Effect of Laser Power on Microstructure and Micro-Galvanic Corrosion Behavior of a 6061-T6 Aluminum Alloy Welding Joints

The 6061-T6 aluminum alloy welding joints were fabricated using gas metal arc welding (GMAW) of various laser powers, and the effect of laser power on the microstructure evolution of the welding joints was investigated. The corrosion behaviors of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy welding joints were investigated in 3.5 wt% NaCl solution using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results showed that the micro-galvanic corrosion initiation from Mg2Si or around the intermetallic particles (Al-Fe-Si) is observed after the immersion test due to the inhomogeneous nature of the microstructure. The preferential dissolution of the Mg2Si and Al-Fe-Si is believed to be the possible cause of pitting corrosion. When the laser power reached 5 kW, the microstructure of the welded joint mainly consisted of Al-Fe-Si rather than the Mg2Si at 2 kW. The relatively higher content of Al-Fe-Si with increasing in laser power would increase the volume of corrosion pits.

Automated summary

The research showed that the micro-galvanic corrosion in 6061-T6 aluminum alloy welding joints was initiated due to the inhomogeneous nature of the microstructure, primarily caused by preferential dissolution of Mg2Si and Al-Fe-Si. With the increase in laser power, the content of Al-Fe-Si in the welded joint increased, leading to a higher volume of corrosion pits.