Phase formation at bonded vanadium and stainless steel interfaces

The interface between vanadium bonded to stainless steel was studies to determine whether a brittle phase formed during three joining operations. Inertia friction welds between V and 21-6-9 stainless steel were examined using TEM. In the as-welded condition, a continuous, polygranular intermetallic layer about 0.25 {mu}m thick was present at the interface. This layer grew to about 50 {mu}m thick during heat treatment at 1000{degrees}C for two hours. Analysis of electron diffraction patterns confirmed that this intermetallic was the {omega} phase. The interface between vanadium and type 304, SANDVIK SAF 2205, and 21-6-9 stainless steel bonded by a co-extrusion process had intermetallic particles at the interface in the as-extruded condition. Heat treatment at 1000{degrees}C for two hours caused these particles to grow into continuous layers in all three cases. Based on the appearance, composition and hardness of this interfacial intermetallic, it was also concluded to be {omega} phase. Bonding V to type 430 stainless steel by co-extrusion caused V-rich carbides to form at the interface due to the higher concentration of C in the type 430 than in the other stainless steels investigated. The carbide particles initially present grew into a continuous layer during a two-hour heat treatment at 1000{degrees}C. Co-hipping 21-6-9 stainless steel tubing with V rod resulted in slightly more concentric specimens than the co-extruded ones, but a continuous layer of the {omega} phase formed during the hipping operation. This brittle layer could initiate failure during subsequent forming operations. The vanadium near the stainless steel interface in the co-extruded and co-hipped tubing in some cases was harder than before heat treatment. It was concluded that this hardening was due to thermal straining during cooling following heat treatment and that thermal strains might present a greater problem than seen here when longer tubes are used in actual applications