Integrating Powder Metallurgy with Explosive Cladding: A Novel Route for Bimetallic Copper–Steel Tube Fabrication

Copper–steel bimetals are widely used in industry. Due to the significantly different physical properties of these two materials, explosive cladding is the most effective method for joining them. This article presents a novel method for manufacturing bimetallic copper–steel tubes. A stack of initially compacted copper powder rings was placed along a steel tube, and the copper layer was successfully explosively cladded onto the outer surface of the tube. Different variants of the experimental setups and processing parameters were investigated. The quality of the joint was metallurgically characterized, and appropriate technological guidelines were recommended. The macroscopic integrity of the bond was evaluated under shear stress conditions. The developed technique shows great potential for the future manufacturing of steel tubes cladded with copper matrix composites.