The Effects of Welding Speed on Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Tungsten Inert Gas-Welded Aluminum Alloy 5083 H116

Welding is one of the oldest joining processes to combine two materials. One of the commonly used welding processes is the tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding. In this study, Aluminum Alloy 5083 H116 is joined using TIG welding. Aluminum Alloy 5083 H116 is chosen because it is a popular material widely used in the industry, thanks to its properties such as good corrosion resistance, resistance in extreme environments, and high impact strength. The welding process of Aluminum Alloy 5083 H116 was performed under several speed variations, which are 1.8, 2 mm/s, and 2.2 m/s. We studied the effect of the welding speed on the mechanical strength and microstructure of the welded joint. The results are that the maximum tensile and bending strength were observed at a speed variation of 1.8 mm/s with a value of 286.75 and 485.19 MPa, respectively, and that the smallest tensile and bending strength values were obtained at a speed variation of 2.2 mm/s with a value of 204.65 MPa and 366.70 MPa, respectively. A good microstructure was attained in the weld joint for a speed variation of 1.8 mm/s.