Scientists from Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU) are investigating the structural and phase transformations and properties of stainless steel and aluminum composites obtained by explosion welding. The project, which is relevant for science and industry, has received the support of the Russian Science Foundation.
Composite materials made of aluminum and steel due to the low density of aluminum and high strength of iron are of great interest to the aviation, machine-building, energy and defense industries, and welding these metals using explosion allows to obtain strong joints. However, the processes at the interface of aluminum and steel at extreme speeds and pressures during connection by explosion welding are accompanied by the formation of complex brittle phases and the development of an inhomogeneous microstructure, which is still poorly understood, so scientists at NSTU-NETI undertook to fill this gap.
According to the project leader, Associate Professor of the Department of Materials Science in Mechanical Engineering, Candidate of Technical Sciences Yulia Malyutina, solving this problem is important for predicting and controlling the properties of composites, increasing their durability, corrosion resistance and operational reliability.
"Explosion welding parameters and subsequent heat treatment modes significantly affect the thickness, composition, morphology of composites, the formation of pores, cracks and other defects that determine the mechanical and operational characteristics of the material, which is an extensive area for research," said Yulia Malyutina.
In their study, NSTU-NETI scientists focus on modern research methods that were previously insufficiently represented in the study of sandwich structures. "The project assumes the use of mathematical modeling methods to study the temperature and deformation state of composites, as well as processes at the boundary of heterogeneous materials at the atomic level," the scientist noted.
The project of the University's materials scientists is designed for two years and has already received support within the framework of a grant competition for the event "Conducting fundamental scientific research and exploratory scientific research by small individual scientific groups" of the priority activity of the Russian Science Foundation "Supporting scientific research and the development of research teams occupying leading positions in certain fields of science".