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Liquid metal embrittlement susceptibility of galvanized advanced high strength steel with high manganese content

  • Jingyi Gu

    Jingyi Gu was born in 2004 in China. He is studying for a bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering at Shanghai University.

         , Jiayi Zhou

    Jiayi Zhou was born in 2000 in China. She graduated from Nanjing Tech University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering. She is studying for a master’s degree in Materials Processing Engineering at Shanghai University.

         , Yu Sun

    Yu Sun was born in 1996 in China. She graduated from Taiyuan University of Science and Technology with a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 2018 and a master’s degree in Materials Processing Engineering in 2022. She is studying for a doctor’s degree in Materials Processing Engineering at Shanghai University.

         , Rongxun Hu

    Rongxun Hu was born in 2001 in China. He graduated from Wuhan University of Science and Technology in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering. He is studying for a master’s degree in Materials Processing Engineering at Shanghai University.

         , Ming Lei

    Ming Lei was born in 1980 in China. He graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University with a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 2002 and a master’s degree in Materials Processing Engineering in 2005. Since April 2005, he has been working at the R&D center of Baoshan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., mainly engaged in the research of resistance spot welding performance of automotive plates and related welding technology services.

     EMAIL logo     and Yulai Gao

    Yulai Gao was born in 1975 in China. He graduated from Shandong University in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in Casting. He obtained a doctor’s degree in Materials Processing Engineering at Harbin Institute of Technology in 2003. Within the same year, he worked at School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University. He was promoted to be a professor in 2010. He has long been engaged in the research of metal solidification, micro and nano materials, lead-free solder and metal welding.

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Published/Copyright: April 9, 2025
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Materials Testing
From the journal Materials Testing Volume 67 Issue 6

Abstract

The galvanized advanced high strength steel (AHSS) with high manganese content tends to suffer the liquid metal embrittlement (LME) during the resistance spot welding (RSW) process. In this study, the LME susceptibility of one kind of galvanized AHSS with high manganese content was systematically evaluated based on the criterion of Auto/Steel Partnership (A/SP). The galvanized AHSS with high manganese content was welded at 16 groups of different welding currents from 7.0 kA to 14.5 kA with intervals of 0.5 kA. No evident LME cracks could be observed in the cross sections of those specimens below expulsion. However, numerous severe LME cracks could be clearly observed for the joints at or above expulsion. It was considered that the increase of the welding current aggravated the LME severity of this kind of steel. Additionally, the nugget size could be measured after the chemical etching. The nugget size gradually increased with increasing the welding current. Based on the A/SP criterion, the results revealed that this kind of galvanized AHSS with high manganese content exhibited high LME susceptibility, thus not meeting the requirements. Except for the large welding current, it was deemed that the high Mn content was the crucial factor to lead to high LME susceptibility of this steel.

Keywords: advanced high strength steel; high manganese content; liquid metal embrittlement (LME) susceptibility; resistance spot welding; welding current
Corresponding authors: Ming Lei, State Key Laboratory of Development and Application Technology of Automotive Steels (Baosteel Group), Shanghai 201900, China; and Automobile Steel Research Institute, R&D Center, Baoshan Iron & Steel Co., Ltd., Shanghai 201900, China; and Yulai Gao, State Key Laboratory of Advanced Special Steel, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China, E-mail: (M. Lei), ylgao@shu.edu.cn (Y. Gao)

About the authors

Jingyi Gu

Jingyi Gu was born in 2004 in China. He is studying for a bachelor’s degree in Metallurgical Engineering at Shanghai University.

Jiayi Zhou

Jiayi Zhou was born in 2000 in China. She graduated from Nanjing Tech University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering. She is studying for a master’s degree in Materials Processing Engineering at Shanghai University.

Yu Sun

Yu Sun was born in 1996 in China. She graduated from Taiyuan University of Science and Technology with a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 2018 and a master’s degree in Materials Processing Engineering in 2022. She is studying for a doctor’s degree in Materials Processing Engineering at Shanghai University.

Rongxun Hu

Rongxun Hu was born in 2001 in China. He graduated from Wuhan University of Science and Technology in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering. He is studying for a master’s degree in Materials Processing Engineering at Shanghai University.

Ming Lei

Ming Lei was born in 1980 in China. He graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University with a bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering in 2002 and a master’s degree in Materials Processing Engineering in 2005. Since April 2005, he has been working at the R&D center of Baoshan Iron and Steel Co., Ltd., mainly engaged in the research of resistance spot welding performance of automotive plates and related welding technology services.

Yulai Gao

Yulai Gao was born in 1975 in China. He graduated from Shandong University in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in Casting. He obtained a doctor’s degree in Materials Processing Engineering at Harbin Institute of Technology in 2003. Within the same year, he worked at School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University. He was promoted to be a professor in 2010. He has long been engaged in the research of metal solidification, micro and nano materials, lead-free solder and metal welding.

  1. Research ethics: Not applicable.

  2. Informed consent: Not applicable.

  3. Author contributions: Resources, M.L. and Y.G.; Validation, Y.S.; Formal analysis, J.G., J.Z., Y.S., R.H. and M.L.; Investigation, J.G. and J.Z.; Writing-original draft, J.G.; Writing-review & editing, J.Z., R.H. and Y.G.; Supervision, Y.G. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.

  5. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Author Ming Lei was employed by Baosteel Group and Baoshan. Iron & Steel Co., Ltd. All other authors state no conflict of interest.

  6. Research funding: None declared.

  7. Data availability: The raw data can be obtained on request from the corresponding author.

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Published Online: 2025-04-09
Published in Print: 2025-06-26

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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  3. Bending behavior of corrugated sandwich panels with various core shapes
  4. Comparison of crash performance of auxetic structures for CF15, PA6/GF30, and GF30PP materials
  5. Combined effect of ball milling and high-pressure torsion on mechanical properties of Al2O3/Al composite
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https://doi.org/10.1515/mt-2024-0430
Keywords for this article
advanced high strength steel; high manganese content; liquid metal embrittlement (LME) susceptibility; resistance spot welding; welding current

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Effect of flush grinding on corrosion fatigue behavior of step-aged 7020 aluminum alloys
  3. Bending behavior of corrugated sandwich panels with various core shapes
  4. Comparison of crash performance of auxetic structures for CF15, PA6/GF30, and GF30PP materials
  5. Combined effect of ball milling and high-pressure torsion on mechanical properties of Al2O3/Al composite
  6. Liquid metal embrittlement susceptibility of galvanized advanced high strength steel with high manganese content
  7. Kinetic study on nickel aluminides formed on Monel 400 alloy
  8. Finite element simulation of natural gas pipelines in service welding repair
  9. Biomechanical effects of material selection and micro-groove design for dental implants
  10. Design, FEA and experimental validation of 3D-printed PLA/PCL intervertebral cages for lumbar spinal fusion
  11. Effect of tool tilt angles on the formation of YSZ/Al2O3 hybrid surface composites on friction stir processed magnesium alloy AZ31
  12. Coating of AISI 304 stainless steel surface with addition of Cr3C2 to NiCrCo medium entropy alloy powder
  13. Numerical and analytical stress analysis for a FGM beam
  14. Mechanical and wear behaviour of hybrid AA8011 metal matrix composite reinforced with aluminum silicate and titanium dioxide
  15. A new neural network–assisted hybrid chaotic hiking optimization algorithm for optimal design of engineering components
  16. Cup drawing predictions for a 6016-T4 aluminum alloy
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