Weldability and properties of martensitic/austenitic stainless steel joints

Abstract

A series of studies has been carried out to examine the weldability and properties of dissimilar steel joints using martensitic and austenitic stainless steels F6NM (OCr13Ni4Mo) and AISI 347, respectively. This type of joint requires good mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and a stable magnetic permeability in addition to a good weldability. Weldability tests include weld thermal simulation of the martensitic steel to investigate the influence of weld thermal cycles and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the heat affected zone (HAZ); implant testing to examine the tendency for cold cracking of martensitic steel; and rigid restraint testing to determine hot crack susceptibility of the multipass dissimilar steel joints. The simulation results indicated that the toughness of the martensitic steel HAZ did not change significantly after the weld thermal cycles. The implant test results indicated that welds produced using nickel based filler show no tendency for cold cracking, whereas welds produced using martensitic or ferritic filler show such a tendency. Based on the weldability tests, a welding procedure (tungsten inert gas welding for root passes with HNiCrMo-2B wire followed by manual metal arc welding using ENiCrFe-3B coated electrode) was developed and a PWHT at 600°C for 2 h was recommended. Joints produced using the developed welding procedure are not susceptible to hot and cold cracking. After PWHT the joints exhibit both satisfactory mechanical properties and stress corrosion cracking resistance.

MST/1955     

Stellite 21 coatings on AISI 410 martensitic stainless steel by gas tungsten arc welding

Abstract

Degradation of AISI 410 martensitic stainless steel, a typical alloy for many applications such as steam turbine blade, could impair its efficiency and lifetime. To overcome this problem, critical surfaces could be modified by weld cladding via gas tungsten arc welding technique. In the present research, a comparative study of Stellite 21 weld overlays deposited in three different thicknesses, i.e. dilutions, at various preheat and post-weld heat treatment temperatures on the surface of AISI 410 martensitic stainless steel, has been made. The surface of coatings has been examined to reveal their microstructures, phase characterisation and mechanical properties using XRD, microhardness tester and metallographic techniques. The results showed that the deposition of Stellite 21 coating on AISI 410 martensitic stainless steel improved its corrosion resistance. Moreover, the volumetric dilution had a considerable effect on the hardness, microstructure and electrochemical corrosion behaviour of Stellite 21 weld overlays.     

Effects of pulsed Nd:YAG laser welding parameters and subsequent post-weld heat treatment on microstructure and hardness of AISI 420 stainless steel

Martensitic stainless steels are often used in cases where high strength and medium corrosion resistance are required. In this study, pulsed Nd:YAG laser welding of AISI 420 martensitic stainless steel is considered. Welding of samples were carried out autogenously. The spacing between samples was set to almost zero. All samples were butt welded. The effect of welding parameters such as voltage, laser beam diameter, frequency, pulse duration, and welding speed on the weld dimensions were investigated and the optimum values were obtained for the 450 V voltage, 0.6 mm focal diameter, 6 Hz frequency, 5 ms pulse duration and 1.5 mm/s welding speed. Microstructure of weld pool and heat affected zone (HAZ) were investigated by optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Micro-hardness studies were also carried out. The results showed the presence of some remaining delta-ferrite in the martensitic weld structure and coarsening of M₂₃C₆ carbides in HAZ. The magnitude of hardness in the HAZ was higher than that of the weld zone. To reduce the hardness of weld and HAZ and to increase the toughness in these regions, two types of post-weld heat treatments (PWHTs) were carried out. In type 1, samples tempered for 2 h. In type 2, samples austenitizied for 0.5 h at 1010 °C and then tempered for 2 h. In order to achieve high strength and toughness, optimum temper temperatures for type 1 and 2 heat treatments were obtained for 595 and 537 °C, respectively. The results showed higher toughness for type 2 than type 1.     

Influence of the microstructure on the corrosion resistance of plasma‐nitrided austenitic stainless steel 304L and 316L

Austenitic stainless steels are widely used in medical and food industries because of their excellent corrosion resistance. However, they suffer from weak wear resistance due to their low hardness. To improve this, plasma nitriding processes have been successfully applied to austenitic stainless steels, thereby forming a thin and very hard diffusion layer, the so‐called S‐phase. In the present study, the austenitic stainless steels AISI 304L and AISI 316L with different microstructures and surface modifications were used to examine the influence of the steel microstructure on the plasma nitriding behavior and corrosion properties. In a first step, solution annealed steel plates were cold‐rolled with 38% deformation degree. Then, the samples were prepared with three kinds of mechanical surface treatments. The specimens were plasma nitrided for 360 min in a H₂–N₂ atmosphere at 420 °C. X‐ray diffraction measurements confirmed the presence of the S‐phase at the sample surface, austenite and body centered cubic (bcc)‐iron. The specimens were comprehensively characterized by means of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, surface roughness and nano‐indentation measurements to provide the formulation of dependencies between microstructure and nitriding behavior. The corrosion behavior was examined by potentio‐dynamic polarization measurements in 0.05 M and 0.5 M sulfuric acid and by salt spray testing.     

Laser surface hardening of AISI 420 stainless steel treated by pulsed Nd:YAG laser

The AISI 420 martensitic stainless steel was surface-hardened by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser. The influences of process parameters (laser pulse energy, duration time and travel speed) on the depth and hardness of laser treated area and its corrosion behavior were Investigated. In the optimum process parameters, maximum hardness (490 VHN) in the laser surface treated area was achieved. The pitting corrosion behavior was studied by potentiodynamic polarization technique in 3.5% NaCl solution at 25 °C. Metallographical and electrochemical corrosion studies illustrated beneficial effects of laser surface hardening by refining the microstructure and enhancing the pitting corrosion resistance of the martensitic stainless steel. The pitting corrosion resistance of laser surface treated samples in 3.5% NaCl solution depends on the overlap ratio clearly. The pitting potential (E_pp) decreased significantly by increasing the ratio of pulse overlapping.     

The effect of N<Subscript>2</Subscript> addition upon the MIG welding process of duplex steels

This paper presents the results of a study on the weldability of a duplex stainless steel, Avesta 2205, carried out by GMAW (MIG) pulsed arc welding process. An AISI 2209 electrode (AWS A/SFA 5.9, ER2209) was used as filler metal. The study was focused on the N₂ content in the shield gas, from 0% to 6.4%. Firstly, a microstructural characterization of the welds using scanning electron microscopy (MEB-EDX) was carried out. Also, in order to study the microstructural changes originated by the welding thermal cycles and the % content of the N₂, the ferrite content in the weld pool and heat affected zone (HAZ) were determined. Vickers hardness, tensile and bending tests were performed to determine the mechanical properties of joints and hence the influence of N₂ addition without decrease in the mechanical properties. Finally, the joints were examined for susceptibility to intergranular corrosion using the Standard ASTM 262 93, practice A. The optimal content of N₂ in the shield gas is included between 3% and 5%, which attain to obtain a 94% base material UTS.     

Effect of laser welding parameters on fusion zone morphological,mechanical and microstructural characteristics of AISI 304 stainless steel

Nowadays, the Nd:YAG laser has been a promising key tool for joining thin components. In this research, mechanical and microstructural properties of laser welded thin austenitic stainless steel sheets were investigated with experimental investigations, as a function of laser welding parameters. Butt welded joints were made using a Nd:YAG laser in the pulsed wave mode. The appropriate laser welding parameters were found in order to obtain quality and strong weld seam. The pulsed laser seam welding process is controlled by a variety of parameters. We focus on the effects of the several processing parameters on mechanical and microstructural characteristics of joint and weld quality. The aim of this research was to evaluate the influence of these processing parameters on joint strength and microstructure. And also we examined the weldability of stainless steels in butt joint configuration by a pulsed Nd:YAG laser beam.     

Influence of heat treatments on toughness and sensitization of a Ti-alloyed supermartensitic stainless steel

Supermartensitic steels are a new class of martensitic stainless steels developed to obtain higher corrosion resistance and better toughness through the reduction of carbon content, and addition of Ni and Mo. They were developed to more critical applications or to improve the performance obtained with conventional grades AISI 410, 420, and 431. In this study, the influences of the tempering parameters on the microstructure, mechanical properties (hardness and toughness), and sensitization of a Ti-alloyed supermartensitc stainless steel were investigated. The material showed temper embrittlement in the 400–600 °C range, as detected by low temperature (−46 °C) impact tests. The degree of sensitization measured by double loop reactivation potentiodynamic tests increased continuously with the increase of tempering temperature above 400 °C. Healing due to Cr diffusion at high tempering temperatures was not observed. Double tempered specimens showed high amounts (>20%) of reverse austenite but their toughness were similar to specimens single tempered at 625 and 650 °C.     

Resistance Spot Weldability of Dissimilar Materials: BH180-AISI304L Steels and BH180-IF7123 Steels

In this study, resistance spot weldability of 180 grade bake hardening steel (BH180), 7123 grade interstitial free steel (IF7123) and 304 grade austenitic stainless steel (AISI304L) with each other was investigated. In the joining process, electrode pressure and weld current were kept constant and six different weld time were chosen. Microstructure, microhardness, tensile-shear properties and fracture types of resistance spot welded joints were examined. In order to characterize the metallurgical structure of the welded joint, the microstructural profile was developed, and the relationship between mechanical properties and microstructure was determined. The change of weld time, nugget diameter, the HAZ (heat affected zone) width and the electrode immersion depth were also investigated. Welded joints were examined by SEM (scanning electron microscopy) images of fracture surface. As a result of the experiment, it was determined that with increasing weld time, tensile shear load bearing capacity (TLBC) increased with weld time up to 25 cycle and two types of tearing occurred. It was also determined that while the failure occurred from IF side at the BH180+IF7123 joint, it occurred from the BH180 side at the BH180+AISI304L joint.     

Development of high nitrogen, low nickel, 18%Cr austenitic stainless steels

Two high nitrogen stainless steels are studied through metallographic, mechanical and corrosionistic tests and the results are compared with those shown by a standard AISI 304. These high nitrogen steels show a significantly higher mechanical strength than usual AISI 304 while their corrosion resistance lie among that of standard austenitic and that of standard ferritic stainless steels.     

Investigation of In Situ and Conventional Post‐Weld Heat Treatments on Dual‐Laser‐Beam‐Welded γ‐TiAl‐Based Alloy

This paper describes a way to improve the microstructure and mechanical properties of welding seams by in situ and conventional post‐weld heat treatments for laser beam welding of the Ti–45Al–5Nb–0.2C–0.2B alloy. The seams are crack‐free with reduced longitudinal residual stress and higher elongation to fraction after post‐weld heat treatment. The welding zone consists of α₂ after welding, transforms to a massive γ during in situ post‐weld heat treatment, and finally forms a convoluted microstructure after conventional heating. The phase composition across the welding zone is discussed.     

Investigation on microstructure,mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of AISI 316L stainless steel to ASTM A335-P11 low alloy steel dissimilar welding joints

In the present study, the microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel to ASTM A335-P11 low alloy steel dissimilar joints, which are widely employed in the oil and gas industries especially for manufacturing of heat exchangers over 600°C, were investigated. For this purpose, two filler metals of ER309L and ERNiCrMo-3 were selected to be used with GTAW process. The results of microstructural evaluation revealed that the ERNiCrMo-3 weld metal contains dendritic and interdendritic zones, and the ER309L weld metal microstructure includes skeletal ferrites in an austenitic matrix. The maximum impact fracture energy and microhardness values were obtained for the ERNiCrMo-3 weld metal specimens; however, no significant difference was observed between the tension properties. The corrosion test results showed that the ERNiCrMo-3 has a higher corrosion resistance than ER309L. Finally, it was concluded that ERNiCrMo-3 would be a suitable filler metal for joining AISI 316L to A335-P11 for a variety of applications.     

Effect of molybdenum on SCC of 17-4PH stainless steel under different aging conditions in chloride solutions

Type 17-4 PH martensitic precipitation-hardenable stainless steel, having a combination of high mechanical properties and good corrosion resistance is widely used in aerospace, chemical, and petrochemical and food industries This alloy has a high resistance to stress corrosion cracking but age hardening treatment, increases its sensitivity to stress corrosion cracking. There are several works investigating the influence of different aging treatments on the microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of 17-4 PH steels, however there are little works studying the simultaneous effects of aging treatments and molybdenum content on corrosion properties of these steels. In this research, the effect of molybdenum on stress corrosion cracking resistance of 17-4 PH alloy using U-bend samples in chloride solutions, as well as its effect on passivity, has been investigated. Quantometer, Scanning Electron Microscope(SEM) and potentiostat were used to determine the chemical composition, microstructure and anodic polarization behavior of the alloys. It is found that molybdenum has a useful effect on stress corrosion cracking resistance under the peak aged conditions, and this is because of development of delta-ferrite phase by increasing the molybdenum content and subsequently decreasing the strength of the alloy.     

Corrosion behaviour of a thin section martensitic stainless steel GTA weldment in chloride solutions

A thin section martensitic stainless steel was welded by gas tungsten arc welding and characterized for the microstructure, hardness and corrosion behaviour in chloride solutions. Welds free from defects could be produced by autogenous welding under the optimized welding conditions. The weld metal was over-matched in terms of mechanical properties (hardness, tensile strength). The general corrosion resistance and the passivation behaviour of the weld metal/heat affected zone (HAZ) region were on par with that of the parent material in chloride and sulphuric acid test electrolytes; however, in terms of pitting corrosion resistance, the martensitic-structured weld metal/HAZ region was marginally inferior compared to its parent material.     

Resistance spot welding of AISI 430 ferritic stainless steel: Phase transformations and mechanical properties

The paper aims at investigating the process–microstructure–performance relationship in resistance spot welding of AISI 430 ferritic stainless steel. The phase transformations which occur during weld thermal cycle were analyzed in details, based on the physical metallurgy of welding of the ferritic stainless steels. It was found that the microstructure of the fusion zone and the heat affected zone is influenced by different phenomena including grain growth, martensite formation and carbide precipitation. The effects of welding cycle on the mechanical properties of the spot welds in terms of peak load, energy absorption and failure mode are discussed.     

Characterization of microstructure,chemical composition,corrosion resistance and toughness of a multipass weld joint of superduplex stainless steel UNS S32750

The superduplex stainless steels have an austeno-ferritic microstructure with an average fraction of each phase of approximately 50%. This duplex microstructure improves simultaneously the mechanical properties and corrosion resistance. Welding of these steels is often a critical operation. In this paper we focus on characterization and analysis of a multipass weld joint of UNS S32750 steel prepared using welding conditions equal to industrial standards. The toughness and corrosion resistance properties of the base metal, root pass welded with gas tungsten arc welding, as well as the filler passes, welded with shielded metal arc welding, were evaluated. The microstructure and chemical composition of the selected areas were also determined and correlated to the corrosion and mechanical properties. The root pass was welded with low nickel filler metal and, as a consequence, presented low austenite content and significant precipitation. This precipitation is reflected in the corrosion and mechanical properties. The filler passes presented an adequate ferrite:austenite proportion but, due to their high oxygen content, the toughness was lower than that of the root pass. Corrosion properties were evaluated by cyclic polarization tests in 3.5% NaCl and H₂SO₄ media.     

Cold deformation effect on the microstructures and mechanical properties of AISI 301LN and 316L stainless steels

As austenitic stainless steels have an adequate combination of mechanical resistance, conformability and resistance to corrosion they are used in a wide variety of industries, such as the food, transport, nuclear and petrochemical industries. Among these austenitic steels, the AISI 301LN and 316L steels have attracted prominent attention due to their excellent mechanical resistance. In this paper a microstructural characterization of AISI 301LN and 316L steels was made using various techniques such as metallography, optical microscopy, scanning electronic microscopy and atomic force microscopy, in order to analyze the cold deformation effect. Also, the microstructural changes were correlated with the alterations of mechanical properties of the materials under study. One of the numerous uses of AISI 301LN and 316L steels is in the structure of wagons for metropolitan surface trains. For this type of application it is imperative to know their microstructural behavior when subjected to cold deformation and correlate it with their mechanical properties and resistance to corrosion. Microstructural analysis showed that cold deformation causes significant microstructural modifications in these steels, mainly hardening. This modification increases the mechanical resistance of the materials appropriately for their foreseen application. Nonetheless, the materials become susceptible to pitting corrosion.     

Wear characteristics of a new type austenitic stainless steel

In order to solve the problem of the poor wear resistance in conventional austenitic stainless steels, a new type austenitic stainless steel was designed based on Fe–Mn–Si–Cr–Ni shape memory alloys in this article. Studies on its wear resistance and wear mechanism have been carried out by comparison with that of AISI 321 stainless steel using friction wear tests, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope. Results showed that the wear resistance of Fe–14Mn–5.5Si–12Cr–5Ni–0.10C alloy was better than that of AISI 321 stainless steel both in dry and oily friction conditions owing to the occurrence of the stress-induced γ → ε martensitic phase transformation during friction process. This article also compared the corrosion performance of the two stainless steels by testing the corrosion rate. Results showed that the corrosion rate of Fe–14Mn–5.5Si–12Cr–5Ni–0.10C alloy was notably lower in NaOH solution and higher in NaCl solution than that of AISI 321 stainless steel.     

Experimental investigation on dissimilar pulsed Nd:YAG laser welding of AISI 420 stainless steel to kovar alloy

This paper presents the results of an investigation on autogeneous laser welding of AISI 420 stainless steel to kovar alloy using a 100 W pulsed Nd:YAG laser. The joints had a circular geometry and butt welded. The joints were examined by optical microscope for cracks, pores and for determining the weld geometry. The microstructure of the weld and the heat affected zones were investigatedby scanning electron microscope. The austenitic microstructure was achieved in the weld. The morphology of weld zone solidification was basically cellural, being influenced by the temperature gradient. It was found that the start of solidification in the kovar side of weld zone occurred by means of epitaxial growth. When the temperature gradient was high, the columnar grains were created in the fusion boundary of 420 stainless steel side toward weld zone. Measurements taken by X-ray spectrometry for dispersion of the energy in the weld zone indicated a significantly heterogeneous distribution of chromium element. The variations in chemical compositions and grains morphologies significantly alter the Vickers microhardness values in the weld zone.