Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Analysis and Hardness of Diffusion Bonded Titanium-Titanium and Titanium-Copper Plates with Static Force and without Interlayers

In the present research, commercially pure Ti (grade-2) has been diffusion bonded with Ti and Cu plate under static force without any interlayers. The diffusion bonded samples were tested for micro hardness and micro structural analysis through optical microscopy and SEM. It is found from the present investigation that the bonded zone is affected by the processing variables such as bonding time (1 - 2 h), bonding force (250 N), bonding temperature (973 - 1073 K) and surface roughness. Results of the investigation revealed that temperature range of ?973 - 1073 K along with time duration of 1 - 2 hours in vacuum has resulted in a joint having high hardness with minimum pores. Hardness of the bond depends on the grain boundary diffusion at the interface and maximum hardness was achieved in the case of Ti-Cu joints. When Ti-Cu plates were used for bonding at 973 K for 2 hours, Cu-Ti solid solution along with a zone of different intermetallics was formed in the bonded zone. However, at higher temperatures, no continuous zone of intermetallics was found in the bonded region but instead Ti-Cu solid solution appeared.