Investigation on the explosive welding mechanism of corrosion-resisting aluminum and stainless steel tubes through finite element simulation and experiments

To solve the difficulty in the explosive welding of corrosion-resistant aluminum and stainless steel tubes, three technologies were proposed after investigating the forming mechanism through experiments. Then, a 3D finite element model was established for systematic simulations in the parameter determination. The results show that the transition-layer approach, the coaxial initial assembly of tubes with the top-center-point the detonation, and the systematic study by numerical modeling are the key technologies to make the explosive welding of LF6 aluminum alloy and 1Cr18Ni9Ti stainless steel tubes feasible. Numerical simulation shows that radial contraction and slope collision through continuous local plastic deformation are necessary for the good bonding of tubes. Stand-off distances between tubes (D ₁ and D ₂) and explosives amount (R) have effect on the plastic deformation, moving velocity, and bonding of tubes. D ₁ of 1 mm, D ₂ of 2 mm, and R of 2/3 are suitable for the explosive welding of LF6-L2-1Cr18Ni9Ti three-layer tubes. The plastic strain and moving velocity of the flyer tubes increase with the increase of stand-off distance. More explosives (R>2/3) result in the asymmetrical distribution of plastic strain and non-bonding at the end of detonation on the tubes.