ASM Handbook, Volume 6: Welding, Brazing, and Soldering
D.L. Olson, T.A. Siewert, S. Liu, and G.R. Edwards, editors, p 303-305
DOI: 10.1361/asmhba0001376
ExplosionWelding
J o h n G. B a n k e r a n d E d w a r d G. R e i n e k e , E x p l o s i v e F a b r i c a t o r s , Inc.
EXPLOSION WELDING (EXW) is a solid-
state metal-joining process that uses explosive
force to create an electron-sharing metallurgical
bond between two metal components. Although
the explosive detonation generates considerable
heat, there is no time for heat transfer to the
component metals; therefore, there is no appre-
ciable temperature increase in the metals. The
physics of the process are discussed in the article
"Fundamentals of Explosion Welding" in this
Volume.
EXW Process Attributes
M e t a l l u r g i c a l Attributes. Because of the ab-
sence of heating, EXW products do not exhibit
many of the metallurgical characteristics of fu-
sion-welded, brazed, or hot-rolled/forged prod-
ucts. Unlike those processes, in EXW (Ref 1-4):
The component metals remain in their
wrought states; continuous cast structures are
not created.
The microstructures, mechanical properties,
and corrosion properties of the wrought par-
ent components are not altered from applica-
ble prebonding specification requirements.
There are no heat-affected zones.
There are no continuous-melt bands exhibit-
ing mixed chemistry.
There is almost no diffusion of alloying ele-
ments between components.
Metals Combinations. Explosion welding is
an effective joining method for virtually any
combination of metals. The only metallurgical
limitation is sufficient ductility and fracture
toughness to undergo the rapid deformation of
the process without fracture. Generally accepted
limits are 10% and 30 J (22 ft lbf) minimum,
respectively.
Explosion welding is suitable for joining met-
als of the same type---for example, steel to
steel--as well as metals with substantially dif-
ferent densities, melting points, and/or yield
strengths---for example, tantalum to alloy tita-
nium. The process is commonly used to join
corrosion-resistant alloys to carbon or alloy
steels.
Size Limitations. Explosion welding is ap-
propriate for use over a broad range of sizes. It
has been used for joining electronic components
of widths less than 0.5 mm (0.020 in.) and for
cladding plates up to 5 x 13 m (16 40 ft).
Cladding metal thicknesses can range from
0.025 to 100 mm (0.001 to4 in.), and base metal
thickness can range from 0.025 mm (0.001 in.)
to over 1 m (40 in.). The size limits are generally
mandated by component metal manufacturabil-
ity and transport requirements.
Configuration Limitations. Explosion weld-
ing is limited to the bonding of fiat surfaces or
coaxial cylindrical surfaces. It is ideally suited
for bonding large, fiat areas, as in clad plate
manufacture.
Bond Zone Morphology. Explosion welding
is traditionally known for its wavy bond zone
morphology. The physics of the wave formation
process and its relation to process variables are
discussed in the article "Fundamentals of Explo-
sion Welding" in this Volume. The EXW bond
zone morphology is flat at the low end of the
bonding velocity range and transitions to wavy
as the velocity is increased. Through proper se-
lection of EXW parameters, the bond zone
morphology can be tailored to satisfy product
performance requirements. Although a low-ve-
locity wavy bond zone is preferred for most
needs (Fig. 1), certain applications are better
served by flat or turbulent-wavy interfaces (Ref
5).
Interlayers. The physical and mechanical
performance requirements of the EXW bond
zone are determined by the product application.
With some combinations of metals, the required
I:-'a Bond zone pattern typical of explosion clad
- ' b " 1 metals. Materials are Type 304L stainless steel
and medium-carbon steel. 20x
Copyright 1993 ASM International
All rights reserved.
www.asminternational.org
bond zone performance characteristics are best
achieved with an interlayer between the two pri-
mary metals. For example, a titanium interlayer
can be used to increase the performance temper-
ature of an aluminum/copper weld, and a silver
interlayer can be used to improve the leak tight-
ness of an aluminum/stainlesssteel weld.
EXW Products and Applications
Common Industrial Applications. Because
of the unique safety and noise/vibration consid-
erations, EXW is generally performed in rela-
tively isolated facilities by companies specializ-
ing in explosives operations. The major products
are large clad plates, which are used in pressure
vessel, heat exchanger, and electrochemical
process applications (Fig. 2). The dissimilar-
metal welding features of EXW are made avail-
able to a broader industrial base through the con-
cept of welding transition joints (Fig. 3).
Transition joint components are produced by
explosion welders at their production facilities
and then provided in the form of blocks, strips,
or tubular couplings to equipment fabricators for
use in the conventional welding of dissimilar
metals. Common applications are aluminum/
steel (Ref 6, 7), aluminum/titanium, and
aluminum/copper-nickelfor shipboard construc-
tion (Fig. 4); aluminum/copper and aluminum/
steel for electrical contacts and buss systems;
aluminum/stainlesssteel for cryogenic pipe cou-
plings; titanium/stainlesssteel for aerospace and
Fig, 2 Titanium/steel explosion-bonded clad plate
304 / Solid-State Welding Processes
Aluminum-to-stainless weld accomplished
Fig. 3 with an explosion-bonded tubular transition
joint. Aluminum and stainless steel are welded to the
respective ends using conventional fusion-welding
processes.
Transition joint materials for joining dissimi-
H 6 " 4 lar metals in shipboard and marine equip-
|n
ment construction
aircraft applications (Fig. 5); and Kovar/copper
and Kovar/aluminum for electronic packaging
(Ref 8).
Shop Welding Applications. Small, spe-
cialty EXW devices have been developed for a
few unique shop applications. Explosion weld-
ing is used in heat exchanger shops for joining
tubes to tubesheets and tube plugging. Explo-
sion spot welding devices have also been used in
limited commercial applications (Ref 9).
EXW Manufacturing Process
and Practice
Safety and Regulations. Safety is of critical
importance in the practice of EXW. Guidelines
and regulations for the safe handling and trans-
port of explosives are provided by the U.S. Bu-
reau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Fire Arms (Ref
10), the U.S. Department of Transportation in
its Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
(Ref 11), and the Institute of Makers of Explo-
sives Safety Library Publications (Ref 12). Li-
censing and regulations for the purchase, trans-
port, manufacture, and use of explosives may
vary significantly among states and municipali-
ties. Depending on the types of explosives used,
the detonation by-products may be subject to
environmental regulation. Potential practitioners
of explosion-bonding operations should under-
Tubular welding transition joints for hermetic welds between titanium, aluminum, and zirconium and
Fig. 5 stainless steel
stand the safety standards and regulations before
proceeding (Ref 13).
Noise and Vibration Abatement. The sound
and ground vibration generated during EXW can
be considerable. Common methods for noise
abatement include performing the operation in a V////////////////////////////////////~ CL'DOING MET*L~ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / ~
S~ANOOFFStAtE
highly remote geographic location, in a mine or
bunker, or in a specially designed blast chamber
or vacuum chamber. Safety considerations vary
among these options. Precautions must be taken
to ensure that personnel are protected from (a)
shrapnel and facility deterioration.
Process Geometry. Two basic geometric
configurations of the EXW process are com-
monly used: angle bonding and parallel-plate
bonding. Angle bonding is normally used for
bonding sheet components and tubes, where the
required bond width does not exceed 20 times
the flyer plate thickness. The more commonly
used parallel-plate geometry (Fig. 6) is applica-
ble for welding larger flat areas and Concentric
cylinders (Ref 14).
Basic parameters of EXW are flyer plate ve- (b)
locity, collision point velocity, and collision an-
gle. The process variables that affect these pa-
rameters are explosive detonation rate,
explosive mass, flyer plate mass, standoff dis-
tance, and/or preset angle. These process vari-
ables are normally controlled to provide:
A flyer plate velocity of 250 to 500 m/s (820
to 1600 ft/s)
A collision point velocity of 1500 to 3500 m/s
(4900 to 11,000 ft/s) but less than 120% of the
sonic velocity of the component metals
A collision angle of 5 to 20
Selecting the specific parameters is discussed in |el
the Section "Procedure Development and Prac-
tice Considerations for Solid-State Welding" in Parallel-plate explosion welding process. (a)
this Volume.
Fig. 6 Explosion-cladding assembly before detona-
tion. (b) Explosion-cladding assembly during detona-
Sizing Considerations. It is common practice tion. (c) Close-up of (b) showing mechanism for jetting
to provision materials that are wider, longer, and away the surface layer from the parent layer

thicker than required in the finished product to
compensate for thinning and edge effects. In
most situations, metals cannot be reliably
bonded fully to the edges. Typically, edge non-
bond allowances are four to eight times flyer
plate thickness, depending on the combination
of metals. Additionally, an area of nonbond is
typical near the explosive initiator.
The thickness of the component metals is re-
duced during surface preparation and bonding.
Surface conditioning removes up to 0.75 mm
(0.030 in.) from the thickness. During the bond-
ing operation, the force vector parallel to the
detonation causes a 1 to 2% increase in plate
lateral dimensions; this is accompanied by a cor-
responding reduction in thickness. The jetting of
the metal surfaces during the bonding process
causes only a thin layer to be removed, usually
less than 0.05 mm (0.002 in.).
Typical EXW Process Sequence
(Parallel-Plate Bonding)
Surface Preparation. The faying surfaces of
the components are ground to achieve a smooth,
pitfree finish of 1 to 3 Ixm (50 to 100 i~in.).
Assembly. The plates are fixtured parallel
while separated by a standoff gap. Methods for
determining the standoff gap are presented in the
article "Fundamentals of Solid-State Welding"
and the Section "Procedure Development and
Practice Considerations for Solid-State Weld-
ing" in this Volume. Small standoff devices are
required to bear the weight of the flyer plate and
the explosive. Edge standoff devices are easily
ejected from the system during bonding; there-
fore, material of construction is rarely critical.
Internal standoff devices must be of sufficiently
low mass to be removed by the jet, or must be
located in trim regions. Commonly used internal
standoff materials are thin metal ribbons and
foam blocks.
Explosive Loading. The explosive is placed
on top of the flyer metal surface. The most com-
monly used explosives are granular or liquid and
are typically contained within a simple box
structure fabricated around the perimeter of the
flyer plate. Initiating explosives are positioned
in a suitable location on the plate surface.
The required detonation range for EXW is
below that of most commercially manufactured
explosives. Consequently, most practitioners of
EXW use proprietary explosive blends. Appro-
priate detonation characteristics can be achieved
by specialized blending of commercial explo-
sives such as Amatol, Dynamite, or NCN.
Bonding. The primer is electrically initiated,
causing a progressive detonation of the explo-
sive, which creates the actions shown in Fig. 6
and welds the plates together.
Flattening. The energy of bonding typically
creates sufficient deformation that flattening or
straightening is required prior to further process-
ing. Flattening is performed with equipment of the
same design used in plate and sheet manufacture.
Testing and inspection are performed as
mandated by the product specifications. Ultra-
sonic inspection, using standard procedures such
as ASTM A 578, is the most commonly ac-
cepted method for inspecting the bond continu-
ity. Bond shear strength is normally measured
using the test defined in ASTM A 265. The
tensile strength of the bond is normally meas-
ured using a Ram Tensile Procedure; the stan-
dard design is presented in MIL-J-24445.
Preparation of the Required Product. Be-
cause of the process edge effects, it is common
practice to cut the product from a larger plate
after bonding. The process options vary with the
metal combinations and include oxyfuel gas cut-
ting, plasma cutting, waterjet cutting, sawing,
and machining.
Heat Treatment. Most metal systems do not
require postbond heat treatment; however, some
combinations provide superior properties if they
are given a stress relief after bonding. For exam-
ple, titanium/steel and zirconium/steel exhibit
improved bond toughness after stress relief, and
ferritic stainless steels exhibit an improvement
in ductile-to-brittle transition temperature after
stress relief.
Specifications
There are no universal ASTM, ASME, or
military standard specifications for EXW prod-
ucts. Specific combinations of metals are cov-
ered in ASTM A 263, A 264, A 265, and B 432
(and their ASME equivalents) and in MIL-J-
24445. The International Explosion Metalwork-
ing Association (IEMA) has established IEMA
Guide Note 100, which provides recommended
specification content.
Process Variations
The preceding discussion describes the proc-
ess for welding a two-component flat plate prod-
uct. Essentially the same approach can be used
for producing multilayer products or cylindrical
shapes:
Multiple layers can be bonded sequentially in
a single bonding operation; as many as 50
individual thin layers have been bonded in a
single assembly.
Two-sided clad plates, with a heavy core
metal, can be produced by simultaneously
bonding both sides using a vertical assembly.
Two or more cylinders can be bonded concen-
trically. The explosive is placed either inside
Explosion Welding / 305
of the inner cylinder or outside of the outer
cylinder, depending on diameter and wall
thickness.
REFERENCES
1. R.E. Savidge, Mechanical Properties of
Explosion Clad Bonds of High Nickel Al-
loys on Low Alloy Steels and the Effect of
Explosion Cladding on the Fracture Prop-
ert&s of the Steel, Third International Con-
ference on High Energy Rate Fabrication,
1971, p 3.3.1
2. W. Lucas, J.D. Williams, and B. Cross-
land, Some Metallurgical Observations on
Explosion Welding, Second International
Conference of the Centre for High Energy
Forming, 1969, p 8.1.2
3. S.H. Carpenter and M. Nagarkar, The Ef-
fects of Explosive Welding on the Kinetics
of Metallurgical Reactions, Third Interna-
tional Conference of the Centre for High
Energy Forming, 1971, p 3.4.1
4. L.F. Trueb, Microstructural Effects of Heat
Treatment on the Bond Interface of Explo-
sively Welded Metals, Metall. Trans., Vol
2, Jan 1971, p 145
5. A. Szecket, O.T. Inal, and J. Rocco, Ex-
plosive Welding of Aluminum to Steel; a
Wavy Versus a Straight Interface, High En-
ergy Rate Fabrication, 1984, p 153
6. C.R. McKenney and J.G. Banker, Explo-
sion-Bonded Metals for Marine Structural
Applications, The Society of Naval Archi-
tects and Marine Engineers, Nov 1970, p
285-292
7. E. Gaines and J, Banker, Shipyard
Aluminum~Steel Welded Transition Joints,
1991 Ship Production Symposium, Sept 1991
8. H. Mansell, Hybrid Metal Packages by Ex-
plosion Bonding, Hybrid Circuit Technol.,
Sept 1990, p 67
9. L.G. Lazari, Explosive Welding and its
Practical Applications, Weld. Rev., May
1988, p 74
10. ATF--Explosives Law and Regulations,
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms,
Department of the Treasury, June 1990
11. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations,
U.S. Department of Transportation; Federal
Highway Administration, Feb 1991
12. Suggested Code of Regulations for the Man-
ufacture, Transportation, Storage, Sales,
Possession and Use of Explosive Materials,
Institute of Makers of Explosives, Jan 1985
13. Sales Development Section of the Explo-
sives Department of E.I. Du Pont de Nem-
ours & Co., Inc., Blasters' Handbook
14. W. Sharp, The Explosion Cladding Proc-
ess, Eng. Des., Sept/Oct 1979