Wetting behavior of eutectic Al–Si droplets on zinc coated steel substrates

Transient spreading behavior, joint properties and metallurgical compositions are investigated for different hot-dip and electro-galvanized zinc coatings. The main focus is set on the effect of coating thicknesses and droplet size. While most of the droplets are observed on surfaces at room temperature, the case of pre-heated substrates is also accounted for. Both the coating thickness and the droplet size have little effect on the resulting wetting angle compared to the effect of preheating or the absence of a coating. The transient spreading behavior significantly differs for different coating types. The coating thickness affects heat transfer into the substrate during the initial stage of wetting. The metallurgical composition shows that the coating is removed over a broad interfacial area, while it accumulates at the toe of the deposited braze metal most likely due to fluid dynamic effects.