Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Diffusion-bonded ZrC-SiC Ceramic/FeCrAl Alloy Joints with a Ti/Nb/Mo Interlayer

XING Lili; SHI Jiajian; LIN Jincheng; LIU Sujun; FENG Yekun; YANG Weiqi

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.06.005

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Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 18 ›› Issue (6) : 46-55. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.06.005

Joining of New Materials and Dissimilar Materials

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Diffusion-bonded ZrC-SiC Ceramic/FeCrAl Alloy Joints with a Ti/Nb/Mo Interlayer

XING Lili, SHI Jiajian, LIN Jincheng, LIU Sujun, FENG Yekun, YANG Weiqi^*

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Abstract

The work aims to bond the dissimilar materials ZrC-SiC/FeCrAl by vacuum diffusion bonding with Ti/Nb/Mo as the interlayer and explore the effects of bonding process parameters on the interfacial microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of the joints. The diffusion bonding effects of ZrC-SiC ceramic and FeCrAl alloy with Ti/Nb/Mo as the interlayer were studied by scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, electronic universal testing machine and indentation tester. The interfacial structure, element distribution, mechanical properties and fracture morphology of ZrC-SiC/FeCrAl joints at different welding temperatures were analyzed. At the ZrC-SiC/Ti interface, Ti reacted with ZrC-SiC to form phases such as TiC_x and (Ti,Zr)₃Si, creating a robust ceramic-side interface. At the Ti/Nb and Nb/Mo interfaces, uniform solid solutions were formed due to interdiffusion of elements, and the Nb layer could relieve residual stress in the joint through its own plastic deformation. At the Mo/FeCrAl interface, the reaction between Mo and FeCrAl generated (Mo,Fe,Cr)_ss and μ-(Fe,Cr,Al)₇Mo₆ reaction layers, constructing a reliable metal-side interface. The Ti/Nb/Mo interlayer design effectively relieved residual stress in the joint, achieving a shear strength of up to 90 MPa. With the increasing bonding temperature, the location of shear fracture gradually shifted from the Nb/Mo interface to the ZrC-SiC ceramic near the Ti layer, and the fracture mode changed from ductile fracture to brittle fracture. Based on the diffusion bonding technology, Ti/Nb/Mo interlayer enables the reliable joining of ZrC-SiC ceramic and FeCrAl alloy through efficient metallurgical reactions. Besides, the interfacial morphology and mechanical properties of the joint are affected significantly by the welding temperature.

Key words

ZrC-SiC ceramic / FeCrAl alloy / diffusion bonding / Ti/Nb/Mo interlayer / interfacial microstructure / mechanical properties

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XING Lili, SHI Jiajian, LIN Jincheng, LIU Sujun, FENG Yekun, YANG Weiqi. Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Diffusion-bonded ZrC-SiC Ceramic/FeCrAl Alloy Joints with a Ti/Nb/Mo Interlayer[J]. Journal of Netshape Forming Engineering. 2026, 18(6): 46-55 https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1674-6457.2026.06.005

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