Friction welding of aluminium to austenitic stainless steel

The dissimilar material combination of aluminium and austenitic stainless steel is difficult to weld on account of the formation of brittle intermetallic phases and the wide difference in physical and mechanical properties. Friction welding, by virtue of its low and controlled energy input and rapid thermal cycle, offers a viable solution to these problems. The paper reports work done to optimize friction welding parameters so that the intermetallic layer is narrow and joints of acceptable quality can be produced. The mechanical properties are adequate in the as-welded condition but deteriorate on thermal exposure owing to the growth of the intermetallic layer.