Abstract:

Based on traditional twin-roll casting technology, a solid-liquid cast-rolling bonding (SLCRB) process of bimetallic clad pipe is proposed. Using the special annular delivery device, molten cladding metal is evenly cast into the circular crystallizer, which formed by the round grooves of the casting rollers and core pipe. The cladding metal is coated uniformly to the core pipe under the rapid solidification and roll bonding. To reveal the interaction of the mechanical behavior between the casting rollers, cladding metal and core pipe, the thermal-fluid coupled model of cladding metal solidification process in the circular crystallizer is built firstly by the software of Fluent, and roll bonding deformation computation zone of solid phase is confirmed. Assuming the core pipe as a rigid body, roll bonding deformation process of the solid phase is regarded as the wall reduction process of the pipe rolling with mandrel. Therefore, the engineering calculation model of the rolling force in the SLCRB process is derived, and the methods of determining the value of each parameter are presented. The stainless steel/aluminum bimetallic clad pipe, with outer diameter? 38 mm and the thickness of cladding layer and cored pipe wall 4 mm respectively, is fabricated successfully under laboratory conditions. The measured rolling force agrees with the calculation results, which verifies the reliability of engineering calculation model. The research results provide the theory basis for the equipment and process design of the SLCRB process.

Key words: circular crystallizer, rolling force calculation model, solid-liquid cast-rolling bonding (SLCRB), thermal-fluid coupled, bimetallic clad pipe