A new low-melting-point aluminum braze

Most high-strength aluminum engineering alloys cannot be joined by brazing because they either degrade or melt at the temperature at which commercially available aluminum brazes are used. Previous efforts to develop aluminum brazing filler metal alloys with a significantly reduced melting point have tended to be frustrated by poor mechanical properties of the alloys, corrosion of the joints or the high cost, toxicity or volatility of the constituent materials. This paper describes the development and assessment of a new brazing alloy with a composition of 73Al-20Cu-2Ni-55I (wt-%), which has been designed to overcome these limitations. A joining process has been devised for fluxless brazing of aluminum engineering alloys using the new filler metal for use in both inert gas and vacuum furnaces. The production of ductile foil preforms and roll-clad base metals is described together with preliminary results of mechanical property assessments and corrosion resistance trials. These results are highly encouraging and point to promising new applications for aluminum brazing technology.