×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Weldin and corrosion of AW7003

Weldin and corrosion of AW7003

Weldin and corrosion of AW7003

(OP)
Hi!
I have heard that welding of the aluminium alloy AW7003 could give corrosion problems. The person that stated this could not however specify which type of corrosion problem welding could lead to. Does anyone know?
I know that the 7xxx generally is said to be prone to stress corrosion cracking. Is this of some reason worse in welded AW7003 or is there any other mechanism that could be suspected?

RE: Weldin and corrosion of AW7003

I don’t have specifics on A7003. However, for any of the 7XXX series aluminum alloys they are heat treatable, and in general, are not recommended for welding. From the information I have, the 7XXX series (both Al-Zn-Mg and the Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) alloys are prone to stress corrosion cracking and hot cracking problems in the weld joints.

For AW7003, I would be more concerned about cracks in the weld joint and reduced mechanical properties.

RE: Weldin and corrosion of AW7003

For more info try this site;
www.alcotec.com
They have a page on 7000 series aluminum, explaining why you don't want to attempt welding it.

RE: Weldin and corrosion of AW7003

(OP)
Thanks for the suggestion, but I have been to Alcotecs site and I can not find the page you are referring to. Can you please guide me more precisely how to reach the page? The only information I find at Alcotec's site about the 7000 series is the same as also is stated at Lincolns site, which is that the majority of the 7000 alloys are as you say considered not weldable, but that there are a few exceptions from that, e.g. 7003(Lincoln) and 7005.

RE: Weldin and corrosion of AW7003

Excerpt from AlcoTec web site, from the page Understanding the Alloys of Aluminum

"7XXX Series Alloys – (heat treatable – with ultimate tensile strength of 32 to 88 ksi) These are the aluminum / zinc alloys (zinc additions ranging from 0.8 to 12.0%) and comprise some of the highest strength aluminum alloys. These alloys are often used in high performance applications such as aircraft, aerospace, and competitive sporting equipment. Like the 2xxx series of alloys, this series incorporates alloys which are considered unsuitable candidates for arc welding, and others, which are often arc welded successfully. The commonly welded alloys in this series, such as 7005, are predominantly welded with the 5xxx series filler alloys."

As stated above, several of these 7XXX series may indeed be welded without hot cracks in the weld deposit, but you will degrade base metal mechanical properties without re-heat treatment. If you need more information, contact AlcoTec directly.

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources