The influence of thermal treatments and seawater exposure on the strength of aluminum-steel explosively welded joints was investigated. Bond strength was determined by tensile-shear testing. Specimens were heat treated at 260, 450 or 500°C and environmental exposure tests were conducted in fresh, filtered seawater for 60 and 120 days, respectively. Specimens receiving no heat treatment and exposed to seawater showed a decrease in strength of 14%. Conversely, specimens heat treated only showed a progressive decrease in strength as the temperature increased, reaching a maximum decrease of about 71% at 450°C. Those specimens heat treated and exposed to seawater showed a maximum decrease in strength of 87%. Specimens treated at 260°C for 200 hours provided stress relief and recrystallization, which lessened the influence of corrosion on bond strength, A thick intermetallic layer formed at 450 and 500°C and lead to a significant weakening of the bond. The iron-aluminum layer also increased the rate of attack on the aluminum side of the bond.

Subject
Weld attack, Corrosion failures, Aluminum, Welding, Explosives, Seawater, Joints, Interfaces, Specimen preparation, Heat, Steel, Immersion, Heat treatment
Keywords:
Explosive, Welding, Tensile-Shear, Heat Treatment, Seawater, Intermetallic
© 1993 Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP). All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of AMPP. Positions and opinions advanced in this work are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of AMPP. Responsibility for the content of the work lies solely with the author(s).
1993
Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP)
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