TWI Industrial Member Report Summary 297/1986
By S B Dunkerton
Background
There is increasing interest being placed in the use of friction welding in the aeroengine, gas turbine and power generation industries where stainless steels are commonly used. However, data do not at present exist on the welding parameters required and the joint properties that can be obtained for these materials. In this report, a preliminary study on the continuous drive friction welding of three stainless steels (304L and 310 austenitic and 410 martensitic) is described. The evaluation of mechanical properties includes bend testing, ambient and elevated temperature tensile testing and ambient and cryogenic temperature impact testing (the latter does not apply to the martensitic stainless steel). Also included is a metallurgical evaluation with hardness testing.