Sharif Digital Repository

This paper investigates the metallurgical and mechanical response of 2304 duplex stainless steel-as an interesting candidate for automotive body-in-white applications-to resistance spot welding. The results showed the high cooling rate associated with the resistance spot welding process suppressed the postsolidification ferrite-austenite transformation leading to improper ferrite-austenite phase balance with a reduced volume fraction of austenite and consequent precipitation of chromium-rich nitrides. The effects of welding current, as the key parameter determining the weld heat input, on the austenite volume fraction and precipitation are discussed. The minimum fusion zone hardness...