Prediction and Confirmation of Phases Formed in the Diffusion Zone of Ti-5Ta-2Nb/304L SS Explosive Clads

Explosive cladding, a solid-state welding technique was used to fabricate dissimilar joints between Ti-5Ta-2Nb alloy and 304L austenitic stainless steel. To remove the residual stresses and improve the ductility of the ‘as clad’ joints, further heat treatments were carried out in the temperature range of 873 K to 1073 K (600 °C to 800 °C) for varying durations. Systematic change in the interface microstructure and microchemistry due to thermally activated interdiffusion of alloying elements was studied. This information together with that of the thermal stability of non-equilibrium phases in base materials was used to evaluate the probability of formation of various phases across the explosive clad interface using JMatPro^®, a materials modeling software. In the clad heat treated at 1073 K (800 °C) for 20 hours, evidence was obtained for the presence of different phases (predicted to form) in the diffusion zone by transmission electron microscopy on site-specific specimens prepared by focused ion beam milling. An attempt to understand the specific influence of the type of phase, their relative mole fraction, and microchemistry on the mechanical property of the joint has also been made based on both experimental and computational study.