Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Moore, T. J..
A variation of cold welding is described which utilizes an ion beam to clean mating surfaces prior to joining in a vacuum environment. High quality solid state welds were produced with minimal deformation.
This paper describes a variation of cold welding which utilizes an ion beam to clean mating surfaces prior to joining in a vacuum environment. High quality solid state welds were produced with minimal deformation. Due to experimental fixture limitation in applying pressure work has been limited to a few low yield strength materials.
A study of the flow strength, creep resistance and diffusion welding characteristics of the titanium alloy Ti-6Al-2Nb-1Ta-0.8Mo was conducted. Two mill-processed forms of this alloy were examined. The forged material was essentially processed above the beta transus while the rolled form was subjected to considerable work below the beta transus. Between 1150 and 1250 K, the forged material was stronger and more creep resistant than the rolled alloy. Both forms exhibit superplastic characteristics in this temperature range. Strain measurements during diffusion welding experiments at 1200 K reveal that weld interfaces have no measurable effect on the overall creep deformation. Significant deformation appears to be necessary to produce a quality diffusion weld between superplastic materials. A 'soft' interlayer inserted between faying surfaces would seemingly allow manufacture of quality diffusion welds with little overall deformation.
Hot-press diffusion welding parameters were developed for a directionally solidified, gamma/gamma prime-delta eutectic alloy. Based on metallography, a good diffusion weld was achieved at 1100 C under 34.5 MPa (5 ksi) pressure for 1 hour. In addition, a dissimilar metal weld between gamma/gamma prime-delta and IN-100 was successfully made at 1100 C under 20.7 MPa (3 ksi) pressure for 1 hour.
Solid-state welding processes were evaluated for joining TD-NiCrAl (Ni-16Cr-4Al-2ThO2) alloy sheet. Both hot-press and resistance spot welding techniques were successfully applied in terms of achieving grain growth across the bond line. Less success was achieved with a resistance seam welding process. In stress-rupture shear and tensile shear tests of lap joints at 1100 C, most failures occurred in the parent material, which indicates that the weld quality was good and that the welds were not a plane of weakness. The overall weld quality was not as good as previously attained with TD-NiCr, probably because the presence of alumina at the faying surfaces and the developmental TD-NiCrAl sheet, which was not of the quality of the TD-NiCr sheet in terms of surface flatness and dimensional control.
Solid state welding a butt joint by fusion welding the peripheral surfaces to form a seal is described along with, autogenetically cleaning the faying or mating surfaces of the joint by heating the abutting surfaces to 1,200 C and heating to the diffusion welding temperature in air.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
To develop easily-applied production method for resistance spot welding use unrecrystallized sheet material, develop welding schedule that will produce a solid-state spot weld without recrystallizing sheet, and postheat to produce grain growth across weld line during recrystallization of sheet material.
Using magnetic force upset welding to form T-joints between dissimilar thickness parts. This type of resistance welding is used to join compressor and turbine parts thereby reducing the weight and cost of a jet engine.
Surfaces of unrecrystallized alloys are sanded and polished. This is followed by a two-step welding process by which the strength of the parent metal is retained at the weld joint. The first step forces the surfaces into intimate contact at a temperature where the metal still has good ductility. The second step causes diffusion, recrystallization, and grain growth across the original weld interface.
A hollow rolling element for a bearing is fabricated by diffusion welding hollow shells together. The hollow shell halves are joined by faying surfaces and diffusion welding.
A process is described to form T-joints between dissimilar thickness parts by magnetic force upset welding. This type of resistance welding is used to join compressor and turbine parts which thereby reduces the weight and cost of jet engines.
By using specially processed TD-NiCr sheet in both 0.4-mm (0.015-in.) and 1.6-mm (0.062-in.) thicknesses and carefully selected welding procedures, solid state resistance spot welds were produced which, after postheating at 1200 C, were indistinguishable from the parent material. Stress-rupture shear tests of single-spot lap joints in 0.4-mm (0.015-in.) thick sheet showed that these welds were as strong as the parent material. Similar results were obtained in tensile-shear tests at room temperature and 1100 C and in fatigue tests. Conventional fusion spot welds in commercial sheet were unsatisfactory because of poor stress-rupture shear properties resulting from metallurgical damage to the parent material.
At the current state-of-technology there are many joining processes that can be used to make sound welds in TD-NiCr sheet. Some of these that are described in this report are electron beam welding (EBW), gas-tungsten arc welding (GTAW), diffusion welding (DFW), resistance spot welding (RSW), resistance seam welding (RSEW), and brazing. Roll welding (RW) and explosion welding (EXW) have not been developed to the point where they can be used to make sound welds in TD-NiCr. Joining work that has previously been done on TD-NiCr by various organizations, both privately supported and under Air Force and NASA contracts, is described in this summary. Current work is also described that is being done at General Dynamics/Convair (under NASA contract) and at NASA/Lewis to develop and evaluate DFW, RSW, RSEW, and brazing. Preliminary comparisons of joining processes are made for typical applications. A brief description of the manufacture of TD-NiCr sheet by a recently standardized process (under NASA contract) also is given.
Solid state deformation welding process, friction welding, has been developed for joining precipitation hardened nickel-base alloys and other gamma prime-strengthened materials which heretofore have been virtually unweldable. Method requires rotation of one of the parts to be welded, but where applicable, it is an ideal process for high volume production jobs.
Results of an exploratory study of the structure and properties of friction welds in Udimet 700 (U-700) and TD-nickel (TD-Ni) bar materials, as well as dissimilar U-700/TD-Ni friction welds. Butt welds were prepared by friction welding 12.7-mm-diam U-700 bars and TD-Ni bars. Specimens for elevated temperature tensile and stress rupture testing were machined after a postweld heat treatment. Friction welding of U-700 shows great potential because the welds were found to be as strong as the parent metal in stress rupture and tensile tests at 760 and 980 C. In addition, the weld line was not detectable by metallographic examination after postheating. Friction welds in TD-Ni or between U-700 and TD-Ni were extremely weak at elevated temperatures. The TD-Ni friction welds could support only 9% as much stress as the base metal for 10-hour stress rupture life at 1090 C. The U-700/TD-Ni weld could sustain only 15% as much stress as the TD-Ni parent metal for a 10-hour stress rupture life at 930 C. Thus friction welding is not a suitable joining method for obtaining high-strength TD-Ni or U-700/TD-Ni weldments.
Description of a simple and easily applied method of diffusion welding steel plate in air which does not require a vacuum furnace or hot press. The novel feature of the proposed welding method is that diffusion welds are made in air with deadweight loading. In addition, the use of an autogenous (self-generated) surface-cleaning principle (termed 'auto-vac cleaning') to reduce the effects of surface oxides that normally hinder diffusion welding is examined. A series of nine butt joints were diffusion welded in thick sections of AISI 1020 steel plate. Diffusion welds were attempted at three welding temperatures (1200, 1090, and 980 C) using a deadweight pressure of 34,500 N/sq m (5 psi) and a two-hour hold time at temperature. Auto-vac cleaning operations prior to welding were also studied for the same three temperatures. Results indicate that sound welds were produced at the two higher temperatures when the joints were previously fusion seal welded completely around the periphery. Also, auto-vac cleaning at 1200 C for 2-1/2 hours prior to diffusion welding was highly beneficial, particularly when subsequent welding was accomplished at 1090 C.
A method termed 'enhanced diffusion welding' has been developed to produce solid-state welds in TD-NiCr (Ni-20Cr-2ThO2) alloy sheet with weld strengths of 100% of the parent metal strength. Diffusion welded joints were made in specially processed TD-NiCr that equaled the tensile-shear and creep-rupture shear strengths of the parent material at 1090 deg C. The following observations have been made: specially processed TD-NiCr is preferred over commercial TD-NiCr for diffusion welding; the weld line can be eliminated when joining specially processed TD-NiCr by 600-grit sanding and electropolishing the faying surfaces prior to welding; and, a two-step weld cycle is preferred for diffusion welding of this alloy.