Abstract:TiAl alloy and 316L stainless steel were vacuum-brazed with Zr-50.0Cu-7.1Ni-7.1Al (at.%) amorphous filler metal. The influence of brazing time and temperature on the interfacial microstructure and shear strength of the resultant joints was investigated. The brazed seam consisted of three layers, including two diffusion layers and one residual filler metal layer. The typical microstructure of brazed TiAl alloy/316L stainless steel joint was TiAl alloy substrate/α₂-(Ti₃Al)/AlCuTi/residual filler metal/Cu₉Zr₁₁+Fe₂₃Zr₆/Laves-Fe₂Zr/α-(Fe,Cr)/316L stainless steel substrate. Discontinuous brittle Fe₂Zr layer formed near the interface between the residual filler metal layer and α-(Fe,Cr) layer. The maximum shear strength of brazed joints reached 129 MPa when brazed at 1020 °C for 10 min. The diffusion activation energies of α₂-(Ti₃Al) and α-(Fe,Cr) phases were -195.769 and -112.420 kJ/mol, respectively, the diffusion constants for these two phases were 3.639×10^-6 and 7.502×10^-10 μm²/s, respectively. Cracks initiated at Fe₂Zr layer and propagated into the residual filler metal layer during the shear test. The Laves-Fe₂Zr phase existing on the fracture surface suggested the brittle fracture mode of the brazed joints.

Key words: vacuum brazing; dissimilar joining; Zr-based amorphous filler metal; intermetallic compound; growth kinetics