• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.50-55
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• 2011

Energy resistance welding (ERW) is a pipe-producing process that has high productivity and low manufacturing cost. However, the high heat input of ERW degrades the mechanical property of the pipe. This study investigates the effect of heat input and alloying elements on microstructure and mechanical properties of ERW pipes. As the heat input increased, the ferrite amount increased. The ferrite amount in the weld centerline was larger than t at in the weld boundary. Medium carbon steels (S45C and K55) having 0.3~0.4wt.% carbon yielded a significant difference of ferrite amount in the weld centerline and weld boundary. High alloyed steels (DP780 and K55) having 1.5~1.6wt.% Mn showed a ferrite rich zone in the weld centerline. These phenomena are probably due to decarburization and demanganisation in the weld centerline. As the ferrite fraction increased, the hardness decreased a little for the S45C steels. In addition, DP780 steels and K55 steels showed that the hardness drops when those steels have a ferrite rich zone. But we demonstrated the good tensile property of the DP780 steels and K55 steels in which Mn is included.

• Laser Solutions
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1-10
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• 2013

In this study, Al-Si coated boron steel(1.2 mm) were laser welded by $CO_2$ laser and hot-stamping was applied to the laser joints. Tensile properties and microstructures of the joints were investigated before and after hot-stamping. Tensile and yield strengths of the as welded specimen similar with base metal and fracture occurred base metal of boron steel. Although, in case of heat treated specimen, fracture occurred fusion zone that Al segregated zone near the bond line. These could be explained by the existence of ferrite, in the Al segregated zone near the bond line and base metal of boron steel. Before hot-stamping, hardness of base metal is lower than fusion zone and heat affected zone in spite of exist Al segregation zone($Fe_3$(Al,Si)). So fracture occurred base metal. Although, after hot-stamping, microstructure of base metal and welds zone transformed to martensite and bainite except in Al segregation zone near the bond line that $Fe_3$(Al,Si) transformed to a-ferrite. So fracture occurred Al segregation zone near the bond line.

• Korean Journal of Metals and Materials
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.455-462
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• 2012

Al-Si coated boron steel and Zn coated DP steel plates were laser-welded to manufacture a Tailor Welded Blank (TWB) for a car body frame. Hot-stamping heat treatment ($900^{\circ}C$, 5 min) was applied to the TWB weld, and the microstructural change and transformation mechanism were investigated in the Al-rich area near the bond line of the Al-Si coated steel side. There was Al-rich area with a single phase, $Fe_3(Al,Si)$, which was transformed to ${\alpha}-Fe$ (Ferrite) after the heat treatment. It could be explained that the $Fe_3(Al,Si)$ phase was transformed to ${\alpha}-Fe$ during heat treatment at $900^{\circ}C$ for 5 min and the resultant ${\alpha}-Fe$ phase was not transformed by rapid cooling. Before the heat treatment, the microstructures around the $Fe_3(Al,Si)$ phase consisted of martensite, bainite and ${\alpha}-Fe$ while they were transformed to martensite and ${\delta}-Fe$ after the heat treatment. Due to the heat treatment, Al was diffused to the $Fe_3(Al,Si)$ and this resulted in an increase of Al content to 0.7 wt% around the Al-rich area. If the weld was held at $900^{\circ}C$ for 5 min it was transformed to a mixture of austenite (${\gamma}$) and ${\delta}-Fe$, and only ${\gamma}$ was transformed to the martensite by water cooling while the ${\delta}-Fe$ was remained unchanged.