Ordering Process of Interfacial Intermetallic Compounds and Strengthening Mechanism of QAl10-5-5/TC6 Bimetals Adding Ag Interlayer

doi:10.11900/0412.1961.2025.00144

Acta Metall Sin

2026, Vol. 62

Issue (8): 1454-1466 DOI: 10.11900/0412.1961.2025.00144

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Ordering Process of Interfacial Intermetallic Compounds and Strengthening Mechanism of QAl10-5-5/TC6 Bimetals Adding Ag Interlayer

SUN Lixing¹, XUE Hangyu¹, LIANG Shuhua¹, YANG Qian², JIANG Qi¹, ZOU Juntao¹(

)

1 Shaanxi Province Engineering Research Center of Advanced Manufacturing Technology for Metal Based Dissimilar Materials, Xi'an University of Technology, Xi'an 710048, China
2 Xi'an BYD Auto Co. Ltd. , Xi'an 710119, China

Cite this article:

SUN Lixing, XUE Hangyu, LIANG Shuhua, YANG Qian, JIANG Qi, ZOU Juntao. Ordering Process of Interfacial Intermetallic Compounds and Strengthening Mechanism of QAl10-5-5/TC6 Bimetals Adding Ag Interlayer. Acta Metall Sin, 2026, 62(8): 1454-1466.

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Abstract

Structural-functional integrated Cu-alloy/Ti-alloy bimetals combine the advantageous properties of both constituents and therefore exhibit considerable potential for multifunctional applications. However, controlling the interfacial microstructure and achieving sufficient interfacial strength remain significant challenges in Cu-alloy/Ti-alloy systems. This study investigates the evolution of the interfacial microstructure, the ordering behavior of interfacial intermetallic compounds (IMCs), and the relationship between interfacial structure and mechanical performance, aiming to clarify the formation pathway of IMCs and its effect on the interface strength of Cu-alloy/Ti-alloy bimetals. QAl10-5-5/TC6 bimetals were fabricated via diffusion bonding using Ag interlayer (adding Ag foil as interlayer or electrodeposited Ag interlayer on QAl10-5-5 alloy). The resulting interfacial microstructures and shear strengths were systematically characterized, and the corresponding strengthening mechanism was clarified. For the QAl10-5-5/Ag foil/TC6 bimetals, the interfacial strength reached a maximum of 200 MPa at a bonding temperature of 850 ^oC. Meanwhile, for the Ag layer deposited QAl10-5-5/TC6 bimetals, the fine-grained structure of the electrodeposited Ag layer promoted metallurgical bonding, and the QAl10-5-5/TC6 bimetals achieved maximum interfacial strength of 217 MPa at a bonding temperature of 835 ^oC. Moreover, an “affected zone” formed on the TC6 alloy side of Ag layer deposited QAl10-5-5/TC6 bimetals, consisting of a TiAlCu₂ reaction layer with a thickness of ~1 μm, and submicron scale Ti₂Cu and Ti₃Al phases, in which a semi-coherent interface occurred between Ti₃Al and α-Ti. Theoretical strengthening analysis of Ag layer deposited QAl10-5-5/TC6 bimetal revealed that the grain refinement strengthening and precipitation strengthening enhanced the property of the “affected zone” on the TC6 alloy side.

Key words: Cu alloy Ti alloy bimetal intermetallic compounds interface strengthening

Received: 27 May 2025

ZTFLH:

TG406

Fund: National Natural Science Foundation of China(U2341271);National Natural Science Foundation of China(52104385);Innovation Research team of Shaanxi(2025RS-CXTD-020);Distinguished Young Scholars of Shaanxi Province(2025ZC-KJXX-33);Key Research and Development Projects of Shaanxi Province(2023GXLH-037);Foundation of Aviation Science(202400070T6001)

Corresponding Authors: ZOU Juntao, professor, Tel: (029)82312185, E-mail: zoujuntao@xaut.edu.cn

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	SUN Lixing
	XUE Hangyu
	LIANG Shuhua
	YANG Qian
	JIANG Qi
	ZOU Juntao

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https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/10.11900/0412.1961.2025.00144 OR https://www.ams.org.cn/EN/Y2026/V62/I8/1454

Fig.1 SEM images of QAl10-5-5 (a) and TC6 (b) alloys

Fig.2 Schematics of the preparation of QAl10-5-5 alloy deposited with Ag layer (E—potential; $V H N O 3$ and $V C 2 H 5 O H$ —volumes of HNO₃ and C₂H₅OH, respectively)

Fig.3 Inverse pole figure (IPF) of Ag foil (Black lines represent high angle grain boundaries and white lines represent low angle grain boundaries)

Fig.4 SEM images showing interfacial morphologies (a-d) and shear strengths (e) of bimetals at different bonding conditions

Table 1 EDS results of interfacial layers of QAl10-5-5/Ag foil/TC6 bimetals at the bonding temperatures of 850 and 875 ^oC (See in Figs.4c and d)

Fig.5 Cross-sectional SEM images and macromorphologies (insets) of QAl10-5-5 alloy deposited with Ag layer under different electrodeposition process parameters (a-h), and IPF of the cross-section of QAl10-5-5 alloy deposited with Ag layer under 0.5 A for 25 min (i) (a-e) under current of 0.1 A for 5 min (a), 10 min (b), 15 min (c), 20 min (d), and 25 min (e) (f-h) under currents of 0.3 A (f), 0.5 A (g), and 0.7 A (h) for 25 min

Fig.6 Interfacial SEM images at bonding temperature of 805 ^oC (a), 835 ^oC (b), and 850 ^oC (c, d), and shear strengths (e) of Ag layer deposited QAl10-5-5/TC6 bimetals

Table 2 EDS results of Ag layer deposited QAl10-5-5/TC6 bimetals at the bonding temperatures of 850 ^oC (See in Fig.6d)

Fig.7 Fracture morphologies at bonding temperatures of 805 ^oC (a), 835 ^oC (b), and 850 ^oC (c) of Ag layer deposited QAl10-5-5/TC6 bimetals

Table 3 EDS results of Ag layer deposited QAl10-5-5/TC6 bimetals fracture surface at the different bonding temperatures (See in Fig.7)

Fig.8 Interfacial SEM image (a); EBSD band contrast and kernel average misorientation (KAM) map (b) and element distribution maps of the rectangular area in Fig.8a (c-f) of Ag layer deposited QAl10-5-5/TC6 bimetal at the bonding temperature of 805 ^oC

Fig.9 Interfacial TEM-HAADF image (a); EDS element distribution maps of Cu, Ti, and Al (b-d); and SAED patterns of the corresponding regions in Fig.9a (e-h) of Ag layer deposited QAl10-5-5/TC6 bimetal at the bonding temperature of 805 ^oC

Fig.10 TEM bright field image of Ag layer deposited QAl10-5-5/ TC6 bimetal interface (a) and HRTEM image (b) and fast Fourier transform (c) of α-Ti/Ti₃Al phase boundary at the bonding temperature of 805 ^oC (d—interplanar spacing)

Fig.11 Crystal structures of intermetallics in QAl10-5-5/TC6 bimetal interface and interfacial crystal structure (d) (a and c—lattice constants)

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