Gas shock waves in the gap between the base and cladding plates during explosive welding

A theoretical model for shock wave propagation was established to study the airflow in the gap between the base and cladding plates of explosive welding, and the gas shock wave channel effect between the base and cladding plates was proposed and explained by theoretical analysis and calculation. The results show that the channel effect can push up the tail of the cladding plate before the collision point of explosive welding, and then causes the welding energy of the plate tail to increase too high or the explosive on the plate tail to be pressed dead. Therefore, the channel effect in explosive welding is the primary reason for the failure or quality reduction of the tail welding of long and large clad plates. In addition, other simplified theoretical models were used to further analyze various factors influencing on the channel effect, like clad plate width, various shielding gases and explosive welding in coarse vacuum. The optimization principle of shielding gas for explosive welding was explained, and also the helium-shielded explosive welding of titanium/steel and aluminum/magnesium was processing as experimental verification. The theoretical foundation for the further development and research of gas-shielded explosive welding and vacuum explosive welding was built up in this paper.