Development of a bonding interface between steel/steel and steel/Ni by ultrasonic welding

Ultrasonic welding is a solid-state welding technique that can bond materials at a relatively low temperature and pressure. In this study, steel/steel and steel/Ni combinations were successfully bonded by ultrasonic welding, and the development of the bonding interface was examined. The bonding strength was obtained by a lap shear test and increased with welding time, as did the fraction of bonded area observed by SEM. The bonding process sequence was investigated by SEM and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis of a cross-section at the bonding interface. It was revealed that abrasion is caused by oscillation to form small particles consisting of steel and Ni and that the particles are grown and subsequently flattened with welding time. Bonding is achieved by the flattened particles spreading along the bonding interface without any voids.