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PhysicsPhysics Procedia
Procedia 00 (2008)
2 (2009) 000–000
1159–1165
www.elsevier.com/locate/XXX
www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

.Proceedings of the JMSM 2008 Conference

Microstructure change in the interface of co2 laser

welded zirconium alloys
N. Boutareka*, B. Azzouguia, D. Saidib, M. Neggacheb
a
Université des Sciences et Technologie Houari Boumedienne, Faculté de Génie Mécanique et Génie des Procédés, Laboratoire des Sciences et
Génie des Matériaux; BP 32 El Alia, 16311 Bab Ezzouar, Alger, Algérie.
b
Centre de Recherche Nucléaire de Draria, Division des Matériaux et Combustibles Nucléaires Département de Métallurgie, BP 43 Draria ,
Alger, Algérie; E-mail: nboutarek@yahoo.fr
Received 1 January
Elsevier2009; received
use only: in revised
Received date here;form 31 date
revised Julyhere;
2009; accepted
accepted date 31
hereAugust 2009

Abstract

Welding is a joining procedure that offers some benefits over mechanical fasteners such as weight reduction and absence of
notches induced by machining operations.
CO2 laser beam welding with a continuous wave is a high energy density and low heat input process. The result of this is a small
heat-affected zone (HAZ), which cools very rapidly with very little distortion, and a high depth-to-width ratio for the
Welding is a necessary process during fabricating fuel rods and fuel assemblies with Zircaloy-4 cladding, and electron beam
welding is one of the commonly- used method.
In this work, the joining of zirconium alloys was attempted by laser beam welding. A 2 kW CO2 laser is used and the joints are
obtained from similar materials, which are plates of Zircaloy-4 (2 mm thick).
A series of zirconium alloys were welded and investigated in a tow-fold approach: (1) process optimisation: the laser processing
parameters are optimized to obtain welds with minimum defects, and (2) material characterisation: weld microstructures were
evaluated.
The microstructure and the phases present in the resolidified zone of the laser -welded specimens were analyzed by optical and
scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and also by the realization of micro hardness diagrams. A particular attention
was made to study the correlation between surface structure and mechanical behaviour.
© 2009 Elsevier B.V. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.

Keywords: CO2 laser, laser welded, zirconium alloy, microstructure, microhardness.

1. Introduction

Welding is a joining procedure that offers some benefits over mechanical fasteners such as weight reduction and
absence of notches induced by machining operations.

* Corresponding author. Tel.:+ 213 771 26 03 24; fax: +213 21 24 79 19.

E-mail address :. nboutarek@yahoo.fr

doi:10.1016/j.phpro.2009.11.078
11602 N. Boutarek
Boutarek et et
Naima al.al./
/ Physics
Physics Procedia
Procedia 002 (2009)
(2009)000–000
1159–1165

CO2 laser beam welding with a continuous wave is a high energy density and low heat input process. The result
of this is a small heat-affected zone (HAZ), which cools very rapidly with very little distortion, and a high depth-to-
width ratio for the
Welding is a necessary process during fabricating fuel rods and fuel assemblies with Zircaloy-4 cladding, and
electron beam welding is one of the commonly- used method [1]. Zhou et al. [2] found that after Zircaloy-4 plates
were welded to form butt joints by electron beam welding, the corrosion resistance of welding seams was poor.
The techniques of welding drive to modifications of microstructure and lead to pressures and distortions residual
playing a role mattering on the mechanical keeping of assemblages. Welding introduces two big families of
problems:
Ŷ Metallurgical:On one hand, the operation of welding leads all over it’s energy provision and sometimes the
provision of metal, of metallurgical modifications at the level of the welded joint. The realization of a welded group
passes in general by the local fusion of junctions to be put together. The existence of a well-blended zone is at the
origin of radical modifications of the internal state of assemblage. The solidification of this zone produces a
particular microstructure, distinct from the initial state. These modifications are going to affect the microstructures
of the well-blended zone and the thermically affected zones.
Ŷ Mechanical: On the other hand, the thermically affected zone called ZAT assembles of metallurgical
modification can lead to fragility, to falls of mechanical resistance, to lack of ductility... Metallurgical modifications
influence the mechanical keeping of the welded joint. In addition, it is necessary to make sure to acquire a sufficient
mechanical keeping and to take into account soldering in counting and dimensioning of rooms
Indeed, the welded joint is subjected to various problems resulting from these metallurgical modifications:
¾ Facilitation by hydrogen: phenomenon of cracking with cold.
¾ Appearance of cracking in hot (Liquation) in the course of solidification: retassures, inter granular
cracking.
These modifications depend on the material to be welded, of used technique and coherent surgical mode.
Welding by beam laser of metals introduces considerable advantages in comparison with the most conventional
techniques of assemblage by fusion [3].
Above all, we analyzed: the cords of welding Zy4-Zy4 submitted to the process of laser CO2 welding. The aim of
this analysis is to identify the morphology and the kind of presence phases in the different zones of welding cords:
the melted zone (ZF) and the thermically affected zone (ZAT). In addition, the realization of filiations of Vickers
micro hardness informs about the mechanical behavior of the weld bead (ZF and ZAT which is induced by the
microstructure.

2. Experimental

2.1. Chemical composition

The result of the total analysis of the chemical composition accomplished by XRF (spectrometry of fluorescence
X), which revealed the majority presence of the zirconium with addenda of Sn, Fe and Cr shows well that it is
definitely of the alloy of zirconium: the zircaloy 4: Zy4 (table 1).

Table 1. Nominal compositions (at.%) of zircalloy 4.

Additional
Cr at. % Sn at. % Zr at. % Fe at. %
elements

1.43
Zy4 0.12 the rest 0.20
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2.2. Welding Performance

Welding was performed by a laser CO2 of type SPECTRA-PHYSICS LASER CO2 1, 5 KW. Welding is
accomplished by using a source uninterrupted Spectra physics CO2 (10.6 μ) of 1500W with a focal of 5 thumbs.
The single type of junctions being accomplished: Zy4-Zy4. Samples were welded without metal of provision, in end
to end, in a room under space (2mbar) with a sweeping in argon on both faces of the joint. All surgical conditions is
regrouped in table. 2.
Table 2. Welding performance conditions.

Power of the He torch

Sample Materials Ar chambre
beam (W) (l/mn)

1 Zr-Zr 700 12 (l /mn) 20

2 Zr-Zr 1000 760 mm Hg 20

3. Results and discussion

3.1.Microstructural and metallographic analysis

The microstructures of the laser weld of samples 1 and 2 (Zy4-Zy4) put in an obvious place a structure of
interface (figure 1), composed of the following successive zones:
1. A central zone (A) which corresponds to the melted zone. The exam deepened by the morphology of this zone
(figure 2) reveals a structure in needles of composition assimilated to the Widemansttäten structure [4-5].
2. A thermically affected zone B (ZAT) which becomes divided into two distinct zones:
• The first thermically affected zone transition comparatively narrow located in interface basic
metal, which reveals a structure with fine grains.
• A second thermically affected zone border with the melted zone (ZF) of which structures it present
of the big grains inside which the crystallization of a sent structure (Widemansttäten) was put in
an obvious place [5-6].
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A Melted Welding
Zone
A Cord

Welding
Cord C
A B Thermically
affected zone
B (ZAT) B

Base
ZAT1
C
ZAT2
Metal C
(MB)
Zy-4 1000 ȝm Zy-4 1000μm

A Melted Welding
Zone
A Center

Welding
Center C
A B Thermically
affected zone
B (ZAT) B

Base
ZAT1
C
ZAT2
Metal C
(MB)
Zy-4 1000ȝm Zy-4 1000μm

(a) (b)

Fig. 1. Microstructure in laser welded of (a) sample 1, (b) sample 2.

 N. Boutarek
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Fig. 2. SEM microstructure, EDS spectrum and semi-quantitative analysis

of the mellted zone (ZF) of the interface welded Zy4-Zy4 of sample 1.
.

3.2. X-ray diffraction:

The different ghosts of diffraction acquired on both cords of soldering portray Zy4-Zy4 (samples 1 and 2) is
introduced in pictures 3 and 4. The study of these ghosts of diffraction linked to the results of indexation allowed the
identification of unique stage Į - Zr (HC). All peaks in presence index perfectly in form Į of the zirconium.
Moreover, the positions of the stripes of the ghost correspond perfectly to those of the stripes of the chip ASTM
(position of the peaks of the chip ASTM of Į - Zr, are carried in red on (figures 3 and 4).

Fig. 3. XRD pattern of laser welded of the sample 1.

.
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Procedia 002 (2009)
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Fig. 4. XRD pattern of laser welded of the sample 2.

3.3. Micro hardness analysis

We accomplished filiations of micro hardness Vickers in the characteristic zones of the cord of soldering
(thermically affected zone and well-blended zone) of both welded interfaces Zy4-Zy4 (samples 1 and 2). The curves
of the figure 5 represent the variation of these filiations.

Fig. 5. Hardness profiles of the two laser-welded specimens along the depth of the cross-section.
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The variation of these filiations arise a certain number of points, namely:

1. On mechanical plan, the variation of micro hardness Vickers is rather homogeneous. The transition cord of
soldering – basic metal is not net, and continuity is practically perfect. In this case, the cord of soldering
constitutes a continuity of material improved between both of basic metals.

2. This analysis doesn’t allow differentiating in the both zones of the cord of soldering (thermically affected
zone and well-blended zone) put in obviousness by the previous metallurgical characterizations.
3. Moreover, these filiations do not reveal net difference between the stocks of the micro hardness Vickers of
the cords of soldering of both samples 1 and 2. A priori with the potency of the laser used in our study (700
and 1000 W), the impact of this parameter (potency) on the stocks of micro hardness is not quantifiable.
This result allows confirming the microscopic observations, which for both samples reveal similar
microstructures.

4. Conclusion

The laser-matter interaction acting during the CO2 laser welding of zirconium alloy is studied. A series of
zirconium alloys were welded and investigated in a tow-fold approach: (1) process optimisation: the laser processing
parameters are optimized to obtain welds with minimum defects, and (2) material characterisation: weld
microstructures were evaluated.

The following conclusions can be drawn:

1. The microstructure of the laser weld is composed of to successive zones: central zone which
corresponds to the melted zone, and a thermically affected zone (ZAT) which reveals a structure with
fine grains and also a Widemansttäten structure.
1. The laser weld for the two samples remained purely ferritic Į-Zr. these result was confirmed by EDS
and XRD analysis.
2. The microhardness of the laser welds remain homogenous, and didn’t exhibit significant difference
between both zones (ZF and ZAT) in the welded zone. This result is receivable considering the value
of the step 0.5 mm[6-7].

References

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[2] B.X. Zhou, Q. Li, Z. Miao, Nucl. Power Eng. 24 (2003) 236.
[3] J. Herenguel, Special metallurgy, volume III, the zirconium and its alloys, University presses of France, 1962
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by metallurgy, 1966.
[5] L. Seraphin, Memories and Scientific Studies, Magazine of Metallurgy LXII, No 4 (1965) 291.
[6] Y. Robert, Numerical Simulation of the welding of TA6V by laser yag impulsion: experimental characterization and modeling of aspects
thermomecanic, Doctoral dissertation, High School of Mining Studies of Paris-France 2007.
[7] J. Ribis, F. Onimus, J.L. Bechade, S. Doriot, C. Cappelaere, C. Lemaiguan, bearded man A., Restoration of the defects of radiation in the
alloys of zirconium, experimental approach and modeling, Material 2006, Dijon, France 2006.