Welding of Advanced Aluminum-Lithium Alloys: Weldability, Processing Technologies, and Grain Structure Control

Aluminum-lithium (Al-Li) alloys are extensively employed in aerospace and space structures because of their low density, high specific stiffness, and excellent fatigue resistance. However, welding of these alloys remains challenging, since the joints typically exhibit unique microstructural features, including equiaxed grain zones (EQZ) along the fusion boundary and coarse columnar grains in the fusion zone, which degrade mechanical performance and increase susceptibility to cracking. This review provides an overview of the generational evolution of Al-Li alloys and their associated weldability, highlights the advantages and limitations of major welding processes, such as laser, arc, and hybrid techniques, and systematically examines the formation mechanisms of EQZ, columnar grains, and equiaxed grain bands. Various strategies for microstructural control are compared, including filler design, pulsed current, and external-field-assisted welding. Special attention is given to grain refinement achieved through heterogeneous nucleation, dendrite fragmentation, and columnar-to-equiaxed transition. Finally, prospects for advanced microstructural control strategies are discussed, with the goal of achieving high-quality welds for next-generation lightweight structural applications.