NEW EXPLOSIVE WELDING TECHNIQUE TO WELD ALUMINUM-ALLOY AND STAINLESS-STEEL PLATES USING A STAINLESS-STEEL INTERMEDIATE PLATE

Various aluminum alloys and stainless steel were explosively welded using a thin stainless steel intermediate plate inserted between the aluminum alloy driver and stainless steel base plates. At first, the velocity change of the driver plate with flying distance is calculated using finite-difference analysis. Since the kinetic energy lost by collision affects the amount of the fused layer generated at the interface between the aluminum alloy and stainless steel, the use of a thin stainless steel intermediate plate is effective for decreasing the energy dissipated by the collision. The interfacial zone at the welded interface is composed of a fine eutectic structure of aluminum and Fe4Al13, and the explosive welding process of this metal combination proceeds mainly by intensive deformation of the aluminum alloy. The weldable region for various aluminum alloys is decided by the change in collision velocity and kinetic energy lost by collision, and the weldable region is decreased with the increase in the strength of the aluminum alloy.