Mechanical characterisation of laminated composite AISI 430/304 stainless steels with 1050 Al alloy interlayer

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this study, multilayered metal composites of austenitic stainless steel (AISI 304) / aluminum alloy (AA 1050) / ferritic stainless steel (AISI 430) are investigated in rolled and heat-treated (350˚C for 24 h) forms comparatively. SEM analysis, tensile test, peel test, bending test, and Vickers microhardness measurement were applied to reveal the microstructural characterisation and mechanical properties of composites. The presence of Fe2Al5 and Fe4Al13 phases are detected in the microstructure investigations, however, significantly thick intermetallic phases were not observed at the interfaces of the laminates. Tensile test results show no significant change in strength despite the increase in ductility after heat treatment. The highest strength of 329.4 MPa and the highest elongation of 26.1% is obtained from the heat-treated condition. The highest interface bond strength is observed at AA1050 / AISI 430 interface after heat treatment. No separation is observed between the layers after bending to a 60˚ angle. A decrease is observed in the hardness values of all layers with the heat treatment. Thus, it has been demonstrated how significant the heat treatment temperature and time, as well as the rolling temperature, are for better interface interaction and mechanical properties for layered composites.