Microstructures and mechanical property of laser butt welding of titanium alloy to stainless steel

•The laser direct butt welding of titanium alloy to stainless steel is realized.•The interfacial microstructures of the joints are confirmed.•The weldability is better when laser beam is offset toward titanium than steel.•The highest tensile strength of the joint reaches to 150 MPa.

Laser butt welding of titanium alloy to stainless steel was performed. The effect of laser-beam offsetting on microstructural characteristics and fracture behavior of the joint was investigated. It was found that when the laser beam is offset toward the stainless steel side, it results in a more durable joint. The intermetallic compounds have a uniform thickness along the interface and can be divided into two layers. One consists of FeTi + α-Ti, and other consists of FeTi + Fe2Ti + Ti5Fe17Cr5. When laser beam is offset by 0 mm and 0.3 mm toward the titanium alloy side, the joints fracture spontaneously after welding. Durable joining is achieved only when the laser beam is offset by 0.6 mm toward the titanium alloy. From the top to the bottom of the joint, the thickness of intermetallic compounds continuously decreases and the following interfacial structures are found: FeAl + α-Ti/Fe2Ti + Ti5Fe17Cr5, FeAl + α-Ti/FeTi + Fe2Ti + Ti5Fe17Cr5 and FeAl + α-Ti, in that order. The tensile strength of the joint is higher when the laser beam is offset toward the stainless steel than toward the titanium alloy, the highest observed value being 150 MPa. The fracture of the joint occurs along the interface between two adjacent intermetallic layers.