Materials commonly used in the automotive industry were assembled with different combinations using various joining techniques in order to evaluate their corrosion performance as well their mechanical properties. Steel-based materials included carbon steel, high strength steel, Usibor AluSi, and zinc coated steel. Light alloys covering two aluminum alloys 5182 and 6016 and magnesium alloy AM50 were selected. Joining techniques integrated spot welding, laser welding, arc welding, MIG brazing, clinching, and adhesive bonding with epoxy. In total, 20 different assemblies were produced and characterized before being tested in a cyclic accelerated corrosion test named N-VDA tests for different exposure durations in order to assess the influence of the corrosion on the mechanical properties of the different joints. The loss of mechanical properties of welded joints exposed in the accelerated corrosion test was related to the corrosion degradation in the overlapped area which induced a modification of the failure mode. Globally, the remaining thickness decreased while the strength loss increased with the exposure time. No reduction in joint strength of spot welded HDG/HDG and Usibor AluSi/HSG combinations was observed. The mechanical properties and the corrosion resistance of steel were improved by coupling to zinc coated steel. No reduction in joint strength was observed on any of the clinched joints after 34 weeks of test. On the contrary, joints involving adhesive presented increasing strength loss with exposure time to the cyclic test. This was connected to an increase of the degree of adhesive failure as a result of environmental exposure generating corrosion of the substrate that provided path for ingress of moisture to the substrate/ adhesive interface but also created stresses in the joint.
Corrosion performance and mechanical properties of joined automotive materials
Korrosionsverhalten und mechanische Eigenschaften von gefügten Automobilwerkstoffen
Materials and Corrosion ; 63 , 5 ; 408-415
2012
8 Seiten, 7 Bilder, 2 Tabellen, 25 Quellen
Aufsatz (Zeitschrift)
Englisch
Verbinden (Fügen) , nichtartgleicher Werkstoff , Automobilbau , nichtrostender Stahl , verzinkter Stahl , Magnesiumlegierung , Aluminiumlegierung , Punktschweißen , Lichtbogenschweißen , Durchsetzfügen , Kleben (Verbinden) , Laserstrahlschweißen , Mischgasschweißen , Korrosionsverhalten , Festigkeitsverlust , beschleunigte Prüfung , Korrosionsart , Kontaktkorrosion , Korrosionstiefe , Aluminiummagnesiumsiliciumlegierung , Aluminiummagnesiummanganlegierung
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