Mechanical properties and microstructure of multi-pass butt weld of plates made of Al-Mg-Zr alloy sparingly doped with scandium

Aluminum alloys doped with scandium represent a new generation of high-performance alloys that have numerous advantages compared to high-strength aluminum alloys. However, the cost of such alloys is quite high. Thus, scientists have been searching for new alloys sparingly doped with Sc that are suitable for industrial use. The current research aims to study the mechanical properties and microstructure of a multi-pass butt-welded joint of plates made of 1580 alloy of the Al-Mg-Zr system sparingly doped with Sc 0.1 wt%, depending on the shape of a weld groove and the chemical composition of the filler wire. Welding of plates with a thickness of 34.5 mm with X-groove and K-groove was performed by the TIG method in manual mode with filler wires from aluminum alloys. Good weldability and hot crack resistance of 1580 alloy providing ultimate strength of welded joints at the level of 0.84–0.93 of the ultimate strength of the base metal were established. The peculiarity of the thermal cycles of multi-pass welding affects the structure formation. The formed coarse-crystalline structure of the weld from 1580 filler wire leads to reduced mechanical properties of the welded joints, compared to the welded joints obtained with the use of 1561 filler wire. The analysis of the macro- and microstructure of the welded joints is given. The results of SEM and EDS studies of welds are presented.