Microstructural, Mechanical and Corrosion Investigations of Ship Steel-Aluminum Bimetal Composites Produced by Explosive Welding

In this study, explosive welding was used in the cladding of aluminum plates to ship steel plates at different explosive ratios. Ship steel-aluminum bimetal composite plates were manufactured and the influence of the explosive ratio on the cladded bonding interface was examined. Optical microscopy (OM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS) studies were employed for the characterization of the bonding interface of the manufactured ship steel-aluminum bimetal composites. Tensile-shear, notch impact toughness, bending and twisting tests, and microhardness studies were implemented to determine the mechanical features of the bimetal composite materials. In addition, neutral salt spray (NSS) tests were performed in order to examine the corrosion behavior of the bimetal composites.