Shear Strength of Brazed

and Soldered Joints

For the joint design tested, unit shear strength depends

on geometric parameters and axial load direction

BY G. S. A. SHAWKI AND A. A. S. EL-SABBAGH

ABSTRACT. This paper presents the

results of experimental work c o n - Notation
ducted on soldered and brazed joints,
formed between two coaxial steel d — diameter of pin
cylinders (bushing and pin), and load- E = Young's modulus of elasticity of pin material
ed by an axial push or pull force up to E' = Young's modulus of elasticity of brazing and soldering filler metal
fracture, with a view to determining P = axial load applied on pin
p =
the shear strength of such joints. maximum value of axial load attained in test
1
Tests were planned and carried out ermat= elastic strain in radial direction
£
to cover a wide range of parameters, . = elastic strain in tangential direction
namely a diameter range of 10 to 80
E
z = elastic strain in axial direction
m m and a diameter to height ratio of
V = Poisson's ratio of pin material
joint of 2 to about 72. I" = Poisson's ratio of brazing and soldering filler metal
Shear strength values obtained un- °7 = radial stress
der push type tests are found to ex- a
t = tangential stress
ceed those obtained under pull type °"z = axial stress
tests by some 50%. Strength values r = shear stress
= ultimate (breaking) strength in shear
are further shown to increase with T
B

higher values of diameter to height

ratio of joint, also with smaller pin
size. This trend is herein confirmed
analytically.
Introduction
The determination of the ultimate
strength in shear of soldered or
brazed joints presents certain dif-
ficulties as the applied shear stress is
almost invariably accompanied by
normal stress either tensile or c o m -
pressive depending on the c o n d i -
tions of test. For this reason shear
tests for soldered or brazed joints
have not yet been generally stan-
dardized, such tests being so far con-
ducted on an arbitrary basis.*
On reviewing earlier literature on
the subject, we find that Koch and
Ponitz (Ref. 1) obtained the shear
strength of brazed joints using shear
specimens acted upon by a pull type
load. Fig. 1. They proposed that their
test would be adopted as a standard
procedure for the determination of
the shear strength of brazed joints.
Russel and Wiesner used similar
specimens in their investigations on

'The approach taken by the Brazing and

G. S. A. SHAWKI is Professor of Machine Soldering Committee of the American
Welding Society is presented in the docu-
Brazed
Design, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt, and
A. A. S. EL-SABBAGH is Professor of ment. AWS C3.2-63 Standard Method tor Joint
Production Engineering, Ein-Shams- Uni- Evaluating the Strength ot Brazed Joints Fig. 1 — Pull type shear test setup as used
versity. Cairo, Egypt. — Ed. by Koch and Ponitz

276-s I A U G U S T 1975
 high temperature brazing alloys in pull and push type tests are re- stress would be very nearly equal to
(Ref. 2). produced in Table 1, 2 and 3. Test re- the tangential stress, i.e., a, = <rt .
Another version of the shear test, sults show that shear strength values In the present analysis, the axial
carried out by Colbus (Ref. 3), applies as determined in the push type test stress in the thin layer is neglected, so
on the joint a push type force (in con- well exceed those furnished by the is also any thermal stress resulting
tradistinction to a pull type force), pull type test by some 56% for brazed f r o m t h e b r a z i n g or s o l d e r i n g
Fig. 2. Bollenrath and El-Sabbagh joints (Table 2). process. Radial and tangential
used similar specimens in their in- A closer insight into the behavior of
vestigations on high t e m p e r a t u r e brazed joints as influenced by the
strength of brazed joints (Ref. 4). ratio of pin diameter, d, to height of
It is evident that while the pull type joint, h, is given in Fig. 4. It can be
test is accompanied by radial tensile readily seen that the shear strength
stress, the push type test is asso- increases with smaller pin diameter,
ciated with radial compressive stress. d, also with higher values of d / h . This
The present work is mainly con- may be attributed to the more favor- Bush
cerned with the determination of able conditions of brazing under such
the shear strength of soldered and circumstances, viz. more homoge-
brazed joints in both pull and push neous thermal influences at brazed
type tests under various conditions of surfaces.
geometrical parameters.
Analytical T r e a t m e n t
Experimental Procedure
The brazing or soldering layer is Fig. 2 — Push type shear test proposed by
Brazed and soldered joints were considered so thin that the radial Colbus
made between two concentric cylin-
ders as shown in Fig. 3, particulars of
materials used being as follows:
Base metal —
Steel St 37.11 (DIN 1611)
Brazing filler metal —
BAg-40 (40%Ag + 20%Cu +
20%Zn + 20%Cd)
Soldering filler metal — Bush
" S t a n d a r d " Solder: 60%Sn +
40% Pb
Soldering Temperature = 250 C Pin
The gap width (i.e., radial clearance) -A :--A
between mating components (pin and ^Parting-off-7
bushing) was made 0.1 mm (0.004 in.)
and kept c o n s t a n t t h r o u g h o u t all
tests, this gap thickness being the op- Ceramic
timum value as established by Colbus Ceramic Base
(Ref. 3). Base
Coaxiality between pin and bush-
ing was assured by first machining
them with conical ends so as to re- Fig. 3 — Diagrammatic arrangement of test setup as used in present investigations (a) Pull
main coaxial in the ceramic base dur- type test; (b) push type test
ing s o l d e r i n g or brazing, Fig. 3.
Specimens were cut thereafter along
Table 1 — Shear Strength Values Obtained for Brazed Joints
section AA thus leaving the joint
heignt h required for the test. Brazing
time (viz. duration after melting of Pull type test, Fig. 3 (a)
Braze
brazing filler metal) was 30 seconds,
Specimen d0, d, area, Ult. shear str.,T s
heating up to brazing temperature be- no. mm mm mm 2 kg/mm2 ksi
ing accomplished in an electrically
heated muffle f u r n a c e for small 1 35 24 678 14.3 20.3
specimens and in a gas-fired furnace 2 35 23 579 12.8 18.2
for specimens of diameters above 3 35 22 518 14.5 20.6
4 35 21 462 14.3 20.3
20 m m .
5 35 20 427 13.1 18.6
After parting off to the required 6 35 17 321 15.0* 21.3
height h, the fillet f was adjusted to 7 35 16 277 14.6* 20.7
a radius of 0.5 mm (0.02 in.). Avg 14.1 20.0
Push type test Fig. 3(b)
The finisned joint was subjected to
either a tensile force (pull type test), 8 17 10 299 22.3* 31.7
Fig. 3(a), or a compressive force 9 17 10 295 22.0* 31.2
(push type test), Fig. 3(b) up to frac- 10 20 10 289 21.7* 30.8
ture. The snear strength was ob- 11 20 10 286 23.1* 32.8
12 22 10 283 21.8* 30.9
tained by dividing maximum load by
13 22 10 280 22.1* 31.4
the sheared area of soldered or 14 30.9
27 10 277 21.8*
brazed joint. 15 35 24 422 22.6 32.1
16 35 24 399 21.8 31.1
Test Results 17 35 24 377 21.9 31.4
Avg 22.1
Ultimate shear strength values ob-
tained for crazed and soiaered loints IK'U puint of base metal was exceeded.

WELDING RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT 277-s

stresses are assumed uniform along strain given by: Now the thin brazing or soldering
the whole axial extent of the brazing layer, being considered as a thin-
er = v ez = ( V /E) (4P/7rd 2 (2)
or soldering layer. walled open cylinder with constraint
In the push type test, by way of ex- around its external surface, will be
The radial displacement of the out-
ample, the pin is subjected to an axial s u b j e c t e d to the squeeze action
er surface of pin can then be ob-
compressive stress: resulting from the compression of
tained from the relation
the pin.
<jz = 4P/(7rd 2 ) (1)
Rad. disp. = e, (d/2) Assuming the radial displacement
and a consequential lateral or radial = (2 V/TTE) (P/d) (3) of pin to be equal to the radial
squeeze of the brazing or soldering
layer, we arrive at the equation:
Table 2 — Shear Strength Values Obtained for Soldered Joints (2V/TTE) (P/d) = (d/2E) [tr, - vaz )
(4)
Pull type test
in which <rt and <jz denote tangential
and axial stresses in brazing or
Solder
Specimen area, Ult. shear str • • T e soldering layer respectively.
d0, d.
no. mm mm mm 2 kg/mm2 ksi The tangential (or radial) stress in
the thin layer will be given approxi-
1 35 24 682 2.79 3.96 mately by:
2 35 24 601 2.88 4.09
3 35 24 576 2.79 3.96 = cr, = vE7(rrd2 (5)
4 35 24 451 3.02 4.29
5 35 10 212 2.85 4.05
The stress state for the brazing or
6 35 10 202 2.98 4.23 soldering layer is shown in Fig. 5,
7 35 10 185 2.89 4.10 from which it can be readily seen that:
8 35 10 162 3.01 4.27
Ultimate shear strength in the push
Avg3 2.91 4.13
type test
Push type test

1
2
24
24
10
10
365
332
4.45
4.58
6.32
6.50 7Td2 £r+(2*fr
3 24 10 306 4.49 6.38
4 24 10 286 4.39 6.23 or
5 24 10 271 4.52 6.42
6 35 24 472 4.56 6.48 2vE'
i+(
7
8
35
35
24
24
455
403
4.53
4.49
6.43
6.38
dh Vr>*
9 35 24 396 4.51 6.40
24 (6)
10 35 371 4.58 6.50
Avgj 4.56 6.39 It is evident from Eq. (6) that the
shear strength of the material would
be expected, in the push type test, to
increase with:
(a) smaller size of pin d,
(b) higher value of the ratio d / h .
These theoretical predictions are con-
firmed by experimental results as
shown in Fig. 4.
It is worthy to note that the shear
strength obtained in this type of test
depends on the geometrical param-
eters, w h i c h s h o u l d be precisely
specified in any standard form or test.
Should it be possible to greatly re-
duce or even eliminate the compres-
sion of the pin, radial and tangential
stresses in the brazing or soldering
layer would disappear, thus render-
ing a case of plane stress and plane
strain (i.e., case of pure shear), in
which T B /Vdh. This can be
approached at relatively high values
of the joint diameter to height ratio
d / h , Eq. (6).

Summary and Conclusion

Fig. 4 — Effect of geometrical
type test
Brazed and soldered joints made
between cylindrical steel pins and co-
axial steel rings were tested under two
types of tests, viz., push and pull
types, with a view to the determina-
parameters on the shear strength ol brazed joints In the push tion of the ultimate shear strength of
such joints.

278-s i A U G U S T 1975
 b x'' -"t-ur

Fig. 5 — Mohr's circles of stress for the brazing or soldering layer, (a) Push type test; (b) pull type test

It is herein established, by experi-

Table 3 — Shear Strength Values of Brazed Joints as Obtained in ment, that the shear strength as ob-
the Push Type Test for Various Joint Diameters and Heights
tained in the push type test exceeds
Speci- Pin Joint Sheared Breaking Ult. shear that determined in the pull type test by
men diam, height, area. load str,^. some 50%.
no. d, mm h, m m d/h mm 2 P kg kg/mm In the push type test, which is in-
max
vestigated at greater length, shear
1 10 0.7 14.3 22 587 26.7 strength values are found — both ex-
2 10 0.8 12.5 25.1 615 24.5
perimentally and analytically — to
3 10 1.6 6.25 50.3 1245 24.7
4 10 2.2 4.55 69.1 1665 24.1
assume higher values with smaller pin
5 10 3.8 2.63 119 2690 22.6 size, also with larger diameter to
6 10 4.0 2.5 125 2850 22.8 height ratio of brazed joint. It is recom-
mended that such geometrical
parameters should be fixed, in any
7 20 0.6 33.3 37.7 9350 24.9
8 12.5 100 2470 24.7
standard form of test, should compar-
20 1.6
9 20 2.0 10 125 2920 23.3 able shear strength values be sought.
10 20 2.0 10 125 2850 22.8
References
11 20 3.7 5.4 232 5280 22.8
12 20 3.8 5.26 239 5240 21.9 1. Koch. H. and Ponitz. W.. "Beitrag
13 20 8.8 2.27 555 10900 21.5 zum P r o b l e m der S c h e r f e s t i g k e i t von
14 20 10 2 628 13100 20.8 L o t v e r b i n d u n g e n " . Schweissen and
Schneiden. 8. (1956), Heft 6, S. 288-292.
2. Russel. W. and Wisner, J., "Investiga-
15 40 1.4 28.5 176 4030 22.9
tion of High Temperature Vacuum and
16 40 1.6 25 201 4650 23.1
Hydrogen Furnace Brazing." NACA TN
17 40 2.1 19 264 5520 20.9
3922. March. 1957.
18 40 2.2 18.2 276 5940 21.5
3. Colbus. J.. "Die Scherfestigkeit von
19 40 3.7 10.8 465 9350 20.1
Silber-Messing und Neusilberloten auf St
20 40 7.8 5.13 980 19100 19.5
37.11 in Abh'a'ngigkeit von Spaltbreite and
21 40 7.9 5.06 993 19800 19.9
Lotflache." Mitteilungen der Forschungs-
gesellschaft Blechverarbeitung e.V.,
22 80 1.1 72.7 277 6020 21.7 (1957). Nr. 13.
23 80 2.4 33.3 604 6340 10.5* 4. Bollenrath, F. and El-Sabbagh,
24 80 4.2 19 1055 21200 20.1 A. A. S., "Forschungsberichte des Landes
25 80 8.1 9.88 2040 36800 18.1 Nordrhein-Westfalen," Westdeutscher
Verlag. Koln and Opladen, (1963), Heft Nr.
"Defective joint 1083.

Discussions
The Welding Journal invites critical discussions by peers on technical matters
appearing in the Welding Research Supplement. A copy of the discussion will be mailed
to the author for reply. Both discussions and reply will be printed together in these
pages. Where conclusions and findings vary among different researchers, the reader
will benefit from the information.

WELDING RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT! 279-s

 WRC Bulletin 201 December 1974
1. "The Submerged Arc Weld in HSLA Line Pipe — A State-of-the-Art Review"
by P. A. Tichauer

The submerged arc weld in HSLA line pipe is examined by briefly reviewing the
metallurgy of high-strength low-alloy steels and then considering how the welding process
affects this metallurgy. Particular emphasis is given to the influence of thermo-mechanical
processing and to the role of micro-alloy additions as they relate to strength, grain size and
toughness. The metallurgy of the weld is contrasted to that of the base plate, and some
recent investigations are reviewed. The influence of consumable selection is considered, and
some recommendations for further study are made.

2. "Experience in the Development and Welding of Large-Diameter Pipes"

by M. Civallero, C. Parrini and G. Salmoni

The production of X70 pipes up to 30 mm wall thickness with high base-material

toughness has become necessary and possible today. In the choice of the most suitable type
of steel, the mill and field weldability problems have been considered, as well as the weld-
joint toughness requirements.
Of the experimental solutions, the best appears to be a control-rolled dispersoid steel,
with extra-fine structure (mostly acicular type) with reduced pearlite and controlled inclu-
sions. This steel, welded with the normal double-pass submerged arc techniques, allows one
to achieve good toughness in the heat-affected zone, and to improve weldability compared to
conventional steels. By further improving the type of flux on the basis of the theories devel-
oped, and by widening the knowledge of the effects of chemical composition (correlation be-
tween chemical composition, liquid-and-solid, austenite-to-ferrite transformation and final
structures), it is believed possible to improve the low-temperature toughness up to the 10
kg/cm 2 level at temperatures down to -40 C, in wall thicknesses up to 30 mm.

3. "New Development in Weldability and Welding Technique for Arctic-Grade Line

Pipe"
by E. Miyoshi, Y. Ito, H. Iwanaga and T. Yamura

In this study, low-temperature burst tests were performed on 48-in. diameter x 1-in. thick
x 8-ft long line-pipe specimens of a 1% Ni steel recently developed and produced by
controlled rolling. Notches twice the size of the largest allowable defect in API Std. 1104
were incorporated in the longitudinal weld seam. Test data were assessed by a COD
approach. Two heat inputs were used in welding the specimens. A special GMA welding tech-
nique was developed for the lower heat input. It was found that the lower heat input was the
best method of improving the fracture toughness of the weld.

4. "Technology of Wires and Electrodes for Welding High-Strength Pipe"

by J. Grosse-Wordemann

During the past few years, developments have led to steel grades with improved mechan-
ical properties and reduced carbon content, compared to the previously known carbon-
manganese grades. The new steels have improved weldability and API grades X60, X65 and
X70 are already in use. The development of X80 is close to completion. This paper reviews
the latest technology in developing suitable filler metals for welding these high-strength line-
pipe steels.

5. "Preliminary Evaluation of Laser Welding of X-80 Arctic Pipeline Steel"

by E. M. Breinan and C. M. Banas

Single- and dual-pass laser welds were made in an alloy steel currently being evaluated
for potential Arctic gas pipeline applications. The laser welds exhibited excellent overall
mechanical properties and a Charpy shelf energy greater than 264 ft-lb, which is
substantially above that of the base material. Dual-pass welds exhibited a ductile-to-brittle
transition temperature below -60 F. Increased shelf energy was attributed to a reduction in
the visible inclusion content of the fusion zone while transition temperature was shown to be
strongly dependent upon fusion-zone grain size.
Paper (1) was prepared for the Subcommittee on Line-Pipe Steels of the Weldability
(Metallurgical) Committee of the Welding Research Council. The other four papers were
presented at a session sponsored by this subcommittee during the 1974 AWS Annual
Meeting.
The price of WRC Bulletin 201 is $8.00 per copy. Orders should be sent with payment to
the Welding Research Council, 345 East 47th St., New York, N.Y. 10017.

280-s I A U G U S T 1975