Formation and structure of vortex zones in explosive welding of carbon steel

The structure of vortex zones formed by explosive welding of thin sheets of steel 20 was studied by structural analysis methods. It is shown that the main structural components of the vortices are fine-grained ferrite and martensite. The peripheral regions of the vortex zones are adjacent to layers of recrystallized ferrite with submicron-size grains. The presence of uniaxial dendrites suggests that, during explosive loading, the central region of many vortices were in a molten state. Intense mixing of the material in the vortex zones is responsible for the formation of voids, which account for 20 percent of the melt volume.