Non-invasive optical characterization and estimation of Zn porosity in gas tungsten arc welding of Fe–Al joints using CR model and OES measurements

In this study, we employed a non-invasive approach based on the collisional radiative (CR) model and optical emission spectroscopy (OES) measurements for the characterization of gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) discharge and quantification of Zn-induced porosity during the GTAW process of Fe–Al joints. The OES measurements were recorded as a function of weld current, welding speed, and input waveform. The OES measurements revealed significant line emissions from Zn-Ⅰ in 460–640 nm and Ar-Ⅰ in 680–800 nm wavelength ranges in all experimental settings. The OES coupled CR model approach for Zn-Ⅰ line emission enabled the simultaneous determination of both essential discharge parameters i.e. electron temperature and electron density. Further, these predictions were used to estimate the Zn-induced porosity using OES-actinometry on Zn-Ⅰ emission lines using Ar as actinometer gas. The OES-actinometry results were in good agreement with porosity data derived from an independent approach, i.e. x-ray radiography images. The current study shows that OES-based techniques can provide an efficient route for real-time monitoring of weld quality and estimate porosity during the GTAW process of dissimilar metal joints.