Surface Activation and Characterization of Aluminum Alloys for Brazing Optimization

摘要

Brazing of Al-alloys is of interest in many application fields (e.g., mechanical and automotive). The surface preparation of substrates and the in depth investigation of the interface reaction between aluminum substrates and brazing materials is fundamental for a proper understanding of the process and for its optimization. The interaction between two aluminum based substrates (Al5182 and Al6016) and two studied brazing materials (pure Zn and for the first time ZAMA alloy) has been studied in simulated brazing condition in order to define the best surface preparation conditions and combination substrate-brazing material to be used in real joining experiments. Three different surface preparations were considered: polishing and cleaning, application of flux and vacuum plasma etching (Ar) followed by sputtering coating with Zn. Macroscopic observation of the samples surface after “brazing”, optical microscopy, and microhardness measurements on the cross-section and XRD measurements on the top surface gave a comprehensive description of the phenomena occurring at the interface between the substrate and the brazing alloy which are of interest to understand the brazing process and for the detection of the best conditions to be used in brazing. Plasma etching (Ar) followed by sputtering coating with Zn resulted a promising solution in case of Al5182 brazed with Zn, while the addition of flux was more effective in case of Al6016 substrate. ZAMA alloy demonstrated good interface reactivity with both Al6016 and Al5182 alloys, particularly on only cleaned surfaces.