The Joining of Copper to Stainless Steel by Solid-State Welding Processes: A Review

Joining immiscible materials such as copper and stainless steel together is a significant concern due to distinct mechanical and metallurgical properties across the joint line, such as melting points, the coefficient of linear thermal expansion, and thermal conductivity. The joint properties of copper to stainless steel welds are in great demand for various mechanical components of the international thermonuclear experimental reactor, ultra-high vacuum system, plan wave linear-accelerator or linac structure, and heat exchanger. These dissimilar-metals joints offer excellent flexibility in design and production, leading to a robust structure for many cutting-edge applications. Hence, the present article reviews the copper to stainless steel joining mechanism under different solid-state processing conditions. The present understanding says that defect-free strong joints between the dissimilar metals are systematically possible. Apart from this understanding, the authors have identified and highlighted the gaps in the research exploration to date. Moreover, a sustainable methodology to achieve a desirable weld of copper to stainless steel depends on favorable processing conditions.