Dissolution at Interfaces in Layered Solid-Liquid Thin Films: A Key Step in Joining Process

We have studied the dissolution process of Ni into liquid Al in Ni-Al multilayer nanofilms by means of molecular dynamics simulations. The elemental mechanisms underlying the dissolution process were described and found to be diffusion-limited. The subsequent evolution leading to intermetallic compound formation was analyzed and interpreted on the basis of classical nucleation theory. A better understanding of the microscopic behavior of Ni-Al reactive multilayer foils, which was essential for their use in joining applications, was obtained.