Influence of Activated Flux on Microstructure and Characteristics of Weld Bead Geometry of Al–Mg–Si Alloy AA6082 Fabricated by Cold Metal Transfer Process

The cold metal transfer technique shows potential as a welding method for constructing aluminium structures. This research work focuses on a comparison of influence of activated flux on microstructure and characteristics of weld bead geometry of Al–Mg–Si alloy AA6082 manufactured by cold metal transfer (CMT) process. ER4043 was used as a filler wire to make weld on bead on 3 mm thick AA6082 plates. Various input process parameters, i.e. current (90, 100, and 110 A) and welding speed (30, 40, and 50 cm/min) were used, whereas the nozzle tip distance and shielding gas flow rate remained fixed at 10 mm and 15 l/min, respectively. Optical microscopy is used to study the microstructural characteristics. The samples created with activated flux have a high level of penetration and percentage dilution. Also, there is an increase in micro-hardness of samples which are fabricated using activated flux.