Effect of Brazing and Heat Treatment Cycle on the Mechanical Properties of Base Materials

Abstract

Brazing is extensively used in liquid rocket engines for realizing various subsystems. In the case of cryogenic engines, brazing operation is done to realize the gas generator. Gas Generator is one of the major systems of cryogenic engine. It generates and supplies hot gases required for running turbine of main turbo pump. This uses liquid oxygen and gaseous hydrogen as propellant combination. Combustion chamber of Gas Generator is of double walled construction with the cylindrical outer shell of transition class ICSS-0716-301 austenitic-martensitic stainless steel and inner shell of ICSS-1218 321, aTi stabilized austenitic stainless steel material brazed together with Fe-Ni-Mn type braze alloy at a temperature of 1180°C. This temperature can cause the grain growth and related issues to the base material. Thus the present work focuses on the effect of the brazing/thermal cycle on mechanical properties and microstructure of the base materials in post braze condition. The results obtained on metallurgical/mechanical behavior of the material showed the different grain growth patterns in inner and outer shell materials. This helped in understanding the effect of brazing condition on the changes in mechanical properties of base materials.