The Effect of Microstructural Evolution on the Brazeability of Two-Layer Al Sheets

Abstract

In this study, the microstructural evolution and the interaction between the clad and the core alloys that occurs during the brazing process of two-layer Al sheets with equiaxed grains were examined. The study was carried out using optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GDOES). The effects of microstructure on the brazing performances of two-layer sheets were clarified. Although the grains were fine and equiaxed before brazing, three typical microstructural evolutions happened during brazing, corresponding to three kinds of interactions between the clad and core alloys of the aluminum brazing sheets. In the alloys, which had either relatively uniform grain growth or no grain growth, the interaction between the clad alloy and the core alloy was weak; accordingly, they showed a smooth surface, an even microstructure, faint element mutual diffusion, and eventually good brazeability. Meanwhile, in the alloy with obvious abnormal grain growth (AGG), strain-induced liquid-film migration (SILFM) occurred when the energy was too low to cause strain-induced boundary migration (SIBM). This led to rough and uneven surface morphology, significant mutual diffusion, and surface segregation of elements; eventually, this produced the worst brazeability.