The Effect of Heat Treatment on the Properties of Zirconium - Carbon Steel Bimetal Produced By Explosion Welding

Abstract

This paper assesses the effect of various values of detonation velocity on the quality of the bond zone, and thus the properties of bimetal zirconium (Zr 700) - steel (P355NL). The research was carried out for as-bonded welds, i.e. immediately following explosion welding. The results of shearing, peeling and tensile tests as well as macro-scale structural analyses were presented. In order to determine the changes in the value of strain hardening, the microhardness measurements across the interface were carried out. Based on the performed analyses it can be claimed that, depending on the applied technological settings of welding, most cases displayed wavy bond with highly diversified parameters of the wave. The changes observed with the detonation velocity are non-monotonic. High detonation velocities favored the formation of waves with large height and length and strongly affect the increase of the volume of brittle melted zones. Increased volume of the melted regions results in strong decrease of strength properties of the clad. The analysis of strength test results allows claiming that a small volume of melted regions in the bond considerably improves the strength of the bond.

Keywords

• explosive welding
• Zr/(carbon steel) clad
• strain hardening
• melted zone
• intermetallic phases