Building ultra-thin Inconel 718 sheet joints using low-frequency PLBW scheme: Weld bead quality, keyhole dynamics, and solidification characteristics

Low-frequency pulsed laser beam welding (PLBW) was employed in building 0.32 mm-thick Inconel 718 superalloy butt joints which are frequently applied in manufacturing high-temperature functional units in the aviation industry. Several process parameter combinations concerning peak laser power, welding speed, and pulse frequency were implemented to explore the macro morphology, microstructure, and mechanical properties of the welded joints. Examinations exhibit that the resulting weld beads possess high continuity at the surface with an overlap factor ranging from 0.58 to 0.73. The cross-sectional profile changes from a V-shape to an H-shape with increasing heat input. Finer grain structures composed of γ matrix and γ/Laves eutectic penetration are observed within the FZ center, as compared to that near the fusion line. Excellent performance is achieved in microhardness and tensile tests. Numerical simulation based on an integrated mathematic model reveals periodic keyhole and weld pool dynamics depending on the pulsing laser power. During a typical pulse interval, keyhole geometry collapses within a fraction of a millisecond, leading to a sharp cooling stage at ∼4 × 106 K/s, and then, the melt cools due to the thermal convection with a normal cooling rate of 105 K/s. The full growth of the adjacent weld spot results in the secondary melting zone (SMZ), wherein the columnar dendrites can be refined mainly due to the heterogeneous nucleation as compared to the primary melting zone (PMZ).