Investigation of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of St37 Steel-Ck60 Steel Joints by Explosive Cladding

The present work aimed at studying the microstructure and mechanical properties of Ck60/St37 composite plates fabricated by explosive cladding. The explosive ratio and stand-off distance were set to be R = 1.7 and s = 1.5t, respectively. Optical and scanning electron microscopy revealed that the bonding at the interface had a wavy morphology, but local melted zones were formed along the interface. The chemical composition of the local melted zones was evaluated by energy-dispersive spectroscopy analysis. This analysis showed that the melted zones consisted of both Ck60 and St37 steels. The maximum hardness was obtained near the explosively cladded interface; then these values were decreased by the distance away from the interface. Moreover, it was seen that the local melted zones, especially the vortices, had a high degree of hardness. Shear tests on the cladded metals also showed that the average shear strength was higher than 140 MPa, as set by the ASTM A263-12, implying that composite plates could be used safely. The study was also conducted to consider the strength of bonding by bending test in two ways, one with the cladding metal in tension and the other with the cladding metal in compression. Bending test results showed that these joints could be used safely when the cladded metal was in compression; otherwise, it would be fractured. Finally, impact test results showed that the fracture toughness of cladded samples was higher than that of flyer material due to the higher fracture toughness of the base material.