This work examines the feasibility of joining two dissimilar metals, vanadium (V) and wrought Nitronic 40 stainless steel, through electron beam additive manufacturing (EBAM). Depositing V on Nitronic 40 led to mixed results with some builds exhibiting microcracking and other builds exhibiting severe cracking resulting in delamination. These build failures are thought to be caused by a large coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch and solubility issues, demonstrating the challenges associated with this material combination. The large melting temperature discrepancy between Nitronic 40 and V was thought to exacerbate the issues with CTE mismatch and solubility. Four strategies could be employed by EBAM to mitigate the observed issues to successfully deposit V on Nitronic 40: (1) adjust wire feed speed, (2) use dual wire feeders, (3) use different wire feedstocks to control composition, and (4) create a transition layer known as buttering to accommodate CTE mismatch.
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