A. V. Inozemtsev

Inhomogeneities of the interface produced by explosive welding

Results of studying structure of the transition zone for a number of joints produced by explosive welding are presented. The joints of dissimilar metals (titanium-orthorhombic titanium aluminide, coppertantalum, and others) have been investigated. The welded pairs of metals differ from each other in mutual solubility; moreover, some pairs (copper-tantalum) virtually lack it. The interface was found to be uneven; it contains inhomogeneities, irrespective of whether it is flat or wavy. It is shown that the formation of interfacial protrusions determines the adhesion of materials. A granulating fragmentation has been found near the protrusions. The role of various processes in explosive welding has been discussed. The formation of protrusions does not depend on whether the metals of a pair have mutual solubility or not. However, this factor affects the structure of zones of local melting. The metals that have mutual solubility form true solutions; in the absence of solubility, these zones represent colloidal solutions. It is shown that sometimes the local melting zones do not present a real danger for the strength of the joint. A hypothesis is proposed that the formation of a wavy surface is possible through the self-organization of the previously formed protrusions.

Formation of vortices during explosion welding (titanium-orthorhombic titanium aluminide)

The possibility of cladding commercially pure titanium by a plate of orthorhombic titanium aluminide has been investigated. The bimetallic joints of orthorhombic titanium aluminide (Ti-30Al-16Nb-1Zr-1Mo) with commercially pure titanium have been obtained by explosion welding. It has been found that the weld joint investigated had a multilayer structure consisting of a zone of continuous deformation observed in both materials, a zone of titanium recrystallization, and a transition zone near the interface. Wave formation and formation of isolated vortex zones have been observed. It has been found that upon explosion welding the bonding of the surfaces is effected via melting and subsequent mixing (in the zone of vortices) and the transfer of particles of one metal into another with the formation of particle tracks (outside the zone of vortices). A possible scenario of the formation of the vortex zone in the melt with a subsequent eutectic decomposition is proposed. The structure of the vortex zones was found to consist of an ultrafine mixture of α and β grains (both phases are disordered) with the grain size changing in the limits of 50–300 nm. The regions of transition from the vortex zone to the region of continuous deformation of the aluminide and to the recrystallized zone of titanium have been investigated.

Interface relief upon explosion welding: Splashes and waves

For copper-tantalum, aluminum-tantalum, and magnesium-titanium joints the character of the interface relief has been investigated in different regimes of explosion welding at, below, and above the lower limit of weldability. It has been found for the first time that protrusions on the plane interface have the shape of splashes. This shape is unusual with allowance for the fact that protrusions arise from the solid phase that experienced no melting. Upon transitioning to the region below the lower limit, the number of splashes decreases and they prove to be insufficient to provide weldability. Upon transitioning to a region somewhat above the lower limit, the interface becomes quasi-wavy and inhomogeneous and, in some places, in addition to the wavy surface, splashes are also observed. Splashes and waves have been observed simultaneously for the first time. Models that describe possible variants of their interrelation have been proposed.

Electron-microscopic examination of the transition zone of aluminum-tantalum bimetallic joints (explosion welding)

A study of the structure of an aluminum-tantalum joint and a comparison of this structure with the structures of iron-silver and copper-tantalum joints have revealed the following processes of the interpenetration of the materials that occur during explosion welding: the formation of protrusions, the injection of particles of one material into the other, and the formation of zones of local melting. Regardless of the mutual solubility of the metals being welded, two types of fragmentation occur, i.e., (1) a granulating fragmentation (GF), which includes the formation, explosion-governed (EG) dispersion, and partial consolidation of particles, and (2) the fragmentation that is usually observed during severe plastic deformation. It is important that this traditional fragmentation is not accompanied by the formation and EG dispersion of particles. This feature allows one to easily distinguish these types of fragmentation (traditional and GF fragmentation).

Fragmentation processes during explosion welding (review)

The fragmentation during explosion welding is briefly reviewed. Fragmentation of partitioning type (FPT), which consists in partitioning into particles that either fly away or join each other, is detected. FPT is an analog of the fragmentation during an explosion that was studied by Mott. In both cases, the flight of particles (fragments) takes place, and the integrity of the material is retained in FPT. FPT is a powerful channel for the dissipation of supplied energy, since the surface of flying particles has a large total area.

Explosive welding: Mixing of metals without mutual solubility (iron-silver)

The results obtained for joints of dissimilar metals, iron-silver (earlier, copper-tantalum), which form immiscible liquid suspensions, explain why they are mixed in explosive welding. Inhomogeneities of the wavy interface, such as protrusions and zones of localized melting, were observed. The effect of granulating fragmentation, which is responsible for crushing initial materials into particles, was understood as one of the most efficient ways to dissipate the supplied energy. It is shown that, in the case of joints of metals without mutual solubility, zones of localized melting represent colloidal solutions, which form either emulsions or suspensions. At solidification, the emulsion represents a hazard for joint stability due to possible separation; on the contrary, suspension can enable the dispersion strengthening of the joint. The results can be used in the development of new metal joints without mutual solubility.

Structure of the welding zone between titanium and orthorhombic titanium aluminide for explosion welding: II. Local melting zones

The structure and chemical composition of the local melting zones that form during explosion welding of orthorhombic titanium aluminide with commercial-purity titanium near a wavy interface between them are studied. The Rayleigh number is estimated to propose a possible mechanism for the formation of a concentric structure in these zones. Titanium aluminide fragments are detected near the zone boundaries. It is assumed that the fragmentation in the transition zone is caused by the division of a material into loosely coupled microvolumes under the action of a strong external action in a time comparable with the explosion time. Outside the transition zone, fragmentation occurs via a traditional way beginning from dislocation accumulation. Both processes occur in titanium aluminide and only one process (banded structure formation) takes place in titanium.

Structure of the welding zone between titanium and orthorhombic titanium aluminide for explosion welding: I. Interface

The structures of the interfaces and transition zones of bimetallic metal-intermetallide joints produced by explosion welding under various conditions have been studied. The welded materials were commercial-purity titanium and orthorhombic titanium aluminide of two alloying schemes. The specific features of the structure and substructure of the zones under study are discussed. Wave formation and formation of isolated vortex zones, as well as tracks of particles related to the transfer of particles of one metal into the other one, were observed. A possible scenario of formation of interfaces, depending on the composition of titanium aluminide and welding conditions, is proposed.

Structure of the transition zone and its influence on the strength of copper-tantalum joint (Explosion welding)

The joint of copper and tantalum, metals without mutual solubility, formed by explosion welding is studied. The mechanism of the influence of mutual solubility on the structure of the transition zone is established. It is demonstrated that the interface contains heterogeneities, and their role in the strength of the materials joint is revealed. A microheterogeneous structure of the joint zones is detected.

The structure of molten zones in explosion welding (aluminium–tantalum, copper–titanium)

Abstract Investigations were carried out into the relief of the flat- and wave-shaped interfaces for explosion-welded aluminium–tantalum and copper–titanium welded joints. For these systems, characterized by a relatively high mutual solubility of the initial elements, the results show a typical set of the structures of the interfaces replacing each other with the intensification of the welding conditions. The unusual shape of the projections on the flat interfaces was found. They are similar to splashes, which form on the surface of the liquid, although they are solid-phase splashes. The vortex structure of the zones of local melting was also detected. The unusual shape of the waves was found: in the presence of mutual solubility they consist of the specially ordered set of projections. It may be assumed that this is caused by the formation of intermetallic compounds on the surface of the projections. The processes of self-organization, ensuring the evolution of the relief of the interface in the intensification of the welding conditions, have been investigated. The role of intermetallic compounds in these self-organization processes is clarified.