Impact of tin and nickel on the brazing properties of silver filler metals and on the strength of brazed joints made of stainless steels

Abstract

The research involved vacuum tests of brazing properties of silver filler metals, containing tin as well as tin and nickel, and used in brazing of chromium X6Crl7 and chromium-nickel X6CrNiTi18-10 stainless steels. The research also involved testing the strength and structural properties of brazed joints made of these steels. The tests were conducted on filler metals (silver brazing alloys) B-Ag68CuSn-730/755 (Ag68Cu28Sn4) and B-Ag65CuSnNi-740/767 (Ag65Cu28Sn5Ni2) and also, for comparative purposes, on the filler metal B-Ag72Cu-780 (Ag 272 according to PN-EN ISO 17672), most commonly applied in the vacuum brazing of high alloyed stainless steels. The brazing properties of the filler metals were tested by determining their wettability by means of the spreadability method. The strength of brazed joints made of the stainless steels was examined in a shear test. Research-related structural tests involved light and electron microscopy with an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The comparative analysis of the properties of the filler metals revealed the positive impact of tin and nickel on the spreadability and wettability of the silver brazing alloys as well as on the quality and the shear strength of brazed joints.