Laser-induced combustion joining of Cf/Al composites and TC4 alloy

The Cf/Al composites were joined to the TC4 alloy via the laser-induced combustion joining method. The exothermic reaction of the interlayer provided the required energy for the joining process. By combining the theoretical calculation and experiment, the chemical composition of the Ni-Al-Zr interlayer was designed. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the joint were investigated. The results show that the addition of Zr slightly weakened the combustion reaction of exothermic interlayer but played a key role in the successful joining. Ni-Al-Zr interlayer reacted with substrates, forming a TiAl3 layer adjacent to TC4 alloy and NiAl3, Ni2Al3 layers adjacent to the Cf/Al composites. Zr content dominated the microstructure and shear strength of the joint. When the Zr content was 5 wt.% under the joining pressure of 2 MPa, the joint had a maximum shear strength of 19.8 MPa.

Automated summary

The Cf/Al composites were joined to the TC4 alloy using the laser-induced combustion joining method. The interlayer's exothermic reaction provided the necessary energy for the joining process. By designing the chemical composition of the Ni-Al-Zr interlayer and investigating the microstructure and mechanical properties of the joint, it was found that Zr content played a key role in determining the microstructure and shear strength of the joint.