Quasi-Static and Fatigue Strength of Copper-Brazed Stainless Steel
Source abstract
Abstract
This study investigates the quasi-static and fatigue strength of copper-brazed 316L stainless steel. Quasi-static and fatigue tests were conducted at room temperature (20 °C) using a Zwick/Roell Vibrophore 100 testing machine and specially designed copper-brazed specimens. Two types of specimens were prepared—tensile and shear specimens—to obtain the stress–strain relationships (σ–ε and τ–ε) and the fatigue life (S–N) curves. Based on the experimental results, the quasi-static and fatigue strengths of the copper-brazed joints under external tensile and shear loading were evaluated. The fatigue tests reveal that the shear fatigue strength is significantly lower than the tensile fatigue strength. Furthermore, a comprehensive investigation was conducted, focusing on the metallographic characterisation of the brazed joint and fractographic analyses of fracture surfaces obtained under quasi-static and fatigue loading, with particular emphasis on the shear strength of the investigated brazed joint. The experimental results obtained may be crucial for designing engineering structures (e.g., plate heat exchangers), where copper-brazed joints are the weakest members of the structure.
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Research context
OpenAlex topics: Structural Load-Bearing Analysis · Advanced Welding Techniques Analysis · Fatigue and fracture mechanics
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Affiliations
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Funding
The Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
References (38)
Show source-provided references
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