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Effects of TiC composite coating on electrode degradation in microresistance welding of nickel-plated steel

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Abstract

Electrode degradation has been studied during series-mode microresistance welding of thin-sheet nickel-plated steel to nickel. The main focus of the study was the effects of a TiC metal matrix composite coating. The results indicated that electrode degradation was caused predominantly by material loss due to pitting (as a result of the fracturing of local bonds between the electrode tip and sheet) and also by microscopic extrusion or plastic deformation (as a result of the softening of electrode tip regions). The composite coating improved tip life by about 70 pct, mainly because the TiC particles contained in the coating discouraged local bonding between the electrodes and sheets, and probably also improved the resistance to surface extrusion. It was also found that the use of an oxide-dispersion-strengthened copper alloy (Cu-Al2O3) improved tip life by only about 15 pct compared to the conventional precipitation-strengthened Cu-Cr-Zr electrode alloy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Department of Material Engineering, Hubei Automotive Industries Institute, 442002, Hubei, People’s Republic of China

    S. J. Dong (Associate Professor)

  2. the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Waterloo, N2L 3G1, Waterloo, ON, Canada

    Y. Zhou (Canada Research Chair in Microjoining (www.chairs.gc.ca)

Authors
  1. S. J. Dong
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  2. Y. Zhou
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Dong, S.J., Zhou, Y. Effects of TiC composite coating on electrode degradation in microresistance welding of nickel-plated steel. Metall Mater Trans A 34, 1501–1511 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-003-0262-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11661-003-0262-2

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