OK I am not by any means an aluminum guy. I have very little experience with it. I was asked today about this scenario.
Bear in mind they now know the incorrect filler was used, but they want to know of the possible adverse effects they may encounter down the line.
Here it is. This is on a hopper of a trailer. Base metal is 5054 to 5052 welded with 4043 filler. Correct filler should be 5183 or 5356?
Welds have a good visual appearance (so I am told) they just want to know if this has a high potential for failure and should be redone.
jrw159
From a filler metal standpoint, (according to my charts) I think the strength of the filler should be looked at closely. The shear strength of 4043 vs. 5356 and 5183 is quite significant. Fillet welds (for example) using 4043 filler have a longitudinal and tranverse shear strength of 11.5ksi and 15ksi respectively, vs, the 5356 having 17ksi and 26ksi, and 5183 having a shear strength of 18ksi and 28ksi. Groove weld strength would be different because the HAZ would play a bigger part in determining the tensile properties. Dilution would be more of an issue.
As far as the compatibility of the filler and the basemetal, I'm not sure. Hopefully someone else chimes in, I'm interested to hear what others have to say too.
Jason
I'm not sure about the 5054 part. But according to Alotec ,4043 on 5052 is mediocre at best. Because of the good wetting and smut free characteristics of 4043, bead appearance will be good. Strength and ductility are low but ease of cracking and corrosion resistance are good. Better wires may be: 5356, 5183, 5556, or 5654. Of all wire choices offered by Aloctec, the 4043 was rated the poorest (this info was taken from the Alcotec aluminum filler chart). However, puddle fluidity and bead wetting with a 5XXX wire will likely be less than the 4043. As well as the typical black smut found along the weld toes when using a 5XXX wire, may reduce cosmetic appearance.
The joint between dissimilar metals is only as strong as the weakest link.
The 5052 - UTS (after welding) - 25 ksi
5054 is not listed, there is a 5154 listed in AWS D1.2 (2008)
Based on AWS D1.2: 5154 joined to 5052, use 5356.
As to what the ramifications are, weld up a test plate and see what the mechanicals are.
That's the best I can do.
Best regards - Al
Hello John, all of the folks have given you some very sound information on how they view your situation. I would add only slightly to Al's suggestion for welding up some test pieces and seeing what you get. When you do that though don't ignore pre-heating or other time-at-temperature situations. If the folks in the shop are preheating or running at elevated temperatures for long periods you could see some serious losses in tensiles. If this application is used in high vibration type environments the 4043 "might" be a benefit as it is less prone to cracking. I say that with reservations as the engineering of the weld applications have to take into account the possible lower strengths that would be realized in the finished welds and HAZ areas(the engineering of the application should allow for lower strength fillers). I too will look forward to others suggestions and observations. Best regards and keep us informed on what you have determined, Allan
Jason, Reddog, Al, and Allan,
Thanks so much for the input. I will pass along this info. This is not my project and is not associated in any way with my shade structure job. I think the biggest thing they were looking for was any red flag responses. They know I have resources and access to some of the best minds and experienced personnel in the business.
jrw159
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