Aluminium alloy 6060 is typical of a family of Al-Mg-Si extrusion alloys, which are considered weldable only
when using an appropriate filler alloy such as 4043 (Al-5Si) or 5356 (Al-5Mg). This study concerns the
thermal analysis and solidification path determination of aluminium alloy 6060 diluted with variable amounts
of 4043. Casting of controlled mixtures of alloys 6060 and 4043 was used to simulate different weld dilutions
in order to facilitate thermal analysis. Thermal analysis and metallography were applied in order to reveal
solidification reactions and phases, and allow calculation of solid fraction versus temperature curves.
Although the liquidus temperature was little affected, different phases formed with increased 4043 dilution,
with a trend toward lower temperature reactions and a larger fraction interdendritic constituent.
The occurrence of solidification cracking during welding remains a little understood phenomenon, in spite of extensive studies and tests performed to evaluate and compare the relative weldability of many different alloys. From an approach often adopted in the welding community attributed to Prokhorov, solidification cracks are believed to form when a critical tensile strain is exceeded, specific to the alloy, assuming that the mushy-zone has limited ductility. Tensile stresses and strains normally form behind a moving weld pool as a result of solidification shrinkage and thermal contraction, as influenced by welding parameters and the degree of restraint.