Tue, 23 June, 2020
TWI have assisted the UK Atomic Energy Authority in exploring options for creating joints between tungsten and steel.
Tungsten (W) has the highest melting point of all metals (3422 °C) and, at temperatures over 1650 °C, also has the highest tensile strength.
In order to accommodate such extreme properties, UKAEA and TWI were driven to explore innovative manufacturing solutions. Experimental trials used Linear Friction Welding to join tungsten to steel.
In this instance, the steel was promoted to plastically deform and flow into surface features on the tungsten. This process effectively locked the two materials together, without melting either.
Find out more about our friction welding processes as well as our work in the nuclear power sector.
