Method for diffusion bonding aluminum
First Claim
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1. A method of diffusion bonding which comprises:
- providing two aluminum alloy members to be diffusion bonded within a temperature range suitable for solid state diffusion bonding, said aluminum alloy members each having at least one alloy additive therein;
providing an interlayer of alloy which comprises aluminum and an alloy additive which is also in said alloy members, the percentage of said aluminum in said interlayer being less than the percentage of said aluminum in said alloy members, the percentage of said additive being large enough to assure that said interlayer will be at least partially liquid within said diffusion bonding temperature range for said alloy members, said interlayer having a surface oxide layer, said interlayer having a melting point below said temperature range, said alloy of said members being soluble in said interlayer when said interlayer is in a liquid phase;
positioning said alloy members and said interlayer in an assembly such that said interlayer is sandwiched between the surfaces of said alloy members to be bonded;
heating said assembly to within said temperature range such that said interlayer is transformed into a liquid phase and said surface oxide layer disrupted; and
maintaining said assembly within said temperature range such that portions of said aluminum alloy members dissolve into said interlayer at a faster rate than said interlayer diffuses into said members, said interlayer eventually solidifies between said alloy members primarily due to its resulting increased aluminum content, said diffusion bonding of said alloy members and said interlayer occurs.
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Abstract
Diffusion bonding of aluminum alloys is performed using a thin alloy interlayer placed between mating surfaces of the alloy members to be bonded, the interlayer having a specific composition which is dependent upon the composition of the alloy members, the diffusion bonding temperature, the interdiffusion rates of the alloy members compared with the interlayer, and the solid state diffusion rate of the interlayer into the alloy members. The process is preferably further characterized by isothermal solidification of the interlayer after the diffusion bonding temperature has been reached.
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26 Claims
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1. A method of diffusion bonding which comprises:
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providing two aluminum alloy members to be diffusion bonded within a temperature range suitable for solid state diffusion bonding, said aluminum alloy members each having at least one alloy additive therein; providing an interlayer of alloy which comprises aluminum and an alloy additive which is also in said alloy members, the percentage of said aluminum in said interlayer being less than the percentage of said aluminum in said alloy members, the percentage of said additive being large enough to assure that said interlayer will be at least partially liquid within said diffusion bonding temperature range for said alloy members, said interlayer having a surface oxide layer, said interlayer having a melting point below said temperature range, said alloy of said members being soluble in said interlayer when said interlayer is in a liquid phase; positioning said alloy members and said interlayer in an assembly such that said interlayer is sandwiched between the surfaces of said alloy members to be bonded; heating said assembly to within said temperature range such that said interlayer is transformed into a liquid phase and said surface oxide layer disrupted; and maintaining said assembly within said temperature range such that portions of said aluminum alloy members dissolve into said interlayer at a faster rate than said interlayer diffuses into said members, said interlayer eventually solidifies between said alloy members primarily due to its resulting increased aluminum content, said diffusion bonding of said alloy members and said interlayer occurs. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification