Hot compression bonding helps achieve seamless CLAM steel joint
China low activation martensitic (CLAM) steel, as a typical reduced activation ferritic/martensitic steel, is the main candidate structural material for fusion reactors due to its low activation, high mechanical properties, irradiation resistance and corrosion resistance. However, weld uniformity is difficult to achieve with a conventional welding method, which tends to coarsen the martensitic slat, and the performance of the joints is usually lower than that of the base material. In view of this, a research team led by Prof. Huang Qunying from the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in collaboration with researchers from the Institute of Metal Research of CAS, has conducted a study on the evolution of interfacial microstructure and oxides in CLAM steel by hot compression bonding (HCB). The study is published in the journal Materials Characterization. They developed the HCB method to realize effective joining of components by promoting the interfacial grain boundary migration and recrystallization under the combined effect of thermal coupling. The results showed that the interfacial oxide and micro-voids could be eliminated after the HCB process. The atomic-scale interfacial bonding could be achieved so that the bonding interface would be completely healed.
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