Explosive welding is a pressure welding process in which the surfaces of workpieces are joined by rapid contact using the energy of explosives or other sources of high specific energy. The method allows the joining of metals that cannot be joined by other methods (e.g. stainless steel and silver, copper and silver, etc.).
Explosive welding
Type of technology
Development phase
Level of innovation
Scale of production
unit
Technology readiness level TRL
Description of the technology
Purpose of use
joining materials that cannot be joined by using any other method
Use in industry
chemical industry, energy (including nuclear power) industry, electrometallurgy, electrochemistry,
Alternative technologies
- none
Visualisation of action
Advantages
- joining different metals
- no heat-affected zone
- versatility of application
- environmentally friendly
Disadvantages
- high cost
- limited use
- production constraints due to the use of explosive detonation energy
Workpiece material types
- all material groups
- ferrous metals
- non-ferrous metals
- non-ferrous metals alloys
Examples of products
- connections of steel ship decks with aluminum superstructures
- electrical cable connections
- screen bottoms of heat exchangers
- current contacts
Implementation of the technology
Required resources
- vacuum chamber
- firing ground
Required competences
- knowledge of materials science and chemistry
Environmental aspects
Expert evaluation
Development centers
- AGH University of Krakow
- Opole University of Technology
- Czestochowa University of Technology
- Military University of Technology
- Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science of Polish Academy of Sciences
- Warsaw University of Technology
Legal conditions
- permission to use explosives
- permission to use a firing ground