Experimental and numerical investigations of void damage in aluminum alloy welds under thermal cycling condition

Experimental and numerical investigations on thermal cycling induced void damage in aluminum alloy welds are presented. Microstructural and fractographic observations demonstrate that void nucleation around the second phase particles governs the damage process. A modified void nucleation model is presented to characterize the effect of thermal cycling assisted voiding. The physical simulation technique and finite element calculations are applied respectively to determine the local mechanical properties and damage parameters of the different parts of the welded joint. This model is successfully implemented in the finite element code to describe the void damage evolution of the welded joint under thermal cycling conditions.