scope:

Metals can be bonded together by high velocity collisions in which transient pressure is produced ahead of the collision line. This "upstream" pressure results in the formation of a jet which contains the surfaces of each metal and serves to bring together internal material under high pressure. Three types of bond zones, each completely metallurgical, may result from such collisions; direct metal-to-metal, uniform melted layer, or a mixture of these arranged in a wave pattern. The last of these is preferred for commercial applications. Explosion bonding may be used as a means to clad metal plates or to make certain types of joints. This paper reviews the dynamic conditions required to produce bonding, the nature of the bond zones, the utility of explosive bonding for cladding and joining, and the properties of explosively bonded materials, particularly those of clad metals.