ISSN 09670912, Steel in Translation, 2011, Vol. 41, No. 9, pp. 778–786. © Allerton Press, Inc., 2011.

Original Russian Text © A.A. Bykov, 2011, published in “Stal’,” 2011, No. 9, pp. 61–69.

Bimetal Production and Applications

A. A. Bykov
Bardin Central ScientificResearch Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy, Moscow, Russia
Received September 29, 2011

Abstract—Production methods for rolled bimetallic structures are briefly reviewed, along with their applica
tions in the manufacture of certain metal products. Applications of bimetals of different type are outlined.
DOI: 10.3103/S096709121109004X

At present, multilayer metals—including bimetals— methods may be classified in terms of common char
constitute a large group of industrial materials with a wide acteristics. Thus, in terms of processes at the layer
range of properties. In bimetal rolling, the cheaper metal boundaries, three combinations may be identified in
is generally chosen as the base. The applied layer is char the contact zone: liquid + liquid; solid + liquid; and
acterized by high performance, depending on the specific solid + solid.
requirements (corrosion resistance, wear resistance,
electrical conduction, etc.). For different applications,
bimetals may be produced as sheet, strip, wire, pipe, Cast Surfacing
complex profiles, etc. In other words, their range practi An important method based on the interaction of
cally matches that of individual steels and alloys. liquid and solid metals is cast surfacing. This method
In applications, multilayer metals may be divided into is mainly used to produce bimetal blanks for subse
corrosionresistant, wearresistant, or tool materials, quent pressure treatment. In the production of two or
thermal bimetals, electricalengineering, wire, contact, threelayer sheet, the initial blank is obtained by cast
or antifrictional materials, materials for deep extrusion, ing liquid metal with one or two plates fixed in the
for heat exchangers, or for domestic appliances, and so mold (Fig. 1). The number of plates and their position
on. Bimetals significantly improve the production effi correspond to the number of layers in the final product
ciency of components in various branches of industry. and the subsequent production technology [1]. This
Technology benefits from the development of method is most effective in the manufacture of corro
effective production methods for bimetals and expan sionresistant and wearresistant bimetal sheet [2, 3].
sion of their range. Despite long experience in the cre Although it is simple and economical, cast surfac
ation of bimetals, they still occupy a secondary status ing has a number of limitations: the narrow gaps
among structural and functional materials, perhaps between the walls of the mold and the plates cannot be
because practical considerations lag behind experi satisfactorily filled with liquid steel; and the plates
mental and theoretical research in the field. melt if their melting point is below the temperature of
In the production of bimetals and multilayer met the liquid metal. It is difficult to use cast surfacing in
als, the goal is to ensure a strong bond between the lay the production of bimetal blanks when the plates are
ers over the whole contact surface, with specified sensitive to cracking on introducing the liquid metal.
thickness ratios of the layers; the formation of the In addition, this method is unsuitable for the produc
required structure and properties of each layer and the
bimetal as a whole; and further expansion of applica
bility. The latter factor must be based on analysis of the (a) (b) (c)
existing and prospective demand for bimetals of spe
cific quality and size and the capabilities of existing
equipment. The existing research and production
capabilities of metallurgical plants are sufficient to
meet Russian demand for multilayer metals, which
offer high efficiency at low cost.

METHODS OF PRODUCTION
Fig. 1. Installation of corrosionresistant steel plates in
The production technology for bimetals is largely mold for the production of a twolayer plate (a), a three
determined by the combination of metals. Existing layer plate (b), and two twolayer plates (c).

778
 BIMETAL PRODUCTION AND APPLICATIONS 779

tion of blanks from components that form intermetal

lic inclusions and fusible eutectics at the boundaries.
Note that, although this method is inexpensive, it has
been almost completely replaced by other methods.
However, it is employed in some modern coating
methods. 3 4

Continuous Casting 1
A promising approach is the continuous casting of 5
plane or round bimetallic blanks for subsequent plastic
deformation [4, 5]. The successive casting of two dif 2
ferent liquids ensures stronger bonding of the layers
than in the previous case and also considerably
increases the productivity, reduces the cost of the final
products, and creates favorable conditions for mecha A–A
nization and automation of the production processes.
The casting of threelayer blanks for rolling in the pro
duction of plow moldboards is illustrated in Fig. 2.
The upper mold 1 shapes the basic metal supplied
from casting ladle 3; the lower mold 2 shapes the coat
ing metal. In casting, the solidifying blank of basic
metal 5 is sent to the lower mold, where the coating
metal from mold 4 solidifies. The interaction of the
coating metal with the slightly oxidized hot surface of A A
the basic metal forms a bimetal blank, which is subse
quently processed in the same way as in an ordinary
Fig. 2. Producing a gapfree threelayer blank in a contin
continuouscasting machine. uouscasting machine: (1, 2) upper and lower molds;
The range of components produced from continu (3) casting ladle with basic metal; (4) ladle with coating
metal; (5) solidifying basic metal.
ouscast bimetallic blanks is relatively broad. Note,
however, that the continuous casting of bimetallic (b)
blanks is not yet widely used. (a)
2 1

Centrifugal Casting 3
Centrifugal casting is used to produce bimetallic G G
blanks with subsequent hot or cold plastic deformation
in pipe and rod production. In the casting of molten
metal and slag in a rotating mold, the metal for the
external layer is first introduced, followed by the slag. Fig. 3. Application of coating layer by wire (a) and strip
After solidification of the metal, with a slag coating, (b) electrodes: (1) cold wire; (2) conducting electrode;
the second metal is introduced, and the slag rises to its (3) current source.
surface. As a result of the washing and mixing of the
metals, a sufficiently strong bond is formed.
In multilayer surfacing, the chemical composition
of the first coating layers is changed by mixing, which
Multilayer Surfacing depends on how much the basic layer melts. In coating
Multilayer surfacing is widely used for the direct by two electrodes (Fig. 3), when the melting of the
coating of sheets and also forged and stamped parts of cold wire in the arc between the conducting electrode
carbon and lowalloy steel. This method may be used and the basic metal consumes some of the arc energy,
to produce large bimetal blanks for subsequent rolling the melting of the basic metal is reduced. To ensure the
into twolayer sheets [6]. In this method, the bond of required thickness and composition of the coating,
the coating layer and the base is formed in the liquid several layers are applied to the wire. However, this
state, thanks to melting of the basic layer to a certain considerably complicates the process and does not
depth and mixing of the coating metal with the molten ensure the required surface quality. The next step in
base metal. This ensures high binding strength of the the development of this method is to use a strip elec
layers. trode (Fig. 3b).

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~ ~ positioned in the slag bath. Subsequent heating is asso

ciated with directed solidification of the metal; after its
5 solidification, electroslag heating stops. The blanks are
4 then rolled to sheet of the required thickness.
3
2 7 Electroslag Surfacing by Liquid Metal
1 6 A similar technology is electroslag surfacing by liq
uid metal—in particular, surfacing of rollers [8].
Fig. 4. Producing a bimetal blank by electroslag heating:
(1) nonconsumable electrodes; (2) slag bath; (3) mold;
Roller 1 is placed in watercooled copper conducting
(4) metal blank; (5) ladle with corrosionresistant steel; mold 2 of special design (Fig. 5). Slag melted in a sep
(6) liquid slag layer; (7) solidifying layer of corrosionresis arate chamber is introduced in the gap between the
tant steel. roller surface and the mold wall. The mold not only
shapes the molten layer but also serves as a noncon
sumable electrode maintaining the electroslag pro
1 cess. On account of the heat liberated in slag bath 3,
the roller surface melts, and then liquid metal of the
4 required composition is supplied from casting vessel 4,
either continuously or in dosed portions, to the gap
between the mold and the roller surface. The metal 5
3 displaces the slag upward and comes into contact with
the molten roller surface, forming a coating layer. In
surfacing, the part is constantly extruded from the
5 2 mold.

BroadLayer Electroslag Surfacing

At present, broadlayer electroslag surfacing is a
promising and widely used method of producing
Coating layer bimetal blanks. In this method, consumable elec
trodes (sheet or bar) consisting of the surfacing steel
are supplied from above to the gap between the basic
surface and the model and at the same time extend
Fig. 5. Electroslag coating with liquid metal: (1) roller; over the width of the basic blank. Then the consum
(2) watercooled mold; (3) slag bath; (4) casting vessel; able electrodes melt in the gap under a slag layer, and
(5) metal bath. the whole thickness of the coating layer is formed in a
single pass. The binding of the layers is strong on
account of melting of the surface sections of the basic
Surfacing under a Layer of Hot Slag layer and mixing with the coating steel. In electroslag
In surfacing under a layer of hot slag, the bimetal melting, the coating layer is chemically uniform and
blank is produced by electroslag heating of the slag of free from impurities, and the bond between the layers
the basic blank by nonconsumable electrodes, fol is strong. The productivity of this method is 5–8 times
lowed by the introduction and solidification of the greater than in multilayer strip surfacing.
coating layer during electroslag heating (Fig. 4) [7]. Depending on the position of the basic surface, we
The production process is as follows. The basic may distinguish between inclined, horizontal and ver
plate is introduced horizontally on a trolley with a tical electroslag surfacing. Essentially, the horizontal
hearth. Then nonconsumable graphitized electrode configuration is similar to surfacing under a layer of
plates are placed in the electrode holders under the heated slag. The spread of the layer thickness is con
plate. The gaps between the basic plate and the walls of siderable, even within a single blank and a single sheet.
the mold are filled with refractory, and the plate sur This may be attributed to the configuration of the elec
face is covered by a layer of granulated slag (thickness trodes and the basic slab. In sections characterized by
20 mm). Liquid slag is introduced in the mold, and the incidence of droplets of molten metal concen
electrodes are positioned in the slag bath. To ensure trated under the electrodes, the base melts to a greater
uniform heating of the plate surface, the trolley with depth than in the intervening sections. This leads to
the plate performs reciprocating motion with respect nonuniform thickness of the coating layer over the
to the electrodes. width of the blank.
After melting to a depth of 5 mm, the electrodes are Inclined and vertical positions of the basic surface
removed from the slag bath. The coating metal is intro are most common in industry. With an inclined basic
duced at the plate surface, and electrodes are again blank, the cast structure of the applied layer is charac

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 BIMETAL PRODUCTION AND APPLICATIONS 781

terized by the best orientation. This case is illustrated

in Fig. 6. In the melting space formed by the inclined
slab surface and the mold, premelted slag is intro
duced in the liquid bath. Vertical electrodes are low 4
ered into the space, with simultaneous motion of the 3
slab. Melting of the electrodes and the slab surface
occurs as a result of the electroslag process. With one 2 5
time slab motion from the beginning to the end under
the mold, the whole coating layer is formed. Welding
flux acts as coolant in surfacing and must have proper 1
ties corresponding to refining and appropriate shaping
of the coating metal. However, in the inclined config
uration, there may be difficulties in ensuring uniform
melting of the base, although to a lesser extent than for
a horizontal slab.
Fig. 6. Broadlayer inclined electroslag surfacing: (1) basic
slab; (2) mobile mold; (3) liquid slag bath; (4) consumable
Vertical Electroslag Surfacing electrodes; (5) coating layer.

Vertical electroslag surfacing is the most promising

method. This method may be employed not only in
specially designed systems but also in mass produced
electroslag furnaces [9]. In this procedure, the surface 2 3 1
of the basic blank is vertical within the mold and forms
a cavity containing a consumable electrode (Fig. 7).
Since the electrode and the surface of the blank are
parallel, droplets of electrode metal that do not
4
directly strike the slab collect in the hearth or at the
surface of the alreadyformed coating layer. The sur
face of the base is melted solely by the heat of the liq
uid slag bath. The thickness of the coating layer is uni 5
form over the height and cross section of the slab.
Thus, vertical electroslag surfacing is preferable to
other surfacing methods in terms of highquality
bonding of the layers and more uniform thickness of
the coating layer.

Explosive Welding Fig. 7. Vertical electroslag surfacing: (1) watercooled

mold; (2) consumable electrode (corrosionresistant
Explosive welding is based on the formation of a steel); (3) basic slab (carbon steel); (4) liquid slag bath;
(5) coating layer.
strong bond between two or three different metals in
highspeed collision, when energy is supplied by an
explosive [10]. In explosive surfacing of blanks for sub
sequent rolling, the fastmoving plate is generally par
allel or inclined to the motionless plate (Fig. 8). The (a) (b)
1 2
basic layer (motionless plate) rests on a support; the D
initial position of the mobile plate (which will form 5
h

the coating layer) is some distance above the base, in a 4 α 3

parallel or inclined configuration. An explosive charge γ
with a detonator is placed at the surface of the mobile
plate (either directly or through a protective layer). vM D
Under the action of the explosive products, the mobile
β α
plate acquires a high speed (hundreds of m/s) and
strikes the motionless plate at some angle α. In the γ
contact zone, with correctly chosen parameters, there
will be plastic deformation of the surface layers and
Fig. 8. Explosive surfacing of flat surfaces: (a) inclined (in
local adiabatic heating. Under the action of consider the initial state and during explosion); (b) parallel;
able pressure, an undulatory bonding zone is formed; (1) plate of surfacing material; (2) basic blank; (3) support;
this is typical of explosive welding. (4) explosive; (5) detonator.

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782 BYKOV

other elements. Sometimes, foil layers are employed.

The intermediate layer between the base and the coat
ing layer is used not only to prevent oxidation but also
as a barrier to mutual diffusion of elements from one
layer to the other, which is undesirable.
Stacks of many different structures have been pro
posed. To prevent surface oxidation during heating
prior to deformation, the packets are sealed along the
perimeter. The simplest stack consists of the basic
1 2 3 4 5
layer, to which one or two plates of the coating mate
rial are soldered.
Fig. 9. Structure of fourlayer bimetallic stack: (1) basic
layer; (2) surfacing material; (3) barrier layer; (4) connect The twolayer stack is not symmetric over the
ing strips; (5) weld seam.
height. On account of the metals’ different resistance
to deformation, the layers will be extended differently.
Explosive welding is practically instantaneous. This leads to flexure of the rolled strip and may result
However, a strong bond is formed. The character of in disintegration of the stack. Therefore, the rolling of
the process and the quality of the bond may be regu twolayer stacks is not widely used.
lated by adjusting the basic technological, kinematic, In Russia and elsewhere, symmetric fourlayer
and physical parameters. A significant benefit of stacks are often employed (Fig. 9). The upper and
explosive welding is the possibility of binding practi lower slabs of the basic metal are connected through
cally any materials, with different thickness ratios of strips of carbon steel around the perimeter of the plates
the layers. The strength of the bond is no less than the of surfacing material. Weld seams ensure strength and
strength of the weaker metal in the pair. This method sealing of the stack. The gaps between the strips and
offers high productivity. It is used not only to obtain the plates compensate for the difference in expansion
multilayer blanks but also for direct surfacing of sheets of the metals.
and machine parts.
In hot rolling, a strong bond between the layers
appears at the contact surfaces of the slabs and plates,
Stacked Rolling most often through the intermediate connecting lay
Stacked rolling is used for the industrial production ers, while a uniform border of carbon steel is formed at
of a wide range of bimetals. This method involves hot the perimeter of the stack as a result of welding of the
plastic deformation of stacks of material. It may be connecting strips with the upper and lower slabs.
used to produce sheet, strip, complex profiles, pipe, There is no mechanical bonding between the plates of
rod, and wire [1]. Despite the great range of pressure surfacing material, thanks to the barrier layer applied
treatment processes, the method is fundamentally the uniformly during manufacture to the plating plates on
same and consists of the following operations: prepa the side opposite to the contact surface.
ration of the blank from layers of the basic and surfac
ing metal; assembly of the stack; heating and deforma Symmetric fourlayer stacks have a number of ben
tion; and heat treatment, trimming, and quality con efits. The symmetric configuration of layers with dif
trol of the bimetal product. Pressure treatment is ferent resistance to deformation relative to the hori
associated with the formation of metallic bonds zontal rolling plane rules out flexure in the rollers. The
between the contact surfaces. This process requires the surface of the surfacing material is protected from fur
careful elimination of contaminants, oxide and oil nace gases and the rollers (and the associated defects)
films, and scale from the contact surface. To this end, by its internal position. Since the surfacing layer has no
the surfaces are specially prepared. Usually, blanks of scale, the bimetal sheet produced does not require
the basic metal are planed or milled; sometimes abra etching, in most cases. Symmetric stacks are stronger,
sive or shotblasting treatment is employed. After since the uniform of the deformation of the upper and
treatment, all abrasive and metallic dust is carefully lower halves of the stack reduces (without completely
removed by washing or other methods. Before assem eliminating) the stress at the weld seams.
bly, all the contact surfaces are degreased, as a rule. Bimetallic and multilayer pipe, rod, and complex
The surface preparation of the coating material profiles—whether of nonferrous metals and alloys,
largely depends on the metal chosen. For a corrosion lowalloy and corrosionresistant steel, or hightem
resistant coating layer, in most cases, chromonickel or perature and other alloys—are produced by pressing
chrome steel is used. Chromium oxides impair bond and rolling on pipe mills. The initial blanks for com
ing of the layers, and therefore the contact surface of bined plastic deformation may be composite blanks
such steels is protected from oxidation by electrolytic (stacks) with no metallic coupling between the layers,
coatings of nickel, iron, copper, niobium, cobalt, and as well as ingots with strong binding of the layers.

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 BIMETAL PRODUCTION AND APPLICATIONS 783

Cold Surfacing (a)

Cold surfacing is used for the mass production of +
2 3 4
1 5
+
bimetallic and multilayer materials. This method is +
mainly employed for the production of relatively thin
bimetals consisting of materials such as steel, alumi + +

+
num, copper, nickel, and titanium. The production of (b)
multilayer materials by cold surfacing consists of sev
eral steps: preparation of the initial components; cold 2 3 4
+
surfacing; heat treatment; final cold rolling; and heat 1 + 5
+
treatment and trimming [1, 11]. In comparison with
piecewise stack rolling, cold surfacing is significantly +
+ +

+
faster, requires less labor and less metal, permits
mechanization and automation of the process, and (c)
+
improves working conditions.
The initial blanks, in the form of coiled strip, are 2 2 4
+
degreased and etched; their contact surfaces are 1 +
+ 5
cleaned. The initial blanks (strips of the basic and sur +
facing materials) are fed into the rollers of the mill and +
+ +

+
subjected to cold deformation (Fig. 10). The resulting
multilayer strip is wound into a coil. In cold surfacing, +
a sufficiently strong bond between the layers may be +
2 3
formed when only the more plastic component is
deformed. In rolling asymmetric strip, the nonunifor Fig. 10. Production of twolayer (a), threelayer (b), and
mity of laminar deformation leads to flexure of the fivelayer (c) strip by cold rolling and subsequent coiling:
bimetal on leaving the rollers. Such flexure may be (1) unwinding system with coil of basic material;
(2) unwinding system with coil of surfacing material;
prevented by specifying different roller speeds or (3) guide wheels; (4) working rollers of mill; (5) winding
by using rollers of different diameter. system with coil of multilayer strip.
In the production of wearresistant and tool bimet
als, joint rolling with local surfacing is employed.
Electrical contacts are produced by banded surfacing ing, mixing of the basic and coating steels is not per
(rolling of a stepped laminar stack in smooth rollers), mitted since the corrosion resistance of the coating is
so as to ensure flatness of the bimetallic strip. lost as its alloying elements pass to the base.
The ability of bimetals—in particular, the coating
layers—to resist corrosion in particular media deter
APPLICATIONS mines their application. Twolayer steels with chrome,
As already noted, multilayer metals may be used for chromonickel, and chromiumnickel–molybdenum
many different purposes. coatings are most widely used in industry. Two layer
sheets with a coating of chromonickel steel are used
for the manufacture of equipment operating in most
CorrosionResistant Bimetals organic compounds and in solutions of nitrates, sul
Corrosionresistant bimetals are mainly employed fates, and chlorides, dry chlorine, sulfur dioxide,
to replace corrosionresistant steel and nonferrous nitrogen oxides, and carbon dioxide. Sheet coated
metal or to extend the working life of ferrous metals with chromiumnickel–molybdenum steel is used to
[9]. Important properties of corrosionresistant steel manufacture equipment operating in very aggressive
include the possibility of combining the corrosion media: hot solutions of sulfuric and phosphoric acid;
resistance of the coating and the strength of the base boiling solutions of acetic, oxalic, and formic acids;
within a single material. Moreover, the thermal con and sulfuricacid solutions at high temperatures. In
ductivity of corrosionresistant bimetals is 2–3 times especially aggressive media, when the corrosion resis
that of corrosionresistant steel, which is important in tance of the steel is insufficient, it is expedient to use
heatexchanger manufacture. Manufacturing experi twolayer steel with an alloy coating based on nickel,
ence shows that the use of bimetallic sheet in the man titanium, and other nonferrous metals.
ufacture of equipment does not complicates processes In the chemical industry, twolayer steel with a
such as straightening, layout, stamping, bending, and coating of 08X18H10T and 08X13 steel is used in the
rolling, although it interferes with pressure treatment manufacture of molds, vacuum equipment, condens
and welding. In pressure treatment, the difference in ers, reactors, heat exchangers, digesters, washing
physicomechanical properties, strength, plasticity, tanks, reaction columns, autoclaves, and other com
and linearexpansion coefficients of the basic and ponents. In the oil industry, twolayer steel is used in
coating materials must be taken into account. In weld the manufacture of mixers, reactors for extracting gas

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784 BYKOV

oline from raw petroleum, refining reactors, heat loads and speeds. However, these materials were used
exchangers, settling tanks, pumps, rectification and in fragile cast inserts.
boiling columns, coke chambers, and other equip Extensive research on inexpensive bearing materi
ment operating in sulfurbearing oil, fuel oils, heavy als has shown that, besides good antifrictional proper
oils, mixtures of gaseous raw materials, and gaseous ties, the alloy must have sufficient structural strength.
products containing hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide. It wasn’t until World War II that aluminum alloys were
In the oil industry, 70% of the twolayer steel has a widely adopted as antifrictional coatings in the manu
coating of 08X13 steel. This steel, despite its corrosion facture of bearing inserts on the basis of steelbased
resistance in some media, is unusable as a structural bimetals. The successful bearinginsert material is a
material on account of the low impact strength and bimetal whose upper layer consists of soft antifric
brittleness of the weld seams. This bimetal is mainly tional aluminum alloy, while the lower layer is low
used to replace carbon steel, which permits the main carbon steel, providing sufficient mechanical strength.
tenance of sufficient corrosion resistance without the The antifrictional coating must run in well and
need for special linings, with decrease in system mass, must be characterized by low friction with poor lubri
and with considerable increase in working life. cation, the ability to absorb solid particles, high ther
In the paper industry, bimetals are used in the man mal conductivity, high resistance to compression and
ufacture of digesters, waste tanks, heat exchangers, creep at operating temperatures, relatively high fatigue
mixers, decker housings and baths, and tanks for vari strength, high corrosion resistance, and so on. Low
ous liquids. carbon steel provides the basis in Russian bimetals for
In ship building, corrosionresistant bimetals are bearings.
used in the manufacture of various components in dis In Russia, antifrictional bimetals with a coating of
tillation units, tanks, and housings. ASM, AO201, AO61, AMO120, and AO92 alumi
In light industry and in the food industry, corro num alloys are widely used. Besides aluminum alloys,
sionresistant bimetals may be used in dairy equip such bimetals may also employ babbitt metals, bronze,
ment, fermentation tanks, vats, production lines, dis brass, or copper.
tillation equipment, and drying drums. Antifrictional bimetals are used to manufacture
Recently, corrosionresistant bimetals have been bearing inserts in cars, trucks, tractor, and combine
used increasingly in metallic structures operating in engines. As a rule, the inserts are produced on auto
rigorous Arctic conditions. matic lines by stamping coiled bimetal strip.

WearResistant and Tool Bimetals Wire and Contact Bimetals

Wearresistant and tool bimetals are used increas Bimetal wires and contacts—wires, strip, pipe,
ingly for machine parts subject to strong wear. We may etc.—are widely used in electrical engineering and
identify three groups of wearresistant bimetals: electronics. Such bimetals use various combinations of
metals and alloys. Most often there is electrically con
selfsharpening bimetals; selfsharpening depends ducting metal at the surface, while the base is a less
on specific ratios of the thickness and wear resistance conducting metal or steel. Accordingly, it is possible to
of the coating and the base; obtain good performance with minimum consump
bimetals characterized by considerable wear resis tion of expensive conductors and with new properties
tance of the coating, which may operate for a long of the material. As conductors, bimetals are preferable
time in conditions of intense wear; such bimetals must to individual metals in the following respects: higher
also resist flexural and torsional impacts; electrical conductivity, improved strength, reduced
bimetals that maintain the geometric dimensions mass, reduced corrosion of readily oxidized metals,
and configuration of the cutting edge, that are charac and lower cost.
terized by high ductility and vibrational stability, and Bimetals with a copper coating are most commonly
that may withstand flexural loads. used as conductors. Replacing copper with bimetallic
steel–copper wire in long overhead transmission lines
increases the carrying capacity. Steel–copper wire is
Antifrictional Bimetals also used in railroad electric networks, radiofrequency
Antifrictional bimetals are used to produce slip cable, radio leads, power cables, seismicprospecting
bearings. The wide use of internalcombustion cable, and so on.
engines of piston type calls for the development of The industrial adoption of steel–aluminum wire
plentiful and inexpensive materials to replace lead began much more recently. In many cases it is replac
bronze in bearings. The first aluminum alloys for ing steel–copper wire, especially in agricultural and
motor bearings were proposed during World War I, in generalpurpose overhead transmission lines, contacts
response to the need to replace nonferrous metals such for streetcars and trolleybuses, the manufacture of
as tin and copper and to the increase in operational multiwire cable, railroad powersupply systems, etc.

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 BIMETAL PRODUCTION AND APPLICATIONS 785

Bimetals are used in electrical engineering and temperature regulators, compensators, signals, and
electronics for the production of wires and electronic safety relays. The main characteristic of thermal
components. These bimetals, with high strength and bimetals is the ability to change shape on heating
good electrical characteristics, require minimum con (thermal sensitivity). To achieve maximum flexure of
sumption of expensive conducting materials (copper, the bimetal plate, components with the maximum dif
aluminum, silver, etc.) and are light and corrosion ference in linearexpansion coefficients must be
resistant. selected. The physicomechanical properties of the
The use of bimetals for unbreakable contacts in components must ensure strong bonding of the layers
electric circuits is very promising. Such contacts over the whole contact surface and permit subsequent
account for most of the power losses in conducting technological operations such as stamping, cutting,
systems. In electrical engineering, contact bimetals and bending. In addition, in the course of operation,
with local coatings consisting of silver and silver alloys the thermal bimetal must not acquire residual defor
and of copper, nickel, cadmium and other metals with mation and must not change its thermal activity or
added silver are used to meet the requirements regard electrical resistance. At present, thermal bimetals are
ing electrical resistance and scorch resistance. produced in the form of strip with a layerthickness
Threelayer strip (thickness 0.3–0.5 mm) consist ratio close to 1 : 1. The layer with the higher linear
ing of nickel + steel + nickel or copper + steel + nickel expansion coefficient is said to be active; the other
is used for battery casings and is characterized by high layer is said to be passive.
strength and convenience, good shape retention in We may divide thermal bimetals into five categories
cyclic loading, and high electrical conduction, espe in terms of their physicomechanical properties: those
cially at elevated temperatures. with high, aboveaverage, average, belowaverage, and
In electronics, multilayer metal strip combines low properties. They must have stable physicome
high strength and electrical conduction, low thermal chanical properties. Therefore, the chemical compo
expansion, technological convenience, and high cor sition of the two components is strictly regulated.
rosion resistance. Thus, for the manufacture of anodes The sensitivity of thermal bimetals is directly pro
in electrovacuum instruments, thermal measuring portional to the difference in linearexpansion coeffi
instruments, screens, and other components, we use cients of the active and passive layers. Invar alloys are
two,three, four, and fivelayer strip such as Fe + Al, chosen for the passive layer, and Mn, Ni, Cr, or Cu
Al + Fe + Al, Al + Fe + Ni, Cu + Ni, Fe + Ni, Cu + Fe, alloys for the active layer. In some cases, the compo
Ni + Cu + Ni, Ti + Fe + Al, Al + Fe + Cu + Ni, Al + nents of the bimetal must be nonmagnetic, so as to rule
Fe + Cu + Fe + Al, etc. out reaction of the thermal bimetal to the electromag
netic fields induced in the course of operation. For this
Bimetals for Deep Extrusion purpose, nonmagnetic bimetals with active and pas
sive layers consisting of BrB2 beryllium bronze have
Bimetals for deep extrusion combine high strength, been developed.
adequate plasticity, thermal conductivity, and good
corrosion resistance. In particular, bimetals consisting
of steel and copper alloys or of steel and nickel yield CONCLUSIONS
components with the required properties and perfor
mance. These bimetals perform well in stamping, The high performance of bimetals has stimulated
bending, welding, and heat treatment and hence are their production and use in various branches of indus
widely used in machine parts and system components. try. Despite the drop in output of bimetals in the past
The base in such bimetals provides the required tensile decade, their production and consumption seem to be
plasticity, strength, and impact resistance. The coating rebounding at present. As shown by experience in
ensures high corrosion resistance and sufficient plas Russia and around the globe, bimetals offer the pros
ticity in stamping. In addition, the coating serves a pect for improving the performance of traditional
lubricant function in stamping. Low carbon 11кп, products.
18кп, 11ЮA, and 18ЮA steel is recommended as the
base in bimetals for deep extrusion. The coating most REFERENCES
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