Mechanical and metallurgical characterization of 8090 Al-Li alloy welded joints

The properties of Al–Li alloys have been extensively studied recently for structural applications in automotive and aerospace industry, thanks to their lower density and enhanced modulus of elasticity. In common with many Al alloys, one of the main issues is the loss of toughness and soundness of welded joints consequent upon welding operations, in particular, possible cracking in the weld metal and metallurgical modifications induced in the heat-affected zone. In this work, welding trials were carried out on 8090 Al–Li plates welded by electric arc, using a 5% Mg filler metal. Joints were mechanically and metallurgically characterized through tensile and microhardness tests, optical and scanning electron microscopy, and fractography on both welded and unwelded tensile specimens. Energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) measurements were also performed to evaluate chemical composition locally and determine the nature of precipitates.