Tensile and Shear Mechanical Properties in a Thermo-Mechanical-Electrical Processed Spot Weld

This study offers a novel approach to characterize the microstructure-property relationship of RSW Al6061-T6 aluminum alloy lap joints. Here, the mechanical properties are determined from quasi-static tensile tests along with shear punch tests through the weld regions. Using measured shear and tensile data, a linear correlation is obtained to quantify the yield and ultimate strengths across the weld region. Furthermore, shear punch tests were also performed in the rolling, transverse, and normal directions of the weld and rolled plate to quantify material anisotropy due to underlying solidification induced microstructure. Future work will explore how the observed mechanical responses are correlated with changes in the microstructures using neutron diffraction and stereological techniques.