Mechanical Properties, Corrosion Behavior, and Microstructures of a MIG-Welded 7020 Al Alloy

7020 aluminum alloy plates were welded by metal inert gas welding method, with the ER5183 welding wire containing Zr and ER5356 welding wire without Zr, respectively. The mechanical properties, corrosion behavior, and microstructures of these two welded joints were investigated. The tensile strength and ductilities of the joints are inferior to those of base alloy, and the lowest hardness is obtained in the welded zone, while the heat-affected zones are more sensitive to corrosion than the base metal and welded zones. The base metal shows a deformed subgrains microstructure, and the heat-affected zones still remain in elongated shape, where the soften zones form as a result of η′ (MgZn 2 ) coarsening. Two welded zones are mainly characterized by as-cast structure; however, grains are refined and a zone of equiaxed grains forms along the bonding boundary due to the Zr addition into ER5183 Al alloy. Accordingly, the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance in this zone of the joint with ER5183 exhibit better than those of the joint with ER5356.