Bi-metallic joints with iron and aluminum produced by casting aluminum from above the steel inserts in the molds after the iron has been subjected to immersion in molten aluminum or aluminum alloys to produce a bonding layer, have high heat conductivity and high bonding strength compered with those of chilled castings.
Bonding strength of the joints by this process, called Al-Fin, has not been investigated in detail. In this study, therefore, the effects of the thicknesses of Fe2Al5 and FeAl3 alloy layers, and the alloying elements in the molten aluminum and solid iron on the bonding strength were investigated by tensile strength and shear strength tests. The following results were obtained.
Bi-metallic joints were almost always fractured in a Fe2Al5 phase by the tensile test, and the bonding strength increased with decreasing thickness of Fe2Al5.
Addition of Cr and Ni into iron remarkably decreased the thickness of the alloy layers, and Fe-18% Cr-8% Ni steel indicates the bonding strength highter than 12kg/mm2.