Effects of resistance spot welding parameters on microstructures and mechanical properties of dissimilar material joints of galvanised high strength steel and aluminium alloy

Intermediate frequency resistance spot welding has been adopted to join dissimilar materials of H220YD galvanised high strength steel and 6008 aluminium alloy. The effects of welding current and welding time on microstructures and mechanical properties of the welded joints were investigated. A thin intermetallic compound layer composed of Fe₂Al₅ phase and Fe₄Al₁₃ phase formed at the steel/aluminium interface. The interfacial intermetallic compound layer has higher nanohardness compared with the aluminium alloy nugget and galvanised steel. With increasing welding current (4–11 kA) and welding time (50–300 ms), the nugget diameter increased, the interfacial layer structure became coarser and the tensile shear load of the welded joints had an increased tendency. The maximum tensile shear load reached 3309 N at 9 kA for 250 ms. Crack initiated at the interfacial intermetallic compound layer of the tensile shear specimens, then propagated through the interfacial layer principally, and meantime through the aluminium alloy fusion zone near the interface partially.