Effect of Stand-Off Distance on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ni/Al/Ni Laminates Prepared by Explosive Bonding

Ni/Al laminates are of great interest in many aerospace and military applications due to their excellent mechanical properties. However, their application has been limited in part due to challenges related to fabricating complex geometries. However, explosive welding is regarded as a promising technique to fabricate laminates. However, it is difficult to fabricate Ni/Al/Ni laminates with high interfacial shear strength and ductility if the stand-off distance has not been optimized during the explosion process. The goal of this study was to investigate the effect of stand-off distance on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ni/Al/Ni laminates, and SEM and EDS were used to characterize the morphology and element distribution of the double layer interface. Tensile and tensile-shear tests were conducted to evaluate the mechanical properties of the laminates. The results indicated that with the increase in stand-off distance, three different kinds of interface were obtained (straight, wavy and continuously melted). Thickness of atomic diffusion layer increased with the increase in stand-off distance. Moreover, the Ni/Al/Ni laminates with wavy interface possessed highest value of ductility and interfacial bonding strength.