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Acta Metall Sin  2026, Vol. 62 Issue (8): 1376-1384    DOI: 10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00158
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Effect of Ultrasonic Power on the Microstructure and Mechanical Property of W90/Sn/Mg Joint
ZHANG Xudong1,2, FU Wei1,2(), SONG Xiaoguo1,2, SONG Na3, SUN Hao2, HU Shengpeng1,2
1 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China
2 School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology (Weihai), Weihai 264209, China
3 Aero-China Xi'an Power Control Technology Co. Ltd. , Xi'an 710000, China
Cite this article: 

ZHANG Xudong, FU Wei, SONG Xiaoguo, SONG Na, SUN Hao, HU Shengpeng. Effect of Ultrasonic Power on the Microstructure and Mechanical Property of W90/Sn/Mg Joint. Acta Metall Sin, 2026, 62(8): 1376-1384.

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Abstract  

Tungsten alloy, known for its high hardness, thermal stability, and excellent nuclear radiation shielding performance, is a critical material for radiation shielding applications. It is widely used in aerospace, national defense, and medical fields. However, tungsten alloy has drawbacks such as high density and processing difficulty, which limit its applicability in high-efficiency, miniaturized, and lightweight designs, particularly in nuclear medical treatment and nuclear-powered flight devices. A double-layered W/Mg structure is expected to serve as a next-generation nuclear radiation shielding material. Due to the significant differences in melting temperatures and coefficients of thermal expansion between W and Mg, conventional soldering methods are ineffective for joining them. In this study, a W90 tungsten heavy alloy and AZ31B magnesium alloy were successfully bonded using an ultrasonic-assisted soldering method with pure Sn. The bonding temperature was 250 oC, and the ultrasonic duration was 4 s. The interfacial microstructure of the W90/Sn/Mg joint under varying ultrasonic power levels was analyzed using SEM and EDS. Additionally, the shear strength of the joint was tested to assess the impact of ultrasonic power on interfacial bonding and mechanical performance. The results indicated that effective bonding formed at the W90/Sn interface, with Ni3Sn4 compounds appearing between the (Ni, Fe) matrix and Sn. The seam consisted of a β-Sn matrix phase and Mg2Sn compounds, with an Mg2Sn layer forming on Mg/Sn interface. As ultrasonic power increased, joint width decreased while the Mg2Sn layer thickness increased. The shear strength of the joint initially increased with ultrasonic power but later decreased. At ultrasonic power levels of 100 and 150 W, the joint strength reached a maximum of 10.5 MPa, with failure occurring at the W90/Sn interface. When ultrasonic power increased to 200 W, joint strength declined, and fracture occurred at the Mg2Sn layer. The acoustic pressure distribution of liquid Sn during the ultrasonic-assisted soldering process was simulated. During a single ultrasonic cycle, the acoustic pressure of liquid Sn oscillated periodically from negative to positive and back to negative values. The maximum acoustic pressure was observed at the center of the liquid Sn, gradually decreasing toward the edges. The cavitation effect, driven by collapsing bubbles, generated high temperatures, high pressures, micro-jets, and shock waves, as explained through theoretical calculations. Based on the Keller-Miksis equation, as ultrasonic power increased, the ratio of the cavitation bubble radius to its initial radius increased from 16.3 to 47.7, with collapse velocities ranging from 3262 m/s to 6985 m/s. According to the Noltingk-Neppiras theory, as acoustic pressure increased, cavitation-induced temperatures rose from 14614 K to 24989 K, while pressure increased from 1.08 × 105 MPa to 9.45 × 105 MPa. The generated temperature and pressure were sufficient to break the Mg alloy’s oxide film and promote interfacial reactions.

Key words:  tungsten alloy      magnesium alloy      ultrasonic-assisted soldering      Sn      cavitation effect     
Received:  13 May 2024     
ZTFLH:  TG456  
Fund: National Natural Science Foundation of China(52105330);National Natural Science Foundation of China(52175307);Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province(ZR2023JQ021)
Corresponding Authors:  FU Wei, professor, Tel: (0631)5687454, E-mail: wei.fu@hit.edu.cn

URL: 

https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/10.11900/0412.1961.2024.00158     OR     https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/Y2026/V62/I8/1376

Fig.1  Schematic of ultrasonic-assisted soldering device
Fig.2  Cross-sectional SEM image (a) and EDS results (b-h) of the W90/Sn/Mg joint under an ultrasonic power of 100 W
PositionSnMgWNiFePhase type
A'0.010.0310.5464.2325.19(Ni, Fe) phase
B'99.820.110.020.030.02β-Sn
C'30.9868.970.010.030.01Mg2Sn
D'29.3070.650.010.030.01Mg2Sn
Table 1  Chemical compositions and possible phases of spots marked in Fig.2a
Fig.3  SEM images of the microstructures of W90/Sn/Mg joints under various ultrasonic powers
Fig.4  Effect of ultrasonic power (P) on the shear strength (τ) of W90/Sn/Mg joint
Fig.5  Cross-sectional (a, c, e, g) and surface (b, d, f, h) SEM images of fractured W90/Sn/Mg joints under various ultrasonic powers (a, b) 50 W (c, d) 100 W (e, f) 150 W (g, h) 200 W
Fig.6  Variations of acoustic pressures within the 9 cyc at different time
Fig.7  Comparison of acoustic pressure of points A and B within 0-12 cyc (t—time; regions I and II represent the maximum and minimum acoustic pressure amplitudes at points A and B, respectively)
Fig.8  Bubble dynamics analyses
Fig.9  Effect of ultrasonic power on the acoustic pressure of point A
Fig.10  Schematics of formation mechanism of joint
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