even the Al3Sc particles, which are responsible for high level
center of the weld, where the Mg content is higher of strengthening in scandium containing aluminum
exhibits a higher hardness value (112VHN) than any alloys. Further study is required in this area, to
other weld metal considered as can be seen from optimize the contents of Mg and Sc in 2219 welds.
Fig. 5. Therefore there is a definite raise in weld Optimization is necessary because, higher Mg content
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TRANS. INDIAN INST. MET., VOL. 57, NO. 5, OCTOBER 2004
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KOTESWARA RAO, et.al. : GAS TUNGSTEN ARC WELDED AA 2219 ALLOY USING SCANDIUM
CONTAINING FILLERS - MECHANICAL AND CORROSION BEHAVIOR
strengthening of the weld metal (Table 3). Higher 5. Addition of Sc improved the pitting corrosion
Mg and Sc contents have to be investigated to further resistance in case of Al-Cu welds and it did not
improve the weld metal strength and to be optimized significantly affect the pitting resistance of Mg
with respect to corrosion and solidification cracking containing welds.
resistance. In case of Al-Cu weld metals (2319)
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