MICROSTRUCTURAL EVALUATION AND TENSILE CHARACTERIZATION OF ELECTRON BEAM WELDED DISSIMILAR METAL JOINTS OF COPPER AND STAINLESS STEEL 304

Joining of dissimilar metals is the key area of attention for researchers since it is a complex process due to the difference in the physical and metallurgical properties of both metals. A weld coupled with high quality is the need of aircraft industry. This paper describes about the dissimilar metal joints of Copper- Stainless Steel 304 using Electron Beam Welding for semi Cryogenic engine applications. The Electron Beam welded dissimilar metal joint is also compared with the weld made of TIG welding. The main advantages of EBW in the case of dissimilar metal joints are lack of fusion, lack of penetration and no heat loss which in turn improves the weld quality. The weld has been carried out at BATL, Trivandrum. Various trials have been carried out with Copper-Stainless Steel 304 and finally this dissimilar combination has been welded. The microstructure of both EBW and TIG welded samples are compared.