Composite material (bimetal)

Trading and industrial company SC Metal Market LLC is a well-known supplier of bimetal stainless steel plates, clad plates and strips.

  Bimetal (clad) plates utilize 2 layers of various metals and alloys, e.g. steel and aluminum, steel and niobium, aluminum and titanium, titanium and molybdenum, and etc. Bimetal plates are used in order to increase strength and heat resistance of metal works, to reduce their weight by saving on costly and scarce metals . Clad plates combine the specific properties of their layers. Solid bonding of the layers makes material suitable for cutting, bending, forging and welding.
  The main consumers of the composite material are the leading machine-building industries: petrochemical industry (reactor vessels, fractionators, vessels and etc.), atomic and power industry (pipe sheets, vessels and etc.), shipbuilding (hulls, transitional elements, vessels, containers and etc.)
  According to estimations total consumption of thick stainless bimetal plates in Russia is approximately 20-30 thousand m? per year. Around 70-80% of the total amount are imported from Germany, France, and the USA at prices 1,5-2 times higher than ones for domestic plates at the similar quality of plates.

  Along with manufacturing of bimetal plates SC Metal Market LLC currently is capable of producing the following products:
   - component parts out of bimetal plates (or any other material);
   - forged dished ends of diameter 219mm up to 3200mm;
   - cover plates with diameter up to 9400mm;
   - submersible equipment for zinc plating bath;
   - special explosion chamber upon request.

Production methods   Bimetal plates are manufactured mostly by simultaneous rolling (or pressing) of two work pieces of different metals or alloys. Such methods as laying of fusible metal over refractory metal and immersion of refractory metal into the fusible metal also can be widely met . At galvanizing a layer of more valuable metal is cladded by electrolyticly. More solid – costly and scrarce – alloys are cladded over steel by electrical warming (when manufacturing cutting tools, punches and other) .

The most promising manufacturing method is explosive cladding. It allows to obtain bimetal plates and other products of almost unlimited dimensions and of various metals and alloys.
Explosive cladding is a process of bonding of 2 metal plates, which occurs at their high speed impact. Impact of metals takes place when clad metal is thrown on the plate of the base material by the explosion of the charge of the blasting explosive. One of the important aspects here is a process of preliminary works, which accuracy is a key for execution of the explosive cladding itself and getting bimetal plates of high quality.

Contour welding of clad plates and welded plate (right corner)

Fixed plate (base material) 4 and throwing plate (clad material) 3 are placed at an angle of ? = 2-16° which is set on the length of h = 2-3 mm from the vertex of angle. Blasting explosive is placed on the throwing plate 2. At the vertex of angle detonator 1 is set. Cladding takes place on the support 5.

Drawing 1. Scheme of explosive cladding before (а) and while explosion (б)
Impact of clad and base plates is accompanied by plastic deformation which results in local heating of surface layers of metals. In the issue of deformation and heat physical contact and activation of welding surfaces occur, and bonding takes place.

After explosion plates are leveled and, if needed, mechanically treated.

  Unique characteristics of bimetals are explained by characteristics of their layers: base material (carbon or low-alloy steel) provides structural strength and other mechanical characteristics of plates, and clad material (stainless steel, nickel, titanium, copper, aluminum, etc.) provides corrosion resistance, including pitting corrosion resistance, while facing aggressive environment.

Advantages of explosive cladding:    - manufacturing of some bimetal plates, that cannot be produced by any other traditional method ;
   - mechanical characteristics of metals are fully remained ;
   - higher bonding quality between metals;
   - weak areas, which usually occur during the process of high temperature exposure, are missing (during explosion due to rapidity of the process heat transmission doesn’t occur);
   - short manufacturing time;
   - less costly in comparison with other manufacturing methods;
   - manufacturing of any quantity starting from 1 plate up to several hundreds of tons per month.
Restrictions:    - dimensions of the plates are limited to the dimensions of the truck used to deliver metal plates to the firing ground.

Capabilities   Our company holds firm relations with the State Research and Development Institute of Machinery Manufacturing named after V.V. Bahirev . The firing ground of the Institute is used as the base for the all-season commercial manufacturing of various bimetals by using explosive energy. Capacity of the base is up to 3000 tons of bimetal per year: 120 tons per month during winter time and more than 250 tons per month during summer time (i.e. there is a possibility of manufacturing if bimetal plates of required thickness with dimensions 1500х6000mm and total area up to 1000 square meters per month)

  On the new base, which was formed in Nizhegorodskaya Region, the following products were manufactured:
   - January-February, 2008 , 55 tons ( 16 plates, 144 m2) of bimetal plates of steel grades 09Г2С+08Х13 in the shape of plates with dimensions 6000х1500х57mm for further manufacturing of separators by Gazprom neftekhim Salavat JSC.;
   - February, 2008, 3 tons ( 3 plates, 27 m2) of bimetal plates of steel grades 09Г2С+08Х13 with dimensions 29х1500х3000mm;
   - May, 2008, one bimetal plate of steel grades 09Г2С +МС1(cuprum) with dimensions 1500х500х90mm (thickness of Cuprum 20mm), for the crystallizer’s wall of the steel continuous casting plant;
   - April-May, 2008, 60 tons (55 plates, 495 m2) of bimetal plates of steel grades 09Г2С + Х6СRNITI 1810 (Russian analogue 08Х18Н10Т) with dimensions 16х1500х6000mm for OJSC «VNIIneftemash»;
   - May, 2008, 3,5 tons (2 plates, 18 m2) of bimetal plates of steel grades 12ХМ +AISI 321 with dimensions 24х1500х6000mm;
   - April-May, 2009, 45 tons (34 plates ,306 m2) of bimetal plates of steel grades 09Г2С+ 08Х17Н13М2Т with thickness 8mm, 12mm , 16mm and 20mm, width 1500mm, length 6000mm;
   - June, 2009, 3,5 tons ( 1 plate ) of bimetal plates of steel grades 09Г2С+ 12Х18Н10Т with dimensions 150х1520х 2045mm, thickness of stainless steel – 30mm, for sheet rolling for Severstal;
   - June, 2009, 19 tons (9 plates ,81 m2) of bimetal plates of steel grades Ст3.сп5 + 10Х17Н13М2Т, with dimensions 29х1500х6000mm;

   All bimetal plates are in accordance with the requirements of GOST 10885-85 for continuity class 0 and 1 at 100% ultrasonic testing.

  Manufacturing process of bimetal and finished goods are fully certified. Manufacturing of bimetal plates complies with the standards approved by JSC NPO «CNIITmash» and OJSC «VNIIneftemash»

Main conditions and requirements for composite metal producing   In Russia main conditions and requirements for composite metal plates are specified in GOST 10885-85 «Two-layer hot rolled stainless steel plates. Technical requirements».

  Range of the materials that may be bonded by explosive welding is very wide, up to several hundreds of combinations of various steels and alloys. In the order thickness of cladding stainless steel layer and continuity class of the bond are to be specified.

  Steel is divided by:
   thickness of stainless steel layer — normal and higher than normal — К;
   continuity class of the bond — classes 01, 0, 1, 2, 3.

  Two-layer plates are produced of the thickness from 4 up to 60mm. Upon request of the client plates may be produced of the thickness from 60 up to 120mm. The thickness of the base material and clad material is specified in the Table 1.

Table 1
in mm

Clad material grades	Base material steel grades
Clad material grades	ВСт3сп/ A 283 GrC/ A 285 GrC/	10/ C10E	20К A 515 Gr 60/70	09Г2/ 7Mn6	16ГС/ A 517 Gr 60	09Г2С/ A 517 Gr 65/70	10ХСНД/ A 736 Gr A, B	10ХГСН1Д/ ----	12МХ/ A 204 Gr A, B/ A 387 Gr2	12ХМ/ A 204 Gr A, B / A 387 Gr12	10×2М1/ A 387 Gr22 CL 2
08X13 / AISI 403/ 429	+	-	+	+	+	+	-	-	+	+	-
08X17Т/ AISI 430 Ti/ 439	+	-	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
15X25Т/ AISI 446	+	-	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
08X18Н10Т/ AISI 304/321	+	-	+	-	+	+	+	-	+	+	+
12X18Н10Т/ AISI 321	+	-	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	-
10X17Н13М2Т/ AISI 316	+	-	+	-	+	+	-	-	-	-	-
10X17Н13М3Т/ AISI 316 Ti	+	-	+	-	+	+	-	-	-	-	-
08X17Н15М3Т/ AISI 316 N	+	-	+	-	+	-	-	-	-	-	-
08X22Н6Т/ ---	+	-	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
06ХН28МДТ/ N08028	+	-	+	-	+	-	-	-	-	-	-
ХН65МВ, ХН65МВУ/ Hastelloy C-276	-	-	-	-	+	-	-	-	-	-	-
Н70МФВ-ВИ/ Nickel Alloy	-	-	-	-	+	-	-	-	-	-	-
Monel НМЖМц 28–2,5–1,5/ B127 (N04400)	+	-	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Nickel НП-2/ Nickel NP-2	+	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

Attention! Analogues are specified both, precise and close .
Remark. Production of two-layer plates with the combination of layers «-» is to be agreed between the client and manufacturer.

Example of identification of two-layer plates with thickness - 8mm, width – 1500mm, length – 6000mm, base material ВСт3сп, category 2 acc. GOST 380–71 and stainless steel layer 12X18Н10Т according to GOST 5632–72, without continuity test of the bond, with thickness of stainless steel layer higher than normal:

  Delivery time depends on the order quantity and order range :
   - manufacturing of plates up to 500 m2 – no more than 2 months;
   - manufacturing of plates of materials from stock – 1 month.

  In your enquiries for bimetal plates we ask you to state steel grades, dimensions of plates, quantity, dimensions of bimetal plates needed, required delivery time, standard for bimetal plates. We guarantee that the price will be calculated within a short period of time. Please note that accuracy of quotes and quoting time will depend on the availability of the detailed parameters of your enquiry. It is very simple to purchase bimetal plates from SC Metal Market: send your enquiry to info@supplysteel.ru .