Development of laminated composite materials based on orthorhombic aluminide/titanium alloy and their tensile mechanical properties

Abstract

Laminated composite materials consisting of an orthorhombic Ti₂AlNb based alloy and an (α+β) titanium alloy have been fabricated at a laboratory scale using a two-step process involving diffusion bonding and hot rolling. The feasibility of fabrication of two and three layered materials with high quality bonding between layers was demonstrated. Preliminary assessment of the tensile mechanical properties of the obtained composite materials showed that they were superior to those of the titanium alloy and slightly inferior to the orthorhombic alloy.     

Interface microstructure of diffusion bonded austenitic stainless steel and medium carbon steel couple

Abstract

In the present study, an austenitic stainless steel and medium carbon steel were diffusion bonded. The effect of bonding temperature on microstructural changes and shear strength across the joint region was investigated by optical and scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and microhardness measurements. The results showed that the best joint free from microcrack and micovoids was obtained at 900°C with maximum shear strength of 475 MPa.     

In situ thermal studies and post-weld mechanical properties of friction stir welds in age hardenable aluminium alloys

Abstract

The 'quench sensitivity' of various friction stir welded (FSW) aluminium alloys were investigated. Cooling rates of FSW were altered by utilising various active (weld side) and passive (anvil side) cooling/heating conditions. Media used included a chilled water mist (active cooling) and hot air (active heating) immediately behind the tool, and water chilled (passive cooling) or heated (passive heating) anvil. Microhardness and transverse tensile properties were used to assess the natural aging response of friction stir welds (FSWs) in 2195-T8 and 7075-T7351 subject to these conditions. Test results indicated that the quench sensitive alloy 7075 exhibits a more rapid natural aging response and improved mechanical properties while the less quench sensitive 2195 exhibits little or no change in mechanical properties. In the present investigation FSWs in alloy 7075 under active and passive cooling conditions exhibited an increase of approximately 10% in tensile properties over conventional FSWs.     

Dynamic characteristics of adhesive bonded high strength steel joints

Abstract

With an increase in the use of advanced high strength steels in vehicle architectures, materials joining issues have become increasingly important. Among the various joining methods, adhesive bonding is increasingly used in automobile manufacturing. Successful implementation of adhesive bonding to improve structural crashworthiness and reduce vehicle weight requires the knowledge of issues related not only to processing but also to joint performance. In this study, the impact strength of adhesive bonded high strength steel joints is evaluated with the split Hopkinson tension bar (SHTB) technique. The influences of loading speed and thickness of the steels on the shear strength of the joints were examined. Comparative quasi-static lap shear tests were also conducted on a tensile testing machine. Test results showed that strength and energy absorption of bonded steel joints increase with loading speed, and is greatly affected by the thickness of the steels. As the loading rates are increased to 1100 s^–1 (i.e. 20 m s^–1), bonded 0·75 mm thick DP600 steel shows a 152% increase in strength and an 83% increase in energy absorption when compared to its quasi-static values. Examination of the impact tested specimens showed the failure mode changes from coarse cohesive mode to fine cohesive mode with increasing loading speed. The results from this study will provide the information for a better understanding of impact failure mechanisms of adhesive bonded high strength steels.     

Thermosonic bonding of crossed strip Au bumps

Abstract

Gold strip bumps for electronic packaging are bonded using the thermosonic process. The Au strip bumps on the chip and substrate are aligned in a crossed configuration, and ultrasound is applied longitudinally on the chip to form a solid state bond between the crossed strip Au bumps. Deformed bump shapes are calculated numerically, and the shear force and fractured surface profile are measured to evaluate the bond quality. The deformed Au bump shape is similar to a saddle, which provides larger contact surface area and greater friction force. The bond strength of crossed strip bumps reaches the yield strength of Au, which is much higher than that previously obtained for bonding between Au bumps and a planar pad.     

Effect of interfacial shear strength on reliability of strength and fracture process of SiC–Al composite

Abstract

A unidirectional SiC fibre reinforced pure aluminium composite was fabricated by the hot press method. Tensile testing of the SiC–Al was carried out to determine composite and interfacial shear strengths. A Monte Carlo procedure based on the elastic–plastic finite element method, involving the interfacial layer around the fibres, was constructed to simulate the tensile testing and to calculate the strength and Weibull parameters for the SiC–Al composite. The effect of the interfacial shear strength on the composite strength and its reliability is discussed. The results show that the composite strength and the Weibull shape parameter increase with increasing interfacial shear strength. The contribution of the interfacial shear strength to the composite strength and reliability is efficient when the interfacial shear strength is lower than the matrix shear strength. It is concluded that both composite strength and reliability are closely related to the fibre fracture process.     

Vacuum hot roll bonding of titanium alloy and stainless steel using nickel interlayer

Abstract

Vacuum hot roll bonding of titanium alloy and stainless steel using a nickel interlayer was investigated. No obvious reaction or diffusion layer occurs at the interface between stainless steel and nickel. The interface between titanium alloy and nickel consists of an occludent layer and diffusion layers, and there are the intermetallic compounds (TiNi₃, TiNi, Ti₂Ni and their mixtures) in the layers. The total thickness of intermetallic layers at the interface between titanium alloy and nickel increases with the bonding temperature, and the tensile strength of roll bonded joints decreases with the bonding temperature. The maximum tensile strength of 440·1 MPa was obtained at the bonding temperature of 760°C, the reduction of 20% and the rolling speed of 38 mm s^–1.     

Transient liquid phase bonding of Gamma Met PX: microstructure and mechanical properties

Abstract

An investigation of microstructural development and structure–property relationships of transient liquid phase (TLP) bonded current generation γ-TiAl alloy, known as Gamma Met PX, is presented. This joining technique employed a composite interlayer consisting of a non-melting constituent (TiAl alloy) and a liquid forming constituent (copper). The microstructures of the bonds, identified using light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, are correlated with room temperature mechanical performance. These studies suggested that joints can retain properties similar (i.e. >90%) to that of the bulk material when employing a suitable composite interlayer, bonding conditions and post-bond heat treatment. Additionally, comparisons are drawn between wide gap TLP bonding of an earlier generation γ-TiAl alloy, Ti–48Al–2Cr–2Nb (at.-%), and wide gap TLP bonding of Gamma Met PX.     

Interface characterisation of diffusion bonded Ti–6Al–4V alloy and austenitic stainless steel couple

Abstract

In this study, the Ti–6Al–4V alloy was diffusion bonded to austenitic stainless steel at temperatures of 820, 885, 930 and 980°C, under a pressure of 5 MPa for 30 min. The effect of temperature on interface formations and microstructure was investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectrograph (EDS) microanalyses, X-ray diffraction and shear strength of bonded specimens. The results showed that intermetallic phases and σ-phase formed in the interface region.     

Bonding Optimization on Composite Surfaces using Atmospheric Plasma Treatment

The effect of atmospheric plasma treatment (APT) on the bonding performance of a cyanate ester and an epoxy carbon fiber reinforced composite fabricated with a polyester peel ply was evaluated. A room temperature (RT) cured epoxy, an elevated temperature cured epoxy, and a cyanate ester resin, were used as the bonding adhesives. Only small increases in the carboxyl species concentration were observed for both composite systems as a function of increasing plasma treatment. Lap shear (LS) tests of the bonded composites showed that the APT resulted in a 30% strength improvement for the RT cured epoxy bonded specimens while the cyanate ester composite exhibited negligible increases due to the formation of a highly oxidized, weakly bonded ash. Contact angle measurements indicated that the temperature exposure associated with the curing of the elevated temperature adhesives also reduced the efficacy of APT. Modifications of the bonding surface of these composites by the incorporation of a plasma responsive (PR) layer resulted in significant LS improvements. After incorporating the PR layer, the improvement in adhesive strength was over 225% that of an untreated specimen and approximately 190% that of the equivalently treated unmodified system. Bond strengths correlated with corresponding increases in carboxyl concentrations after APT.