Explosion - Bonding - Cladding - Welding

What is Explosion Cladding..

Explosion Bonding or Explosion Cladding or Explosion Welding is a technically based
industrial welding process. As any other welding process, it complies with well
understood, reliable principles. The process uses an explosive detonation as the energy
source to produce a metallurgical bond between metal components. It can be used to
join virtually any metals combination, both those that are metallurgically compatible and
those that are known as non-weldable by conventional processes. Furthermore, this
process can clad one or more layers onto one or both faces of a base metal, with the
potential for each to be a different metal type or alloy.
The explosion cladding process was discovered in the late 1950's. By the end of the
1960's the process had been industrialized worldwide. During the near forty years of
industrial application, the process has been continuously refined. Experienced
manufacturers have codified the technology and the method of determining bonding
parameters. In comparison to the 1960's, today manufacturers can produced much
larger plates, up to 30 square meters, and have mastered the more difficult metals
combinations including cladding zirconium onto stainless steel.

Terminology
 As with other welding processes, the explosion cladding process applies special
terminology to many of the process variables.
 The Cladding Metal (also called the cladder) is the plate, which is in contact with
the explosive. It is typically the thinner component.
 The Base Metal is the plate onto which the cladding metal is being bonded.
 The Standoff Distance is the separation distance between the cladding metal and
the base metal when fixtured parallel to each other prior to the bonding operation.
 The Assembly Operation is the process in which the metals are fixtured into the
proper positions for bonding, including setting standoff distance and explosive
load.
 The Bonding Operation is the period in which the explosive detonation occurs
and in which the actual bonding occurs.
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Principle
Preparation.. The first step of the cladding operation is the preparation of the two
surfaces that are to be bonded together. These surfaces are ground or polished to
achieve a uniform surface finish with a roughness Ra of 3 µm
(140 RMS) or below, dependent upon the metals combination and thicknesses.
Assembly.. The cladding plate is positioned parallel to and above the base plate, at a
standoff distance which has been predetermined for the specific metals combination
being bonded. This distance is selected to assure that the cladding plate collides with
the base plate after accelerating to a specific collision velocity. The standoff distance
typically varies from 0.5 to 4 times the cladder sheet thickness dependent upon the
choice of impact parameters. The limited tolerance in collision velocity results in a similar
tolerance control of the standoff distance.
The standoff distance is controlled by support spacers at the plate edges and internally
as needed. Internal standoff devices are designed to be consumed by the jet.
An explosive containment frame is placed around the edges of the cladding metal plate.
The height of the frame is set to contain a specific amount of explosive providing a
specific energy release per unit area.
Bonding Operation.. The explosive composition and type is selected to yield a specific
energy release and a specific detonation rate (the speed at which the detonation front
travels across the explosive layer). The detonation rate must be subsonic to the acoustic
velocities of the metals.
The explosive, which is generally granular, is uniformly distributed on the cladding plate
surface filling the containment frame. It is ignited at a predetermined point on the plate
surface using a high velocity explosive booster. The detonation travels away from the
initiation point and across the plate surface at the specified detonation rate. The gas
expansion of the explosive detonation accelerates the cladding plate across the standoff
gap resulting in an angular collision at the specified collision velocity. The resultant
impact creates very high-localized pressures at the collision point.
These pressures travel away from the collision point at the acoustic velocity of the
metals. Since the collision is moving forward at a subsonic rate, pressures are created at
the immediately approaching adjacent surfaces, which are sufficient to spall a thin layer
of metal from each surface and eject it away in a jet. The surface contaminants, oxides
and impurities are stripped away in the jet. At the collision point, the newly created clean
metal surfaces impact at high pressures of several GPa. Although there is much heat
generated in the explosive detonation, there is no time for heat transfer to the metals.
The result is an ideal metal-metal bond without melting or diffusion.

Industrialisation
The explosion cladding process is commonly used for flat plates. The process can also
be used for the manufacture of concentrically bonded tubes and pipes. In tube cladding,
the explosive can be place inside the bore, or on the outside of the outer tube,
dependent upon diameters, wall thicknesses and other factors. The process is not
suitable for cladding of complex contoured surfaces. When shaped products are
required, such as heads, the clad is produced as flat plate and formed into the required
product configuration after bonding.

Cladding and Base metals

The illustration above shows the wide range of combinations that can be done with explosion bonding.

Global dimensions of cladding sheets

The cladding global dimensions are typically limited only by the availability of flat
component metal sheet or plate and transport constraints. Maximum plate size may also
be limited by explosive detonation limits, such a noise and environmental constraints.
Rarely is size limited by cladding know-how. The following maximum plate sizes can
typically be produced..

 Length 12000 mm
 Width 5000 mm
 Base thickness 500 mm
 Cladding thickness 25 mm
 Surface 35 m²

Fabrication
Clad metal can be readily formed and welded as needed to construct process
equipment. Many equipment fabricators worldwide have extensive expertise and know
how in this area. Head and shell forming and welding of clad plates is well known by
fabricators specializing in clad.

General Considerations
In many applications, particularly for large pressure vessels designed for high
temperature and pressure, titanium or zirconium clad steel construction can be very
economical compared to solid construction. Tantalum cost is so high that clad
construction is the only economic alternative for most process equipment. Also, tantalum
is not recognized by at least the ASME Code as a structural material, which would limit
its application even if the economics of solid construction were favorable.
Clad should be more economical than solid construction where wall thickness is in
excess of 19 mm to 32 mm in titanium, and 16 mm to 19 mm in zirconium.
With titanium or zirconium, a minimum lining thickness of 2.0 mm is usually specified
based on concern for iron contamination from the backer material due to welding heat or
burn through if the welder is careless. Use of a thinner liner is certainly feasible with
careful welding process selection and welding parameters chosen to minimize
penetration, but the cost saving is so minimal that this practice has largely been
discontinued.
Tantalum is typically used in thickness of 1.0 mm. Due to high cost and higher melting
temperatures, tantalum clad often utilizes a copper interlayer which carries away heat
and minimizes the risk of weld contamination even with very thin liners.
Clad construction becomes relatively more expensive if there are more details like
nozzles and penetrations that require significant detailed fabrication work. Cladding can
be very low cost for large uninterrupted surfaces.
Solid construction may be superior where there is a requirement for a smooth interior
surface since the normal detail of clad batten strip construction results in an uneven
surface.

Advantages of Clad Construction

 The main reason for clad construction is economy.

 Cladding also allows application of titanium or zirconium at temperatures in
excess of their design allowable in code construction.

Disadvantages of Clad Construction

 There is an inherent structural weakness in the fillet welds used to make joints in
the liner itself. The biggest drawback is that a failure of one of these welds
releases corrosive compounds throughout the backing material. This can lead to
undetected corrosion. Further, fluid contaminants behind a lining make high
quality repairs very difficult if not impossible. Loose linings are not generally
suitable under vacuum.
 Clad construction is inherently complex compared to solid construction,
particularly in structures with many nozzles, attachments, or complex internals.
  At least in titanium, clad equipment may be heavier than solid construction, which
can increase the cost of foundations and supports, and may be a consideration in
certain weight critical applications on offshore platforms, for example.
 The exterior of a clad vessel may require painting and field touch up as well as
continuing maintenance of the paint system.

Source (partially).. Dynamic Materials Corporation & Titanium Fabrication Corporation

Large Titanium Clad pressure vessels

Picture above is the property of Coek Engineering, Belgium