Autogenous submerged liquid diffusion welding of titanium

A method of bonding titanium to an intermediate alloy, comprising:

• layering a portion of an intermediate alloy onto a portion of titanium such that the intermediate alloy is in direct contact with the titanium;
• focusing a controlled heat source on a spot of the intermediate alloy to form a weld pool in the intermediate alloy at the spot;
• superheating the intermediate alloy in the weld pool above the melting point of the intermediate alloy and above the transus temperature of titanium but below the melting point of titanium to form a meniscus of a superheated liquid column of the intermediate alloy in the weld pool, wherein the superheated liquid column is in contact with titanium below the superheated liquid column and the superheated liquid column heats the titanium below the superheated liquid column to form a diffusion zone at a boundary between the superheated liquid column and the titanium, wherein the superheated liquid column is held in contact against the titanium below the superheated liquid column by a meniscus force such that the superheated liquid column submersion shields the titanium below the superheated liquid column from atmospheric contamination, and wherein the titanium below the superheated liquid column and intermediate alloy diffuse together in the diffusion zone while the intermediate alloy is superheated;
• and
• allowing the diffusion zone to cool below the melting point of the intermediate alloy, wherein the intermediate alloy and the titanium in the diffusion zone are bonded to form a weldment from the diffusion zone.