Friction Welding of Titanium to 304L Stainless Steel Using Interlayers

Friction welding of commercially pure titanium to austenitic stainless steel (AISI 304L SS) using intermediate layers was studied. The interlayers used were commercially pure nickel, tantalum and vanadium in the form of thin foils. The interlayers were aimed at avoiding direct contact between the base materials which may otherwise lead to formation of mainly Ti-Fe intermetallic phases at the interface which may seriously affect the weld properties. Interlayer foils were used individually and in combination (nickel-tantalum and nickel-vanadium) suitably called in the present work as single and double interlayer joint systems respectively. Same interlayer behaved differently with respect to extrudability in these two systems. All the joints showed moderate strengths in tensile test. However, joints with single interlayer exhibited poor bend ductility, and double interlayers improved it to about 40 degrees. Microhardness studies revealed a peak in nickel single interlayer system alone, confirming presence of hard phases at the interface.