Properties of Resistance Spot-Welded TWIP Steels

High manganese TWIP (twinning-induced plasticity) steels are particularly attractive for automotive applications because of their exceptional properties of strength combined with an excellent ductility. However, the microstructure and properties of TWIP steels are affected by excessive thermal cycles, such as welding and heat treatment. This paper deals with characterization and understanding the effect of welding current and time on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the resistance spot welded TWIP steel. For this purpose, weld nugget diameter was evaluated and the hardness, tensile shear strength of the weldment, and failure mode of samples were also determined. It has been found that the tensile shear strength of the samples increased with increasing welding current and welding time without expulsion, which reduces the strength of the weldment. Tensile shear samples failed by a partial interfacial fracture mode for low-heat input welds. The pullout fractures were observed with a sufficient heat input without expulsion.