TY - JOUR
T1 - A multi-scale modeling framework for solidification cracking during welding
AU - Liang, Xiaohui
AU - Agarwal, Gautam
AU - Hermans, Marcel
AU - Bos, Cornelis
AU - Richardson, Ian
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - A multi-scale multi-physics modeling framework has been developed to predict solidification cracking susceptibility (SCS) during welding. The framework integrates a thermo-mechanical finite element model to simulate temperature and strain rate profiles during welding, a cellular automata model to simulate the solidified microstructure in the weld pool, and a granular model to calculate the pressure drop in the mushy zone. Verification was achieved by comparing the model’s predictions with welding experiments on two steels, demonstrating its capability to accurately capture the effects of process parameters, grain refinement, and alloy composition on SCS. Results indicate that increasing welding velocity, while maintaining a constant power-to-velocity ratio, extends the size of the mushy zone and increases the maximum pressure drop in the mushy zone, leading to higher SCS. Grain refinement decreases separation velocities and the permeability of liquid channels, which increases SCS, but it also raises the coalescence temperature, resulting in an overall reduction in SCS. Alloy composition impacts SCS through thermal diffusivity and segregation. Lower thermal diffusivity or stronger segregation tends to elongate the mushy zone, resulting in an increase in SCS. This framework provides a robust tool for understanding the mechanisms of solidification cracking, optimizing welding parameters to prevent its occurrence, and comparing SCS of different compositions during alloy design.
AB - A multi-scale multi-physics modeling framework has been developed to predict solidification cracking susceptibility (SCS) during welding. The framework integrates a thermo-mechanical finite element model to simulate temperature and strain rate profiles during welding, a cellular automata model to simulate the solidified microstructure in the weld pool, and a granular model to calculate the pressure drop in the mushy zone. Verification was achieved by comparing the model’s predictions with welding experiments on two steels, demonstrating its capability to accurately capture the effects of process parameters, grain refinement, and alloy composition on SCS. Results indicate that increasing welding velocity, while maintaining a constant power-to-velocity ratio, extends the size of the mushy zone and increases the maximum pressure drop in the mushy zone, leading to higher SCS. Grain refinement decreases separation velocities and the permeability of liquid channels, which increases SCS, but it also raises the coalescence temperature, resulting in an overall reduction in SCS. Alloy composition impacts SCS through thermal diffusivity and segregation. Lower thermal diffusivity or stronger segregation tends to elongate the mushy zone, resulting in an increase in SCS. This framework provides a robust tool for understanding the mechanisms of solidification cracking, optimizing welding parameters to prevent its occurrence, and comparing SCS of different compositions during alloy design.
KW - Cellular automata
KW - Finite element
KW - Liquid feeding
KW - Modeling
KW - Solidification cracking
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85208537701&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.actamat.2024.120530
DO - 10.1016/j.actamat.2024.120530
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85208537701
SN - 1359-6454
VL - 283
JO - Acta Materialia
JF - Acta Materialia
M1 - 120530
ER -