A Comparative Study on the Effect
of Graphene and Multi-walled Carbon
Nanotubes Used as Interlayers
on Resistance Spot Welded Joints
of a Carbon Steel
Tanmoy Das
Abstract The application of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and multi-walled
carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a thin interlayer between the faying surfaces of
carbon steel (AISI-1008) joints and its effect on the microstructure and mechanical
properties of the welded joints has been reported here. The resistance spot welding
(RSW) technique has been utilised to entrap the nanoparticles in the weld nugget.
Single lap shear tests were performed to get an insight into the weld strength of
the bare, graphene nanoplatelets, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes interlayered
samples, and ~49% and ~45% enhancements, respectively, were reported. Fracture
surface morphology depicted that a combination of both brittle and ductile fractures
was the major causes of failure. A detailed microstructural study was performed using
light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy,
X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy for both cases. The increase in the weld
strength and hardness of the nanocomposite formed at the weld nugget was attributed
to grain refinement and numerous strengthening mechanisms.
Keywords Resistance spot welding · Graphene · Multi-walled carbon nanotubes ·
Interlayers · Fracture
Introduction
Resistance spot welding (RSW) method is a welding technique that is being extensively utilized in welding/manufacturing industries such as automotive, aviation, and
sheet metal owing to its numerous advantages like high production speeds, repeatability, low-cost labour, and low-cost equipment maintenance. This process is widely
employed for welding of thin sheets of ferrous and non-ferrous metals like steel,
aluminium, titanium, magnesium, copper, and their alloys. Additionally, RSW is
also used to weld dissimilar metal sheets like Al–Mg, Al-steel, Mg-steel, etc., which
are employed in multi-structure methodology to take the desirable properties of both
T. Das (B)
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur
721302, India
e-mail: tanmoy.nerist@gmail.com
© The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society 2021
T. S. Srivatsan et al. (eds.), Metal-Matrix Composites, The Minerals, Metals
& Materials Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65249-4_10
143
of Graphene and Multi-walled Carbon
Nanotubes Used as Interlayers
on Resistance Spot Welded Joints
of a Carbon Steel
Tanmoy Das
Abstract The application of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) and multi-walled
carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as a thin interlayer between the faying surfaces of
carbon steel (AISI-1008) joints and its effect on the microstructure and mechanical
properties of the welded joints has been reported here. The resistance spot welding
(RSW) technique has been utilised to entrap the nanoparticles in the weld nugget.
Single lap shear tests were performed to get an insight into the weld strength of
the bare, graphene nanoplatelets, and multi-walled carbon nanotubes interlayered
samples, and ~49% and ~45% enhancements, respectively, were reported. Fracture
surface morphology depicted that a combination of both brittle and ductile fractures
was the major causes of failure. A detailed microstructural study was performed using
light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy,
X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy for both cases. The increase in the weld
strength and hardness of the nanocomposite formed at the weld nugget was attributed
to grain refinement and numerous strengthening mechanisms.
Keywords Resistance spot welding · Graphene · Multi-walled carbon nanotubes ·
Interlayers · Fracture
Introduction
Resistance spot welding (RSW) method is a welding technique that is being extensively utilized in welding/manufacturing industries such as automotive, aviation, and
sheet metal owing to its numerous advantages like high production speeds, repeatability, low-cost labour, and low-cost equipment maintenance. This process is widely
employed for welding of thin sheets of ferrous and non-ferrous metals like steel,
aluminium, titanium, magnesium, copper, and their alloys. Additionally, RSW is
also used to weld dissimilar metal sheets like Al–Mg, Al-steel, Mg-steel, etc., which
are employed in multi-structure methodology to take the desirable properties of both
T. Das (B)
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur
721302, India
e-mail: tanmoy.nerist@gmail.com
© The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society 2021
T. S. Srivatsan et al. (eds.), Metal-Matrix Composites, The Minerals, Metals
& Materials Series, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-65249-4_10
143