# Laser Power-Dependent Microstructural Evolution and Fracture Mechanisms in Ti80 Titanium Alloy Welds: A Multi-Scale Investigation

## TL;DR

This paper investigates how laser welding power affects the microstructure and strength of Ti80 titanium alloy welds.

## Contribution

A multi-scale investigation combining simulation and EBSD analysis to correlate laser power with microstructural and mechanical outcomes in Ti80 welds.

## Key findings

- Higher laser power changed weld morphology from Y-shaped to X-shaped and increased tensile strength to 903.12 MPa.
- The weld zone hardness increased to 420-460 HV, with ductile fracture observed at 3000 W.
- Simulation accurately predicted residual stress with less than 2% error compared to experimental results.

## Abstract

The laser welding of 4 mm thick Ti80 alloy under different powers was analyzed, and the weld morphology, microstructure, and mechanical properties were studied. A simulation model was established based on ABAQUS, and laser welding simulations were conducted using 2520 W and 3000 W laser welding power sources to analyze the temperature field and stress field, which were verified by experiments. The increase in power changed the weld morphology from Y-shaped to X-shaped and affected the number of pores in incomplete and complete penetration. The microstructure in the weld zone presented fine acicular α′ phase. Subsequently, grain boundary distribution maps, Kernel Average Misorientation (KAM) maps, and geometrically necessary dislocation (GND) density maps were generated through electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis. These comprehensive data visualizations enabled multi-dimensional investigation, establishing and analyzing correlations between laser welding parameters, microstructural evolution, and mechanical properties in Ti80 titanium laser welding. The hardness of the base material was 320 HV to 360 HV, and it increased from 420 HV to 460 HV in the weld zone. At 3000 W, the tensile strength reached 903.12 MPa, and the elongation was 10.40%, indicating ductile fracture. The simulation results accurately predicted the maximum longitudinal residual stress in the weld zone, with an error of 1.65% to 1.81% of the measured value.