Cavitation resistance of explosively welded aluminium/steel joint

Abstract

Explosion welding is an unconventional method of joining two dissimilar metal materials, mostly used to clad dissimilar materials or when some unusual geometries need to be joined. Some of the bimetal joints obtained this way have applications in special cutting tools, transition joints, propellers and turbine blades, and therefore it is important to know the wear resistance of welded joints. In this research, explosive Demex, based on ammonium nitrate and trinitrotoluene, was used to weld plates of aluminium alloy AW-2024 and steel 1.0216. The welding procedure was carried out in the configuration of parallel plates. The quality of the welded joint was inspected on samples cut out from the welded plate by the method of microscopic analysis on the cross-section and by an ultrasonic cavitation test. Materials erosion in the zone of the welded joint after each of 4 cavitation cycles was observed using an optical microscope and by monitoring the mass loss. The wear resistance of the created bimetal was analysed from the aspects of further exploitation.