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ABSTRACT
In this study, we investigated the effects of heat-affected zone (HAZ) softening on the strength and elongation of resistance spot-welded joints in high-strength steel sheet in an in-plane tensile test. The fracture in the softened HAZ had a little effect on the maximum stress of the resistance spot-welded specimen; however, the fracture elongation decreased. The nugget diameter and HAZ softened width had little effect on the fracture elongation of the resistance spot-welded specimen. Also, the fracture elongation decreased slightly with the decrease in the sheet thickness. The major factor affecting the fracture elongation was the HAZ hardness ratio (= Softened HAZ/Base metal × 100%). For the resistance spot-welded specimen with a thickness of 1.6 mm, when the HAZ hardness ratio decreased to less than 80%, the fracture position changed from the base metal to the softened HAZ and the fracture elongation decreased sharply. In addition, with a decrease in the hardness ratio, the fracture elongation decreased.