Effects of Heat Treatment on Mechanical Property and Microstructure of Aluminum=Stainless Steel Bimetal Plate

Weng-Sing Hwang1
e-mail: wshwang@mail.ncku.edu.tw

Tian-I Wu Wen-Chung Sung

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan

The effects of postrolling heat treatment on the mechanical property and microstructure of 1050 aluminum alloy and 304 stainless steel (SS) clad metals were investigated. Clad metals were made by cold rolling after surface treatments of both sheets followed by heat treatment at 500  C for various annealing times. The effects of transformation of microstructure at the interface on bonding strength are discussed. The initial clad roll bonding of Al=stainless steel clad metal was bonded by mechanical locking at the interface. The protruding stainless steel in the interface is the diffusion route and forms the better joint with aluminum in the annealing process, which results in the enhancement of the bonding strength. Intermediate layers were formed for over 2 h. It resulted in the weakening of the bonding strength and the fracture surface transforms into a brittle structure. As Al=stainless steel clad metals were under 13% reduction ratio, it had the optimum bond strength with a heat treatment for 1 h at 500  C. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4003107] Keywords: clad metal, intermediate layer, bond strength, rolling

threshold deformation for aluminum clad to steel is at a reduction of up to 60%. In hot clad roll bonding, higher roll temperatures lead to a greater degree of recovery and recrystallization of metal and soft materials, which reduces the threshold deformation to lower than 50% and increases the bonding strength. However, higher roll temperatures also increase the oxide formation on the metal surface in the air and reduce the effective contact area. For an aluminum-steel bimetallic sheet, aluminum develops a thin lm of aluminum oxide that acts as a barrier and continues to oxidize in a short heating time. The brittle thin lm of aluminum oxide formed by surface treatment and heating will fragment under lower reduction in a roll mill, and then fresh, unoxidized metal extruded through the cracks and contact with the other metal. Postrolling heat treatment (annealing) is commonly used to enhance the bond strength of the clad metals after rolling. Previous investigations have revealed that the process parameters have a crucial inuence on the nal properties of the Al=stainless steel clad metals. Parameters that may affect the bonding strength during rolling include surface preparation, rolling reduction, rolling temperature, annealing temperature, and time. The annealing process affects both the bonding strength and the mechanical properties [14,15]. In this study, Al/stainless steel clad metals are made using cold rolling. The development of interfacial structure is performed and identied at different annealing conditions. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the development of the intermetallic compound on mechanical properties during annealing treatment at various annealing times. The relationship between the interfacial development and fracture mechanism can provide a valuable information in controlling the process parameters.

Experimental Method

Introduction

Clad metals, such as Al=stainless steel, Al=Cu, Cu=stainless steel, Cu=Ag, and Al=Ni, Steel=Ti [14], have become increasingly popular for industrial applications in recent years because of their comprehensive properties. Al=stainless steel clad metals are widely applied on kitchenware due to their mechanical, thermal properties, and corrosion resistance. From the metallurgical perspective in the bonding process, Al and stainless steel are incompatible metals because of their high diffusion afnity to each other at temperatures above 500  C, which results in the formation of intermetallic compounds. Several previous investigations revealed that the intermetallic compounds of aluminum and iron are brittle and the formation of the intermetallic compounds will decrease the bonding strengths [57]. Clad metal can be produced by several solid-state welding processes such as co-axial extrusion [8,9], explosion welding [10,11], friction stir welding [12], diffusion bonding [13], and clad roll bonding [1,3,4]. However, the most economic and productive manufacturing process for large size at clad metal sheets and foils is the clad roll bonding. This technique includes cold and hot clad roll bonding. For joints occurring at room temperature, bonding does not occur until a certain threshold deformation of one or two metals is reached. Generally, that
1 Corresponding author. Contributed by the Materials Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY. Manuscript received January 20, 2010; nal manuscript received September 27, 2010; published online December 8, 2011. Assoc. Editor: Hamid Garmestani.

2.1 Fabrication of Al=Stainless Steel. The sheet used in this study was a stainless steel (SS304) with a dimension of 200 65 0:5 mm3 and aluminum (AA1050) with a dimension of 200 65 1 mm3 , as shown in Table 1. Cold rolling was performed to produce an Al=stainless steel clad metal sheet using a laboratory rolling mill with a loading capacity of 200 tons. The roll diameter was 400 mm and the rolling speed was 10 m=min. Prior to rolling, Al and stainless steel sheets were both mechanically and chemically polished in an atmospheric environment to obtain a clean surface. Acetone is a widely used chemical agent for removing oil and contamination in the surface treatment process. In this study, the initial surfaces of the plates were degreased using acetone and then wire-brushed to remove contamination and oxidation layer. A suitable surface roughness can be obtained before roll bonding. Surface scratch-brushing would create a suitable surface roughness and enable a higher surface decontaminating effect. The Al sheets were heated at a temperature of 420  C, and then rapidly taken out to stack with the stainless steel sheets followed by immediate rolling at room temperature, as shown in Fig. 1. 2.2 Heat Treatment. After rolling, the Al=stainless steel clad metals were annealed at 500  C. A resistance heated furnace was used for the heat treatment. The bimetal samples produced were heat treated at different temperatures under various times of 15 min, 60 min, 120 min, 180 min, 240 min, 300 min, and 360 min. The heating rate was around 100  C=min. 2.3 Peeling Test. Bond strengths of the annealed Al=stainless steel clad metal samples were measured using a peel test, as shown in Fig. 2. A standard peel test (ASTM-D903-49) was applied to test the bonding force of the clad metal. An Al=stainless steel bimetal sheet specimen of 15 mm in width is rst prepared. The two metal sheets are rst pulled apart for 10 mm in length, as shown in Fig. 2(a). The specimen is then annealed under the desired temperature and time. The two separated metal sheets are gripped by the test JANUARY 2012, Vol. 134 / 014501-1

Journal of Engineering Materials and Technology C 2012 by ASME Copyright V

Downloaded From: http://materialstechnology.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ on 03/24/2013 Terms of Use: http://asme.org/terms

Table 1 Specication of aluminum and stainless steel plate Plate thickness (mm) Grade Al 1050 SUS 304 Chemical composition (mass%) 99.5Al, Si 0.03, Fe 0.34, Cu 0.034, and other <0.05 18Cr, 8Ni, C 0.08 max, P 0.045 max, and Si 1 max Before bonding 1 0.5 After bonding 0.8 0.5

apparatus and the T-peel test is performed by mechanical debonding. The peel test measures the strength required to pull apart a bonded surface. The peel test was performed using an Instron tensile testing machine with a 50 kN load cell and a crosshead speed of

Fig. 1 A schematic illustration of clad roll bonding process

Fig. 4 Variation of break-off peel strength for various annealing times under the annealing temperature of 500  C

Fig. 2 A schematic illustration of peel test and dimensions of the peel test sample

Fig. 3 Peeling strength versus crosshead displacement curves with annealing temperature of 500  C and various annealing times

Fig. 5 As-rolled Al=stainless steel clad metals for a reduction ratio of 13%: (a) Backscattered electron image of interface. ((b) and (c)) Fracture morphology of stainless steel-side and Alside, respectively.

014501-2 / Vol. 134, JANUARY 2012

Transactions of the ASME

Downloaded From: http://materialstechnology.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ on 03/24/2013 Terms of Use: http://asme.org/terms

10 mm min1 . The peeling strength was taken as the average peel force divided by the bond width, which could be expressed as follows: rp Fbreakoff =Lsample width where rp is the break-off peeling strength N cm1 , F is the breaking-off force (N), and L is the width of the test sample (cm). After the samples were peeled, the fracture surface morphology of the various samples and the development of interfacial structures were observed through a eld emission scanning electron microscope (Hitachi S-4100) and a wavelength-dispersive spectrometer. Furthermore, backscattered electron image (BEI) was used to observe the diffusion layer at the interface.

Results and Discussion

3.1 Mechanical Property. Figure 3 shows the peeling strength versus the crosshead displacement curves of the Al=stainless steel clad metal at a reduction ratio of 13% with various annealing times at 500  C. As seen in Fig. 3, the Al=stainless steel clad metal displays a certain bond strength 96 N cm1 after cold rolling. The bonding strength of the clad metal after 15 min annealing was 250 N cm1 , which is obviously superior to that of the as-rolled. The optimum annealing time was observed to be 1 h where the bonding strength was over 500 N cm1 . The 2 h annealing sample also exhibited an excellent bonding strength, yet the clad metal fractured at a crosshead displacement of 2 mm. This occurred at the aluminum matrix side. The phenomenon

Fig. 6 Al=stainless steel clad metals heated at a temperature of 500  C for 15 min: (a) The interfacial mapping image. ((b) and (c)) Fracture morphology of stainless steel-side and Al-side, respectively.

Journal of Engineering Materials and Technology

JANUARY 2012, Vol. 134 / 014501-3

Downloaded From: http://materialstechnology.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ on 03/24/2013 Terms of Use: http://asme.org/terms

annealing time of 1 h. It then starts to decrease and falls drastically after 2 h. By comparing the bonding strength between the annealed and the as-rolled samples, it can be seen that the appropriate annealing process could enhance the bond strength of the clad metal. 3.2 As-Rolled Condition. Figure 5(a) illustrates the backscattered electron image of the as-rolled clad metal interface; Figs. 5(b) and 5(c) are the fracture morphology on the stainless steel-side and the Al-side, respectively. Al was discovered on stainless steel-side by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. This is thought to be evidence that the primary bond strength is created by the mechanical locking from the initial rolling process. 3.3 Postannealing Condition 3.3.1. Annealing for 15 min and 60 min. The annealing temperature of 500  C is sufcient for the diffusion of Ni, Cr, and Fe elements into the Al metal and form intermetallic compounds. In this study, some intermetallic compounds will form while the annealing temperature is higher than 400  C for a suitable holding time. Figure 6(a) shows the interfacial structure of an Al=stainless steel bimetal sheet annealed at 500  C for 15 min. Atomic interdiffusion between the two plates contributed to strengthening by solid-solution and increased the bonding strength. Atoms of Al and constituent element of stainless steel could be found in both stainless steel and Al matrix, respectively, as shown in Figs. 6(b) and 6(c). It can be deduced that Al atoms from the Al-side have diffused into the stainless steel matrix; meanwhile, Ni, Cr, and Fe atoms from the stainless steel-side also diffused into the Al matrix. The Al(Fe, Cr, Ni) phases corresponding to the measured atomic concentrations are categorized to be Al3 Fe; Cr; Ni and Al5 Fe; Cr; Ni2 . Al3 Fe; Cr; Ni is near the Al base and Al5 Fe; Cr; Ni2 is near the stainless steel side. Those intermetallic compounds developed are believed to be by the substitutional

Fig. 7 Al=stainless steel clad metals heated at a temperature of 500  C for 1 h: (a) Backscattered electron image of the interface. ((b) and (c)) Fracture morphology of stainless steel-side and Al-side, respectively.

represents that a good bonding has formed between the two metals. The relationship between peeling strength and annealing time is shown in Fig. 4. The peeling strength can be seen to increase with the increasing annealing time and reaches a maximum at the

Fig. 8 The backscattered electron image of Al=stainless steel clad metals heated at a temperature of 500  C for 2 h. (a) Smooth region and (b) the protruding stainless steel region.

Fig. 9 Interface development of Al=stainless steel clad metals at different annealing conditions: (a) 500  C/3 h, (b) 500  C/4 h, and (c) 500  C/5 h

014501-4 / Vol. 134, JANUARY 2012

Transactions of the ASME

Downloaded From: http://materialstechnology.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ on 03/24/2013 Terms of Use: http://asme.org/terms

Fig. 10 The interfacial mapping image of the Al=stainless steel clad metal sintered at 500  C for 3 h

atomic diffusion. Diffusion at the extruding zones of the stainless steel is much more substantial and had become the dominative diffusion path in this stage. Figure 7 shows the interface backscattered electron image and the fracture morphology for 1 h annealing. The interface (Fig. 7(a)) became smooth compared with the as-rolled condition; it should be due to the fact that smooth interface has lower free energy. Bonding strength at this stage was the greatest among all samples. It can be attributed to the large diffusion quantity. As seen in Figs. 6 and 7, the fracture morphology was ductile. Figures 7(b) and 7(c) show the dimple characteristics on the fracture surfaces. A bond (normally a mechanical bond) is thus obtained through interfacial mechanical locking. The unoxidized aluminum extrudes through the cracks and develops stable joints. Aluminum is found to adhere to stainless steel, as shown in the gure. 3.3.2 Annealing for 2 h and Above. Figure 8 displays the interface backscattered electron image after 2 h annealing. A smooth region similar to that in Fig. 7(a) can be identied. It starts to develop a certain intermediate layer around the protruding stainless steel zone (shown in Fig. 8(b)); the layer thickness is 5:6 lm in that area. This phenomenon is due to the stress concentration developed in these regions during the cold rolling process, and therefore more defects to accelerate interdiffusion. From the wavelength-dispersive spectrometer analysis, this intermediate layer was formed at the Al matrix side. The discontinuous intermediate layer decreases the bonding strength.
Table 2 Composition analysis on Fig. 9 Atomic ratio A B C D Ni (%) 0.02 1.72 2.17 7.68 Cr (%) 0.09 4.60 5.89 20.16 Fe (%) 0.27 16.60 20.50 72.04 Al (%) 99.61 77.07 71.42 0.10

Figures 9(a)9(c) show the interface development for 3 h, 4 h, and 5 h annealing, respectively. The intermediate layer became continuous and thickened with time. The layer thicknesses are 6:5 lm, 7:5 lm, and 8:9 lm. Each data point is an average of ten measurements. Thicker intermediate layer would further decrease the bonding strength, as depicted in Fig. 3. Figure 10 is the interfacial mapping image of the Al=stainless steel clad metal sintered at 500  C for 3 h. It is found that two intermediate layers developed at the interface. Wavelength-dispersive spectrometer was applied to identify the interfacial phases developed during the annealing process. Table 2 shows the composition analysis for A, B, C, and D in Fig. 10. The intermediate layer is indicated by arrows, and in this region the compositions are almost constant. Hence, it is anticipated that the intermediate layer is probably an intermetallic compound. Figure 11(a) illustrates the backscattered electrons image of the Al=stainless steel clad metals interface heated at temperature of 500  C for 6 h. The intermediate layer became very thick after 6 h annealing, and the thickness of the layer is around 9:1 lm. The wavelength-dispersive spectrometer analysis depicts that the layer is actually composed of Al3 Fe and Al5 Fe2 intermetallic compounds. Figures 11(c) and 11(d) show that the fracture morphology has completely transformed from ductile to brittle. The intermediate layer decreases the bond strength for a considerable quantity.

Conclusion

The effects of various annealing time at 500  C for cold roll bonded aluminum and stainless steel clad metals have been investigated. The following conclusions may be drawn from this study: 1. The interfacial bond strength for the as-rolled condition primarily came from mechanical locking. 2. Due to solid-solution strengthening effect, the Al=stainless steel clad metal under 13% reduction ratio has the highest interfacial bonding strength for annealing at 500  C for 1 h. JANUARY 2012, Vol. 134 / 014501-5

Journal of Engineering Materials and Technology

Downloaded From: http://materialstechnology.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ on 03/24/2013 Terms of Use: http://asme.org/terms

Fig. 11 Al=stainless steel clad metals heated at a temperature of 500  C for 6 h: (a) Backscattered electron image of the interface. (b) Wavelength-dispersive spectrometer study of the interface. ((c) and (d)) Fracture morphology of Al-side and SS-side, respectively.

3. The protruding stainless steel at the interface was the diffusion route in the initial stage. 4. An intermediate layer had been formed at the interface which diminishes the bonding strength for over 2 h annealing at 500  C. 5. Intermediate layer decreases the bonding strength of the clad metal. The thicker the layer is, the lower the bonding strength. The intermediate layer transforms the fracture mechanism from ductile to brittle.

References
[1] Altekar, V. A., Banerjee, S. K., Ghose, B. N., and Bhattacharya, J., 1981, Development of Clad Metals for Various Applications, NML Tech. J., 23, pp. 3236. [2] Bay, N., 1986, Cold Welding 2: Process Variants and Applications, Met. Constr., 18, pp. 486490. [3] Koga, S., 2003, Application of New Welding and Joining Processes to Rolling Stock and Aerospace Industries, Q. J. Jpn. Weld. Soc., 72, pp. 4952. [4] Yahiro, A., Masui, T., Yoshida, T., and Doi, D., 1991, Development of Nonferrous Clad Plate and Sheet by Warm Rolling With Different Temperature of Materials, ISIJ Int., 31, pp. 467654. [5] Kawase, H., Makimoto, M., Takagi, K., Ishida, Y., and Tanaka, T., 1983, Development of Aluminum Clad Steel by Roll Bonding, Trans. Iron Steel Inst. Jpn., 23, pp. 628632.

[6] Ryabov, V. R., 1985, Aluminizing of Steel, Oxoniane, New Delhi, p. 17. [7] Abbasi, M., Karimi Taheri, A., and Salehi, M. T., 2001, Growth Rate of Intermetallic Compounds in Al=Cu Bimetal Produced by Cold Roll Welding Process, J. Alloys Compd., 319, pp. 233241. [8] Kazanowski, P., Epler, M. E., and Misiolek, W. Z., 2004, Bi-Metal Rod ExtrusionProcess and Product Optimization, Mater. Sci. Eng., A, 369, pp. 170 180. [9] Khosravifard, A., and Ebrahimi, R., 2010, Investigation of Parameters Affecting Interface Strength in Al=Cu Clad Bimetal Rod Extrusion Process, Mater. Des., 31(1), pp. 493499. [10] Takeshi, I., Kazuyuki, H., Masahiro, F., and Toru, N., 1994, Improvement of the Bonding Strength of Al=Cu Transition Joint Made by Single-Shot Explosive Welding Technique Using Cu Intermediate Plate, Q. J. Jpn. Weld. Soc., 12, pp. 7781. [11] Ha, Y. C., Ha, J. H., Lee, H. G., Kim, D. K., and Lee, B. I., 2005, Electrochemical and Optical Characterization of the Corrosion Resistivity of Explosively Bonded Al-Cu Bimetal, Mater. Sci. Forum, 475479, pp. 2675 2678. [12] Watanabe, T., Takayama, H., and Yanagisawa, A., 2006, Joining of Aluminum Alloy to Steel by Friction Stir Welding, J. Mater. Process. Technol., 178(13), pp. 342349. [13] Yilmaz, O., and Celik, H., 2003, Electrical and Thermal Properties of the Interface at Diffusion-Bonded and Soldered 304 Stainless Steel and Copper Bimetal, J. Mater. Process. Technol., 141, pp. 6776. [14] Cave, J. A., and Williams, J. D., 1973, The Mechanism of Cold Pressure Welding by Rolling, J. Inst. Met., 101, pp. 203207. [15] Bay, N., 1983, Mechanism Producing Metallic Bonds in Cold Welding, Weld. J. (London), 62, pp. 137142.

014501-6 / Vol. 134, JANUARY 2012

Transactions of the ASME

Downloaded From: http://materialstechnology.asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/ on 03/24/2013 Terms of Use: http://asme.org/terms