Press-hardened steels (PHS) with a 1.5-mm-thick coated Al⁻Si layer is welded using an IPG YLS6000 continuous fiber laser in the air atmosphere. An SU5000 scanning electron microscope (SEM) and an Oxford EDS X-Max20 energy spectrometer are used to characterize the microstructure, which consists of delta (δ)-ferrite and lath martensite. It is similar to that of the welding performed in the Ar atmosphere, but the content of δ-ferrite is less. The reason is the formation of Al₂O₃ inclusions in the molten pool, which reacts with oxygen from the air ambient and the Al from the molten Al⁻Si coating of PHS. The oxygen content is measured with an ONH-3000 analyzer. An HV-1000 microhardness tester and DNS-100 universal material test equipment are performed to test the hardness and tensile strength. Similar hardness and strength of welded joints are achieved welding in the air atmosphere compared to that of the Ar atmosphere. Fracture was initialed in the fusion line of overlapping zone and propagated along the interface of two plates and fusion line due to the Al segregation.
Keywords: Al–Si layer; laser welding; microstructure and properties; press-hardened steels; welding atmospheres.