Liquid metal embrittlement-free welds of Zn-coated twinning induced plasticity steels

The high electrical resistivity of twinning induced plasticity steels makes their resistance spot welding difficult and limits their weldability. Meanwhile, liquid metal embrittlement of Zn-coated twinning induced plasticity steel welds is one of the most important challenges facing the scientific community. Liquid metal embrittlement also limits weldability of the steels and influences the mechanical response of welds. This work addresses this challenge by developing an innovative pathway to obtain liquid metal embrittlement-free welds which is able to extend the weldable current range of the steels. Simulations demonstrate that the method can perform a smart management of heating which is critically required to obtain embrittlement-free welds. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.