Study on explosive welding A1060/3D-Printed-SUS316L

Abstract

Explosive welding has been extensively harnessed to create composite materials for various applications in recent years. Integrating 3D-printed metal materials in explosive welding is important for future research and the broader application of 3D-printed materials in practical scenarios. In this study, 3D Printing-SUS316L/A1060 was employed for explosive welding to assess the feasibility of using 3D printed materials in this process and to examine the microstructural changes at the interface, emphasizing changes in the pores of the 3D-printed materials during welding. The resulting joint microstructures were analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) alongside an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) system and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Tensile, three-point bending, Vickers-hardness, and nanoindentation tests were conducted to investigate the mechanical properties. X-ray computed tomography (XCT) scanning was utilized to observe the weld material in three dimensions and measure porosity. Moreover, ANSYS AUTODYN numerical simulation was employed to study the welding interface evolution mechanism and pore changes and further investigate the explosive welding window. The results indicate that explosive welding can successfully merge 3D-printed SUS316L and pure aluminum A1060. Both microstructure investigation and mechanical property testing validated that the bonding was of good quality, and simulation and welding windows corresponded with the experimental results.