Laser keyhole welding of stainless steel thin plate stack for applications in fuel cell manufacturing

Abstract

An investigation based on both experimental and numerical approaches is presented in this paper on laser keyhole welding processes to join stacks consisting of multiple stainless steel plates. The welding parameters are shown to be decisive factors for weld penetration depth and welding productivity. The cooling rate varies with welding parameters and the location of solidification sites, and it directly determines the primary dendrite arm spacing for the columnar dendrites inside the weld zone. The joint fails in coach peel tests when the loading pressure is 93.4 MPa, and the fracture surface shows a mixed brittle and ductile mode. The corrosion resistance of the weld to the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell working environment is comparable to that of the substrate.

Keywords

Fuel cell manufacturing Laser keyhole welding Welding productivity Dendrite arm spacing Coach peel strength Corrosion resistance

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