Acicular ferrite microstructure in titanium bearing low carbon steels

Abstract

Different microstructures having acicular ferrite as the major phase but with various types and amounts of microphases were obtained by applying different cooling processes to C–Mn steels containing fine non-metallic inclusions. Optical and electron microscopy were carried out to identify the various microphases in the acicular ferrite microstructure, and their mechanical properties were measured and compared to study the effect of the microphases on the microstructure–properties relationship in C–Mn wrought steels. The existence and increase of the fraction of small isolated martensite between the acicular ferrite laths were found to play an important role in determining the tensile strength and low temperature impact toughness of the steels. However, the elongation and room temperature impact toughness were rather insensitive to the microphases. This may be attributed to the uniform distribution and isolation of relatively small martensite due to the fine interlocking character of the acicular ferrite microstructure.     

Effects of alloying elements on the microstructure and inclusion formation in HSLA multipass welds

The effects of Ti, Ni, Mo and Cr on microstructural development, and the chemical composition of the non-metallic inclusions, in high strength low alloy multipass (HSLA) weld metal have been considered. Increasing titanium content, in the range of 50 to 400 ppm, has not caused any major effects on microstructural development. With a further increase in the hardenability, by Ni, Mo and Cr additions, the microstructure has changed from a mixture of allotriomorphic ferrite, Widmanstätten ferrite, acicular ferrite and microphases to a mixture of acicular ferrite, bainite, low carbon martensite and microphases. In weld metals with low titanium content, manganese and silicon were the main chemical elements present in inclusions. Increasing the titanium content in the weld metal leads to an increase in the titanium content of the inclusions. For a very high titanium content, ≈ 700 ppm, the amount of titanium in the inclusions varies in the range of 60 to 70 wt.%.     

Effect of cooling rate on microstructure,inclusions and mechanical properties of weld metal in simulated local dry underwater welding

Quenched and tempered E550 steel was joined using flux-cored arc welding. The effect of cooling rate on microstructure, inclusions and mechanical properties of the weld metal was investigated by optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope and mechanical testing. Results show that weld metal microstructures consist of proeutectoid ferrite, ferrite side plate and acicular ferrite. As the cooling rate increased, the volume fraction of proeutectoid ferrite and ferrite side plate decreased, acicular ferrite increased accompanied with refined grain. Furthermore, inclusions of Ti, Mn oxide with diameter below 2.0 μm were found in the weld metal and rapid cooling rate causes distinct Mn-depleted zone between inclusions and matrix. Excellent balance of high strength and toughness is obtained as more acicular ferrite in weld metal with rapid cooling rate. This can attribute to the increased of acicular ferrite with its refined grain and high density dislocation. These findings suggest that the rapid cooling rate can improve the impact toughness and tensile strength of weld metal in local dry underwater welding.     

Effect of chromium content on the microstructure and mechanical properties of multipass MMA,low alloy steel weld metal

Effect of chromium content in the range of 0.05–0.91 wt% on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Cr–Ni–Cu low alloy steel weld metal was investigated. All welds were prepared by manual metal arc welding technique in flat position. Microstructure of the welds was examined by optical and scanning electron microscope in both columnar and reheated regions of the weld metal. The results showed increase in acicular ferrite and microphases formed at the expense of primary ferrite and ferrite with second phase with steady refinement of microstructure. According to these microstructural changes, yield and ultimate tensile stresses, Hardness and Charpy V-Notch impact toughness increased, whereas elongation decreased. Increase in Charpy impact value is thought to be due to fine dispersed spheroidized dark microphases at high chromium contents.     

Effects of inclusions on formation of acicular ferrite and propagation of crack in high strength low alloy steel weld metal

Abstract

High strength low alloy steel was welded by gas shielded arc welding process without preheating. Microstructural characteristics of the weld metal, morphology of inclusions and crack propagation paths were investigated by means of optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The chemical composition of the inclusion and element distribution across the inclusion were analysed via energy dispersive spectroscopy system. Results indicated relatively large inclusions with diameters of about 0·6–0·8 μm are much more effective in providing nucleation sites for acicular ferrite transformation and refining the microstructure within austenite grain than small ones with diameters of about 0·3–0·5 μm. When the main crack tip encountered inclusion, more crack paths would be initiated from the interface between inclusion and acicular ferrite plates.     

Effect of TiO2-containing fluxes on the mechanical properties and microstructure in submerged-arc weld steels

This work presents a study of the effect of TiO₂ additions in fluxes on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the weld metal formed during Submerged-Arc Welding (SAW) of ASTM A-36 steel plates. Four fluxes with about 9, 12, 15 and 18% Ti were used with a low-carbon electrode. The welding conditions were kept constant. The microstructure of the weld metal for each flux consisted mainly of equiaxed ferrite and acicular ferrite. The increase in the percentage of acicular ferrite and a decrease in its length were observed with an increase in titanium content. The increase in titanium content in fluxes also improved the toughness and ductility of the welds.     

Nature of inclusions in steel weld metals and their influence on formation of acicular ferrite

Abstract

The chemistry and structure of weld metal inclusions has been studied. Four submerged arc welds which utilized plate and consumables to cover a range of oxygen and deoxidant contents were examined. Analysis of the inclusions was carried out on carbon extraction replicas in a Philips 400T scanning transmission electron microscope, fitted with an energy dispersive analyser. Two major types of inclusion were found. With weld metal aluminium approaching the stoichiometric ratio with oxygen, the inclusions were crystalline and had a spinel structure at the centre with a discontinuous, polycrystalline, titanium-rich phase on the surface. With weld metal oxygen high compared with the stoichiometric ratio with aluminium, inclusions were glassy and essentially manganese silicate in composition, again with areas of a polycrystalline, titanium-rich phase on the surface. The interinclusion spacing varied little with weld metal oxygen content in the range 0·0268–0·0858 wt-%. The spacing was found to be of a similar order to the acicular ferrite grain size. The titanium-rich surface phase in all the welds was of fcc structure with a lattice parameter of 0·42 nm, which suggests a mixture of TiO and TiN, possibly rich in TiO. The spinel phase was also fcc and had a composition between galaxite (Al₂O₃MnO) and γ-alumina. Both these phases have a low lattice misfit with ferrite. A low lattice misfit of the inclusion surface layers with ferrite coupled with closely spaced inclusions would seem to be key factors in the development of an acicular ferrite weld metal microstructure.

MST/543     

超细晶Q460高强钢焊接接头组织与韧性研究

采用手工焊条电弧焊和熔化极活性气体保护焊对超细晶Q460钢进行了焊接,分析表征了焊接接头的组织结构、显微硬度和冲击韧性的变化规律。研究结果表明,采用E5515焊条焊接,焊缝金属主要为先共析铁素体、多边形铁素体与少量珠光体。采用ER55-G焊丝,熔化极活性气体保护焊,焊缝金属主要由针状铁素体和少量多边形铁素体组成,焊丝中Ti元素的添加有利于获得针状铁素体组织。采用较小的焊接线能量,超细晶Q460钢热影响区粗晶区组织为粒状贝氏体组织。焊缝金属的显微硬度高于热影响区和母材的显微硬度,热影响区未出现软化现象。冲击试验表明,焊缝金属和热影响区均具有较高的冲击韧性,而且热影响区的韧性高于焊缝金属的韧性。     

Improvement of impact toughness of AWS E6010 weld metal by adding TiO2 nanoparticles to the electrode coating

The effect of TiO₂ nanoparticles in the electrode coating on the impact toughness of three weld metals prepared by the shielded metal arc welding process was investigated and the main factors affecting the impact toughness were discussed. The microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture surface morphology of the weld metals have been evaluated and the results are compared. When the content of TiO₂ nanoparticles in the composition of electrode coating is increased, the morphology of ferrite in the microstructure of columnar zone will change from Widmanstätten ferrite to acicular ferrite. This finally changes to allotriomorphic ferrite when the amount of TiO₂ nanoparticles in the electrode coating goes relatively high. Furthermore, the addition of TiO₂ nanoparticles is effective in refining the ferrite grain size of the reheated microstructures of weld metals. This effect is attributed to the increased number of nucleation sites on the oxide nanoparticles. The impact toughness of the weld metal was improved by adding TiO₂ nanoparticles, especially when a medium TiO₂ nanoparticle content was used in the electrode coating. A significant increase in the impact toughness of weld metal was shown to be due to the increased percentage of acicular ferrite and refinement of microstructure.     

Formation of acicular ferrite at oxide particles in steels

Abstract

Experimental steels similar in composition to structural grades were prepared from weld metal deposits to study the formation of acicular ferrite under conditions experienced in the heat affected zone for a range of welding processes. The formation of acicular ferrite under these conditions is found to be dependent on the presence of a suitable distribution of oxide inclusions > 0·4 μm in size. The characteristics and proportion of acicular ferrite in the microstructure also depend on the prior austenite grain size and cooling rate. The relationship between these factors is presented in a simplified quantitative model, which is supported by data from limited welding trials. Metallographic observations suggest that acicular ferrite forms in two stages. The first involves the formation of relatively large primary acicular ferrite plates by multiple nucleation at intragranular inclusion sites, and the second involves the formation of many smaller acicular ferrite grains that grow sympathetically from the primary plates.

MST/1027     

Overview Inclusion assisted microstructure control in C–Mn and low alloy steel welds

Abstract

Inclusion assisted microstructure control has been a key technology to improve the toughness of C–Mn and low alloy steel welds over the last two to three decades. The microstructure of weld metals and heat affected zones (HAZs) is known to be refined by different inclusions, which may act as nucleation sites for intragranular acicular ferrite and/or to pin austenite grains thereby preventing grain growth. In the present paper, the nature of acicular ferrite and the kinetics of intragranular ferrite transformations in both weld metals and the HAZ of steels are rationalised along with nucleation mechanisms. Acicular ferrite development is considered in terms of competitive nucleation and growth reactions at austenite grain boundary and intragranular inclusion nucleation sites. It is shown that compared to weld metals, it is difficult to shift the balance of ferrite nucleation from the austenite grain boundaries to the intragranular regions in the HAZ of particle dispersed steels because inclusion densities are lower and the surface area available for ferrite nucleation at the austenite grain boundaries tends to be greater than that of intragranular inclusions. The most consistent explanation of high nucleation potency in weld metals is provided by lattice matching between ferrite and the inclusion surface to reduce the interfacial energy opposing nucleation. In contrast, an increase in the thermodynamic driving force for nucleation through manganese depletion of the austenite matrix local to the inclusion tends to be the dominant nucleation mechanism in HAZs. It is demonstrated that these means of nucleation are not mutually exclusive but depend on the nature of the nucleating phase and the prevailing transformation conditions. Issues for further improvement of weldment toughness are discussed. It is argued that greater numbers of fine particles of a type that preferentially nucleate acicular ferrite are required in particle dispersed steels to oppose the austenite grain boundary ferrite transformation and promote high volume fractions of acicular ferrite and thereby toughness.     

Characterization on strength and toughness of welded joint for Q550 steel

Q550 high strength steel was welded using gas shielded arc welding and three different welding wires without pre- or post-heat treatments. The paper investigates the influence of welding wire on the microstructure, tensile strength and impact toughness of Q550 steel weld joints. Results showed that the microstructure of the weld metal of joints produced using ER50-6 wire was a mixture of acicular ferrite and grain boundary ferrite including pro-eutectoid ferrite and ferrite side plate. Acicular ferrite was mainly obtained in the weld metal of the joints produced using MK·G60-1 wire. Pro-eutectoid ferrite was present along the boundary of prior austenite. Crack initiation occurred easily at pro-eutectoid ferrite when the joint was subjected to tensile. Tensile strength and impact toughness were promoted with increasing acicular ferrite. Tensile strength of the joint fabricated using MK·G60-1 wire was close to that of base metal. And tensile samples fractured at location of the fusion zone, which had lower toughness and thus became the weak region in the joint. Impact absorbing energy was the highest in the heat affected zone. Fibrous region in fracture surfaces of impact specimens was characterized as transgranular fracture with the mechanism of micro-void coalescence. Acicular ferrite microstructure region corresponded to relatively large dimples while boundary ferrite microstructure corresponded to small dimples.     

Influences of titanium and manganese on high strength low alloy SAW weld metal properties

The objective of this work was to study the influence of titanium on API 5L-X70 steel weld metal properties at manganese levels of 1.4 and 2%. The best mechanical properties in the weld series were obtained in two compositions, i.e. 1.92%Mn–0.02%Ti and 1.40%Mn–0.08%Ti. In both groups of welds, acicular ferrite in the microstructure was increased with addition of titanium in the range of 0.02–0.08%. Manganese helped to refine and homogenize weld microstructures. Increased hardenability of the weld due to further addition of titanium or manganese encouraged grain boundary nucleation of bainite with greater frequency than intragranular nucleation of acicular ferrite. Also, the amount of manganese in inclusions was decreased with the addition of titanium to the weld. The impact toughness of the weld metal was improved by addition of titanium, but beyond the optimal titanium percentage, the quasi-cleavage fracture mode appeared in the specimens again.     

Effects of B and Ti on the Toughness of HSLA Steel Weld Metals

Effects of microalloying Ti and B on themicrostructures and low temperature toughness ofmanual metal arc (MMA) deposits were investi-gated.Weld metals containing 200-300 ppm Ti and29-60 ppm B deposited by manual coated elec-trodes provided an optimum low temperaturetoughness.The addition of B in weld metals low-ered the γ→α transformation temperature whichpromoted the acicular ferrite (AF) transformation.Solid solutioned B suppressed grain boundaryferrite as well as side plate ferrite formation andbenefited the acicular ferrite formation.Titaniumprotected B from oxidizing as well as nitriding andformed Ti-Mn silicate inclusions.Ultra-high volt-age electron microscope analyses showed that TiOstructure in the Ti-Mn silicate inclusions was thefavorable nucleation site for acicular ferrite forma-tion.     

Formation of acicular ferrite and influence of vanadium alloying

Abstract

The effect of vanadium microalloying in promoting a tough, acicular ferrite microstructure in C-Mn steels has been investigated. The microstructure obtained consisted of fine interlocking ferrite plates and was indistinguishable from acicular ferrite developed in steel weld metals, apparently from the intragranular nucleation of ferrite at inclusions. A number of variables were examined in high purity experimental steels including composition and heat treatment conditions, and related to a metallographic examination of the microstructure by high resolution micro-analytical transmission electron microscopy and surface analysis. A comprehensive study of the inclusions in the steels, containing different ratios of oxygen and nitrogen concentration, did not find any significant evidence that inclusion assisted nucleation was the sole determining factor in producing acicular ferrite. Moreover, no evidence could be found to relate vanadium alloying to significant vanadium nitride precipitation, either separately, or associated with the inclusions. Thus, in the present steels, any possible alternative influence of vanadium on intragranular ferrite nucleation is not obscured by effects associated with the inclusion population. The vanadium concentration appeared to be the most important influence in developing an acicular ferrite microstructure in these experimental steels, and this is not inconsistent with previous reports in the literature of a beneficial 'vanadium effect'. Evidence for vanadium segregation in the microstructure was found, which may be related to the effect of vanadium in encouraging the formation of acicular ferrite. Even when there is good evidence that inclusions are responsible for intragranular ferrite nucleation (as, for example, in steel weld metals), a 1 :1 inclusion-ferrite relationship has been difficult to establish. Thus, even an inclusion activated nucleation theory is likely to require additional intragranular ferrite formation without inclusion assistance, such as sympathetic or autocatalytic nucleation, and this could be reflected in the present study by vanadium atom clustering facilitating an alternative intragranular ferrite nucleation mechanism.     

Influence of oxygen-rich inclusions on the γ→α phase transformation in high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel weld metals

Reducing the oxygen content of two submerged-arc, high-strength, low-alloy (HSLA) steel weld metals has been shown to depress transformation temperatures and produce a marked change in the resultant microstructures. In weld metal of composition 0.12wt% C, 1.35wt% Mn, 0.29 wt% Si, 0.03 wt% Nb reducing the oxygen content from about 300 ppm to about 60 ppm decreased the transformation initiation temperature by about 30° C and changed the microstructure from acicular ferrite to parallel lath ferrite. In weld metal of composition 0.1 wt% C, 0.8 wt% Mn, 0.1 wt% Si, 0.01 wt% Nb reducing the oxygen content from about 600 ppm to about 300 ppm decreased the transformation initiation temperature by approximately 20° C and favoured the development of ferrite side-plates and acicular ferrite at the expense of the polygonal ferrite microstructure. In both weld metals the depressed transformation temperature is thought to be due to the larger -phase grain size developed when the volume fraction of small de-oxidation products is reduced. The marked microstructural change from fine-grained acicular ferrite to parallel lath ferrite which occurred when virtually all the de-oxidation products were removed suggests that these small de-oxidation products may also be of fundamental importance to the nucleation of acicular ferrite.     

稀土元素对低合金高强度钢焊缝机械性能的影响

通过改变焊条药皮中的重稀土含量,向焊缝过渡不同含量的重稀土以提高焊缝的机械性能。研究结果表明,通过向焊缝金属过渡微量的稀土元素,可以对焊缝金属起着净化和变质的作用,同时由于稀土元素对焊缝金属中的夹杂物的细化,球化作用,增加了焊缝中针状铁素体的数量,提高了焊缝的低温冲击韧性,     

Effect of Si,Mn and Al on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of ADI Weld Metal

The effects of Si,Mn and Al on the microstructure and mechanical properties of ADl weld have been studied.The microstructure of ADl weld metal mainly consists of bainitic ferrite and retained austenite.Mechanical properties of Adl weld increase with increasing Si content,but an excess of Si(3.79%) results in decreasing the austemperability owing to decreasing the carbon content of the matrix austenite.Mn increases the retained austenite volume fractio,but the ductility and impact toughness of weld obviously decrease with increasing Mn content because of increased amount of martenite and twin martenite.In the range of 0.13%-0.64%Al ,increasing Al content favours improving the mechanical properties of ADl weld.Therefore,it is very important to select suitable Si,Mn and Al contents to improve mechanical properties of ADl weld .     

Modelling correlation between alloy composition and ferrite number in duplex stainless steel welds using artificial neural networks

Abstract

Weld metal composition is thought to be an important factor in influencing the austenite/ferrite ratio of duplex stainless steel microstructures. To produce the required balance in the austenite/ferrite ratio in the weld microstructure, the chemical composition of the welding consumables should be adjusted. In the present work, Bayesian neural network analysis has been employed to predict the ferrite number in duplex stainless steel welds as a function of composition. The technique accounts for modelling uncertainty, and automatically quantifies the significance of each input variable. In this paper, the influence of variations in the weld composition on the ferrite number have been quantified for two duplex stainless steels. Predictions are accurate compared to published methods. The role of Si and Ti in influencing the ferrite number in these alloys has been brought out clearly in this study while these elements are not given due considerations in the WRC–1992 diagram.     

The nature of acicular ferrite in HSLA steel weld metals

In this paper, the nature of the fine interlocking acicular ferrite microstructure in HSLA steel weld metals is investigated. The results strongly suggest the acicular ferrite is comprised of intragranularly nucleated Widmanstätten ferrite. Further, it is shown that the active nucleation sites for this ferritic product are weld metal inclusions. Sympathetic nucleation then takes place which leads eventually to the fine, interlocking microstructure which is a characteristic of acicular ferrite.