Effect of joining temperature on the microstructure and strength of tungsten/ferritic steel joints diffusion bonded with a nickel interlayer

A diffusion bonding process, for joining of tungsten to ferritic steel using nickel as an interlayer, was developed for nuclear component application. The effect of joining temperature on the microstructure and tensile strength of the joint was investigated in this work. Metallographic analysis revealed that a good bonding was obtained at both the tungsten/nickel and nickel/steel interfaces, and the diffusion products were identified in the diffusion zone. Nano-indentation test across the joining interfaces demonstrated the effect of solid solution hardening in the diffusion zone. Tensile test showed that the maximum average tensile strength of ∼200 MPa was obtained for the joint diffusion bonded at 900 °C. The results were discussed in terms of the joining temperature and of the residual stress generated during joining process.