Characterization of explosively bonded iron and copper plates

Explosive bonding between iron and copper plates was achieved under various conditions. A variety of experimental techniques were applied in order to investigate the bonding interface, including metallography, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray micro-analysis and X-ray diffraction. It was found that the bonding characteristics depend on the ratio of the explosive weight to the flyer plate weight (R ratio) and on the distance (X) from the detonation point. The microstructure of the molten pockets obtained depends strongly on their composition and on the cooling rate. Increasing the copper content in the molten pocket and the cooling rate resulted in a finer structure. Microstructural similarities between electron-beam molten surfaces and molten pockets in explosively bonded plates indicate, that cooling rates as high as 10⁵ K sec^–1 are obtained in both cases.