Roll bonding is a method of producing roll-clad plates or sheets by hot rolling a welded composite of steel clad plate and a plate of a more corrosion resistant material, such as stainless steel.
Clad plate is produced by cleaning the two surfaces to be joined, which are then placed in contact. The edges of these plates are welded together to prevent air ingress and prevent the plates moving during the hot rolling procedure. A solid phase weld between the plates is achieved by furnace heating and then hot rolling.
Typical clad materials onto steel plate are stainless steel, nickel, copper, high nickel alloys and copper nickel alloys. Aluminium clad steel plate is also produced but care must be taken that brittle iron aluminide intermetallics do not form.
Clad plate finds major application in the manufacture of pressure vessels and tanks. Other areas of usage are machine tools, aircraft structures, wire, refrigeration plant, jewellery and coinage.
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