Influence of Stacking Sequence and Intermediate Layer Thickness in AA6082-IF Steel Tri-Layered Cold Roll Bonded Composite Sheets

Abstract

In tri-layered Cold Roll Bonded (CRB) composite sheets of dissimilar metals, uneven thickness reduction of the different layers have been observed. This has been explained by the difference in yield strength/flow stress of the metals. The aim of this research was to study if these observations also depend on different parameters such as stacking sequence and initial sheet thickness, as opposed to only material properties. Hence, tri-layered CRB composite sheets consisting of AA6082 and IF-steel were produced with two different stacking sequences, St/Al/St vs Al/St/Al. Two different layer thicknesses of the intermediate layer were used. Rolling was performed in a single pass achieving approximately 55-65% total thickness reduction. Comparisons between the samples are given, focusing on the reduction of thickness achieved in each layer, the roll bonded interface characteristics and the bond strength of the joints. The overall thickness reduction achieved in each layer was found to be similar for both metals in both stacking sequences for the considered material combination. The stacking sequence is statistically found not to have any effect on the bond strength of the joints. The thickness of the intermediate layer does not significantly affect the overall bond strength of the composite sheet for both stacking sequences. These findings are opposed to earlier results found in the literature.