Preliminary results on the development of vacuum brazed joints for cryogenic wind tunnel aerofoil models
The results of initial experiments show that high-strength void-free bonds can be formed by vacuum brazing of stainless steels using copper and nickel-based filler metals. In Nitronic 40, brazed joints have been formed with strengths in excess of the yield strength of the parent metal, and even at liquid nitrogen temperatures the excellent mechanical properties of the parent metal are only slightly degraded. The poor toughness of 15-5 P.H. stainless steel at cryogenic temperatures is lowered even further by the presence of the brazed bonds investigated. It is highly unlikely that the technique would be used for any critical areas of aerofoil models intended for low-temperature service. Nevertheless, the potential advantages of this simplified method of construction still have attractions for use at ambient temperatures.