Physical Simulation for Studying the Effect of Thermal Cycles Peak Temperature on Intermetallic Formation at Triclad® Joints Interface

Aluminum/steel structural transition joints (STJs) are extensively used in the shipbuilding industry. This is because they offer the advantage of effectively combining these two materials, leading to substantial weight savings while maximizing their individual strengths. The research target is to evaluate the metallurgical properties of explosion-welded Triclad aluminum/steel STJs under different peak temperature thermal cycles. Herein, the Gleeble physical simulator to apply thermal cycles on Triclad specimens with appropriate geometry is exploited. The results highlight that the peak temperature significantly affects the extension, thickness, and chemical composition of the intermetallic layer at the Fe/Al interface. An increase in peak temperature results in an increase in both the extension and thickness of the intermetalliclayer. The increase in peak temperature leads also to the formation of intermetallic compounds with a higher percentage of aluminum.