Open Access Conference Proceedings

Electron beam brazing combines the advantages of carrying out the process in a vacuum with the possibilities of precisely controlled heat source. Under high-temperature vacuum conditions the oxide layer is decomposed, which improves the wetting properties of the base metal, thus resulting in better joint properties. Brazing in an inert vacuum atmosphere also allows the use of a very reactive base and filler materials. Compared to brazing in vacuum furnaces, electron beam brazing enables the heating of precisely selected areas without the need to heat the entire element, which results in less significant structural changes in the base material and less energy consumption. In this article, AISI 304 grade stainless steel sheets were brazed with the use of various copper or silver fillers. The joints were subjected to microstructure, hardness and shear strength tests. The results show the effectiveness of the electron beam method in making brazed joints on the example of stainless steel base material and the copper and silver-based fillers.

Keywords: Metallurgy, electron beam, brazing, soldering, stainless steel, vacuum

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