Microstructural Characteristics of a Stainless Steel/Copper Dissimilar Joint Made by Laser Welding

The microstructures and its formation mechanism of a stainless steel/copper dissimilar joint by laser welding were investigated. It was found that the two modes of joining, i.e., welding-brazing and fusion welding, depend on different processing parameters. In the welding-brazing mode, the interface between copper and the fusion zone has scraggy morphology because the molten pool is frozen by solid copper with high thermal conductivity. The interdiffusion of elements occurs in the neighborhood of the interface, which leads to the metallurgy bond of the mode. In the fusion welding mode, the liquid phase in the fusion zone undergoes not only primary but also secondary liquid separation due to the high cooling rate and high supercooling level of laser welding. Some microcracks generated in the fusion zone by thermal stress mismatch are healed by liquid copper filling.