Stainless steel to aluminium joining by interfacial doping with Al2O3 powder in wire arc direct energy deposition process

Joining of stainless steel (SS) to aluminium (Al) through fusion welding process has always been a challenging task for researchers. The evolution of low cost, highly functional SS-Al joint can cater the wide thermal and structural applications. This paper describes the microstructure and mechanical properties of SS-Al dissimilar joints formed by Al2O3 interfacial doping in a wire arc direct energy deposition process with varying heat input. Results revealed direct effect of Al2O3 on the grain refinement up to -2 mu m. The presence of FeAl, FeAl3, and Fe2Al5 at the interface increases with increasing heat input. The presence of intermetallic compounds (IMCs) and grain refinement due to Al2O3 improved interfacial strength up to -77.5 MPa.