RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE WELDABILITY OF LITHIUM-CONTAINING ALUMINUM-ALLOYS

The weldability of aluminium-lithium alloys is reviewed with emphasis on alloys that are being commercialized: 2090, 8090 and Weldalite™ 049. These alloys are weldable, although hotcracking susceptibility has been reported for 2090 and 8090 when welded with certain conventional filler alloys. Mechanical property data from weldments made by several techniques are emphasized. Weld-zone porosity problems, discussed at length in a 1985 review in this journal, have largely been controlled by proper weld pretreatment and gas shielding. Interest in the weldability of aluminium-lithium alloys has taken on increased significance because of their potential to reduce the weight of space launch systems, whose fabrication most often involves welding. © 1990 Chapman and Hall Ltd.