Effects of Homogenization Heat Treatment on Microstructure, Mechanical and Corrosion Properties of Transient Liquid Phase (TLP)-Bonded Inconel 617/AISI 310 Stainless Steel

In this study, the transient liquid phase bonding between Inconel 617 and AISI 310 stainless steel and its homogenization heat treatment processing were investigated. For this purpose, AWS BNi-2 was used as the bonding interlayer. Bonding was conducted in a vacuum furnace at 1040 °C and 30 min and homogenized at 1200 °C and 180 min in an argon atmosphere furnace. Optical and scanning electron microstructures of the samples, changes in the concentration of elements at the joints, as well as shear strength, hardness, fractured surfaces and corrosion resistance of the joined specimens were investigated. Based on the results, the shear strength after heat treatment was increased by about 11% and the hardness was reduced by about 35%. Moreover, the homogenization treatment employed improved the corrosion resistance of the joint due to the reduction in the concentration gradients of elements and increasing the uniformity of the microstructure, especially Cr-rich and Mo-rich zones.