Effect of zinc on quality of arc stud welding

Abstract

Presently, arc stud welding is being used widely in the construction sector such as bridges and high rise buildings all around the world. As building structures look to get higher and higher, a more stable structure by inserting stud within the concrete is thus an important factor.

However, the studs are made of steel and it is likely that steel will get corroded over the time; corroded materials will eventually cause failure and weaken the structure.

Hence, the solution to solve the problem of corrosion is to create an alloy out of the steel stud by adding the element of zinc. As zinc will form a layer of oxide to protect itself from corrosion, adding zinc element to the arc stud welding can be a good solution. Furthermore, by adding a zinc element to the arc stud welding will create an alloy which will strengthen the stud welding.

However, as zinc and iron steel has a different set of melting and boiling point, welding zinc and steel together can be a problem as it can cause defects such as porosity and an uneven weld that will eventually be weaker than not adding the element of zinc.

This experiment will study the effect of adding zinc to arc stud welding, analysing the microstructure of the heat affected zone by means of metallography and fractography of the stud and the heat affected zone as well.