Formability of laser welded steel/magnesium dissimilar metal with Sn powder-adhesive interlayer

The exploratory experiments of laser fusion welding with Sn powder and the automotive adhesive addition were conducted for DP590 dual-phase steel and AZ31B magnesium alloy in an overlap steel-on-magnesium configuration. The characteristics of metal vapor/plasma were analyzed by collecting and analyzing plasma shape and welding spectra. The microstructure of the welded was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS). The temperature field distribution of the joint was simulated by COMSOL finite-element software. The results showed that the transfer of heat from steel to the magnesium alloy is hindered by the adhesive layer, which is conducive to the simultaneous melting of steel and magnesium with large differences in melting and boiling points. In addition, the width of the molten pool increases, but the depth is shallow on the magnesium side. Meanwhile, the recoil pressure induced by the splashing of the molten pool reduces, and the surface quality of the weld is improved. Some intermetallic compounds (IMCs), such as FeSn, Fe_1.3Sn, and Fe₃Sn, are formed inside the molten pool, while columnar dendrite Mg₂Sn phase is also produced. The presence of these phases helps realize the bidirectional metallurgical bonding of steel/magnesium dissimilar metals.