Effect of electron beam welding on the microstructures and mechanical properties of thick TC4-DT alloy

Electron beam welding (EBW) was applied to 50 mm thick damage-tolerant Ti–6Al–4V (TC4-DT) alloy, and microstructure, microhardness and tensile properties of the defect-free welded joints were examined. The results indicated that the microstructure of the base metal is composed of primary α phases and the lamellar (α + β) bimodal structure. For the EBW joint, martensite basketweave microstructure is formed in fusion zone (FZ). Moreover, the heat affected zone (HAZ) near FZ consists of acicular martensite and a small portion of primary α phase. The HAZ near base metal consists of primary α phase and transformed β containing aciculate α. It is found that the boundary of the two portions of the HAZ was dependent on the β phase transus temperature during weld cooling. Microhardness values for FZ and HAZ are higher than that of base metal, and there are the peak values for the HAZ near the weld metal. The fracture locations of all the EBW tensile specimens are in base metal, and the ultimate tensile strength of the joints may reach about 95% of the base metal. In addition, with the depth increasing along the weld thick direction, the grain size of the FZ decreases and microhardness increases.     

On the relation of microstructure and impact toughness characteristics of DSAW steel of grade API X70

In this research, mechanical characteristics of double submerged arc-welded line pipe steel of grade API X70 (70 ksi yield strength) were investigated. Different experimental examinations including chemical analysis, microstructural investigation, microhardness, tensile and Charpy tests and standard fractography were carried out on different zones of test material. Impact properties of the fusion zone, the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and the base metal were measured on an instrumented Charpy rig and correlated then to their microstructural features. The experimental results showed that the base metal was the toughest, and fusion zone was the least tough region with average Charpy energy of 222 and 128 J, respectively. The latter fulfilled service requirements set by API 5L, despite its relatively low impact energy. Interestingly, the cast microstructure and presence of grain boundary phases such as proeutectoid ferrite in fusion zone confirmed its low energy characteristics. Reduction in HAZ impact energy (compared to base metal) was observed too, together with grain coarsening and the associated HAZ softening adjacent to the weld.     

Ti700sr高温钛合金TIG焊接接头组织及性能研究

采用TIG焊接方法对Ti700sr高温钛合金板材进行了焊接,研究了接头的组织形貌、硬度分布及力学性能.结果表明,Ti700sr高温钛合金板材焊接后的接头成形良好,焊缝区组织由粗大的柱状晶及细长的针状α相构成,热影响区组织由细针状α和残余β相构成,热影响区析出相得到有效控制,相边界上无明显硅化物析出;焊接热影响区的硬度相...     

Mechanical properties characterisation of welded joint of austenitic stainless steel using instrumented indentation technique

The instrumented indentation test is a promising nondestructive technique for evaluating mechanical properties of metallic materials. In this study, the localised mechanical properties of welded joint of 304 austenitic stainless steel were characterised with the instrumented indentation test. The single V-groove welded joint was produced using the electric arc welding. A series of instrumented indentation tests were carried out at different regions, including base material, weld zone and heat-affected zone (HAZ). A soft zone regarding strength properties was found in the coarse-grain HAZ. The results show that the HAZ has the lowest yield strength and tensile strength (263.6 MPa, 652.5 MPa) compared with the base material (307.4 MPa, 807.9 MPa) and the weld zone (285.6 MPa, 702.1 MPa). In addition, characterisations of microstructure, microhardness and conventional tensile tests have been performed for comparison. The results reveal that the localised mechanical properties of welded joint of austenitic stainless steel can be represented effectively with the instrumented indentation technique.     

Narrow-gap tungsten inert gas welding of 78-mm-thick Ti–6Al–4V alloy

Narrow-gap tungsten inert gas welding with in situ protective system is applied to 78-mm-thick Ti–6Al–4V alloy. The martensite basketweave microstructure is formed in fusion zone (FZ), and heat-affected zone (HAZ) near FZ consists of acicular martensite and a small portion of primary alpha phase. The HAZ near base metal (BM) consists of primary alpha and transformed beta phase. Microhardness values of FZ and HAZ are relatively higher, and peak values appear at HAZ near FZ. The mechanical heterogeneity is dependent on variation of beta phase and martensite, which in turn depend on specific thermal cycle(s). The average tensile strength reaches 783.3?MPa and is 91.2% of BM, which appears in the middle of the weld with orthogonal martensites.     

Characterization of laser welds in Al–10 wt.%Si coated ferritic stainless steel

409L stainless steel hot-dipped with Al–10 wt.%Si was welded using CO₂ laser and the microstructure and hardness of the weld were investigated. When the specimen was welded with laser power of 5 kW and welding speed of 5 m/min, full-penetrated sound weld was obtained. With that specimen, the relationship between the microstructure and hardness of the weld was examined. The hardness of the weld was the highest in the fusion zone (FZ) and decreased to the base metal (BM) via heat affected zone (HAZ). The hardness of the HAZ near bond line was also higher than that near the base metal. The maximum hardness in the fusion zone could be explained by the existence of the precipitates, that is, TiN, Ti(C,N), Al₂O₃ and Al₂O₃ + TiN mixed compounds with the size of 500 nm, and solution strengthening due to the elements Al and Si dissolved from the coating layer to the fusion zone. There were subgrains within the HAZ and more in the area near the bond line. In addition, fine TiC particles with the size under 50 nm was precipitated in the sub-grain boundaries. The formation of sub-grain boundaries and the particles precipitated in the boundaries might contributed to the high hardness in the HAZ.     

Metallography of a pulsed Nd: YAG laser weld in a RS/PM Al---8Fe---2Mo alloy

The microstructure of a pulsed Nd:YAG laser weld in a rapid solidification/powder metallurgy (RS/PM) Al-8.0 wt.% Fe-2.3 wt.% Mo (Al---8Fe---2Mo) alloy was investigated using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. This analysis revealed significant microstructure variations across the weld fusion zone (FZ). Near the fusion boundary, a light-etching FZ microstructure was observed to contain submicron dispersoids “entrapped” in a matrix of fine-sized dendritic alpha aluminum. At the center of the FZ, the presence of relatively coarse-sized intermetallic particles that served as growth centers for coarser dendritic alpha aluminum promoted a dark-etching microstructure. In the boundary between successive melt zones, both a heat-affected zone (HAZ) containing acicular dispersoids and a fusion boundary region (FBR) containing irregular-shaped particles in a coarse-grained dendritic alpha aluminum matrix were observed. A HAZ comprised of slightly coarsened dispersoids was also observed in the base metal bounding the FZ. Knoop hardness traverses across the FZ indicated a maximum hardness of KHN 260 in the light-etching FZ and a minimum hardness of KHN 135 in the HAZ between successive melt zones.     

Carbide precipitates and mechanical properties of medium Mn steel joint with metal inert gas welding

Medium Mn steel was metal inert gas(MIG)welded with NiCrMo-3 and 307Si filler wires.The effect of filler wires on the microstructure and mechanical properties of joint was investigated,and the carbide precipitates were contrastively discussed.The results revealed that the microstructure of weld metal,heat-affected zone and base metal are austenite.Obvious grain coarsening occurred in the heat-affected zone(HAZ),and the maximum grain size grew up to 160 pm.In HAZ,C and Cr segregated at grain boundaries,the carbides was identified as Cr7C3.The dispersive(Nb,Mo)C phase was also found in weld metal with NiCrMo-3 filler wire.All the welded joints failed in HAZ during tensile tests.The tensile strength of welded joint with NiCrMo-3 filler wire was 675 MPa,which is much higher than that with 307Si filler wire.In comparison to base metal,higher microhardness and lower impact toughness were obtained in HAZ for these two welded joints,which was attributed to the precipitation of Cr7C3 phase and grain coarsening.The impact toughness around the fusion line is the worst for these two welded joints.     

Single pass laser joining of Inconel 718 superalloy with filler

Abstract

Microstructure and mechanical property of CO₂ laser beam welded IN 718 superalloy were studied by electron microscopy and hardness testing. The use of a welding filler wire produced a sound fusion zone with no cracking but grain boundary microfissuring occurred in the heat affected zone (HAZ) and was observed to be significantly influenced by pre-weld heat treatment and laser welding speed. Crack-free weld was produced by a pre-weld heat treatment that minimised non-equilibirum grain boundary boron segregation and inhibited grain growth. While post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) reduced the difference between the hardness values of the base alloy, HAZ and the fusion zone, it resulted in increased HAZ cracking, which was likely aided by pre-existing cracks. The PWHT cracking was, however, avoided by subjecting pre-weld material to the heat treatment condition that produces crack-free weld during welding process.     

Evaluation of variation of tensile strength across 316LN stainless steel weld joint using automated ball indentation technique

Tensile strength variation across 316LN stainless steel fusion welded joint comprising of base metal, deposited weld metal and heat affected zone (HAZ) has been evaluated by Automated Ball Indentation (ABI) technique. Automated Ball Indentation tests were conducted on the various zones of the steel weld joint at 300, 523 and 923?K. The flow curves obtained from ABI results were consistent with corresponding conventional uniaxial tensile test results. The HAZ exhibited higher tensile strength than the other regions of the steel weld joint at all investigated temperatures. The ratio of ultimate tensile strength to yield stress (YS), which represents the work hardening behaviour, increased with an increase in temperature for the base metal and HAZ; whereas it remained nearly the same for the weld metal.     

TC4钛合金线性摩擦焊接头的组织与硬度分析

采用线性摩擦焊焊接TC4钛合金,对焊态下接头的显微组织及硬度进行了分析与测试。结果表明：焊接接头可分为母材区、热机影响区和焊核区。热机影响区组织由母材至焊核区依次为等轴α相和层片状（α＋β）相沿受力方向被拉长组织、纤维状组织中伴有等轴状α和层片状（α＋β）再结晶晶粒、针状α’和少量的α再结晶组织。焊核区组织为针状α’,而且纵向由中心至边缘组织逐渐粗大。垂直于焊缝方向由母材过渡到焊缝中心硬度逐渐由360HV增大到390HV左右,焊核区纵向硬度由中心向边缘逐渐减小到330HV左右。     

Effect of laser beam welding on fracture toughness of a Ti-6.5Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V alloy sheet

Investigation of fracture toughness on Ti-6.5Al-2Zr-1Mo-1V alloy thin sheet and its laser-welded joints has been carried out. In the test compact tension (CT) specimens and single specimen technology were used. In addition, hardness distribution and microstructure of the welded joints were examined. Fracture test indicates that brittle unstable fracture occurs after slow crack propagation for all the specimens, except that one heat affected zone (HAZ) specimen is brittle crack initiation. It is found that rolling directions have no obvious effect on fracture toughness of base metal. Moreover, fracture toughness of weld metal is obviously decreased in comparison with base metal whatever in as-welded condition or in stress relief condition. Post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) leads to fracture toughness of the welds further decreasing. Fractography observation shows that the fracture mode is predominantly dimpled in base metal. However, there exists intergranular fracture in the weld metal. Thus, the transition of fracture mode from both base metal and HAZ to weld metal may lead to dramatic decrease in fracture toughness. Microstructure examination reveals that the microstructure of weld metal consists of large grains with fine acicular structure. The formation of fine α acicular structure is due to rapid cooling during laser welding. After PWHT, the acicular structure is coarsened.     

Mechanical properties of electron beam welded dissimilar joints of TC17 and Ti60 alloys

Microstructure, hardness, tensile and high cycle fatigue (HCF) properties of the welded dissimilar joints of Ti60 and TC17 titanium alloys had been investigated in this study. A significant microstructural change was observed to occur after welding, with rod-like α and β phases in the fusion zone (FZ), equiaxed α phases, fine α laths and β phases in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of TC17 side and acicular martensite α' phases+“ghost” α phases in the HAZ of Ti60 side. The microhardness across the joints exhibited an inhomogeneous distribution with the highest hardness of ～404 HV in FZ and the lowest hardness of ～304 HV in base material (BM) of Ti60. All the joints tested in tension fractured at BM of Ti60 side. Fatigue limits of the joints at 10⁷ cycles were 425?MPa at room temperature and 380?MPa at 400?°C, respectively. Welding micropores were found to be the main source of fatigue crack initiation.     

Fe calculations of stress fields from cracks located at the fusion line of weldments

This paper investigates the stress fields for a crack located at the fusion line of a weldment. The strength mis-matching and the size of the HAZ were varied, and the corresponding distribution of the maximum principal stress was examined. The weld metal strength was globally overmatched with respect to the base material, but locally over- and undermatched with respect to the heat affected zone. Three cases of mis-match were compared, and it was found that reducing the strength of the HAZ lowered the maximum principal stresses.     

Fracture toughness analysis of laser-beam-welded superalloys Inconel 718 and 625

In this study, two 3.2‐mm thick Ni‐base superalloys, Inconel 718 and 625, have been laser‐beam‐welded by a 6‐kW CO₂ laser and their room temperature fracture toughness properties have been investigated. Fracture toughness behaviour of the base metal (BM), fusion zone (FZ) and heat affected zone (HAZ) regions was determined in terms of crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) using compact tension‐type (C(T)) specimens. Laser‐beam‐weld regions showed no significant strength overmatching in both alloys. Ductile crack growth analysis (R‐curve) also showed that both materials exhibited similar behaviour. Compared to the BM there is a slight decrease in fracture toughness of the fusion and the HAZ.     

Ti75合金激光焊接接头的组织及力学性能

采用10 kW的连续光纤激光器对3 mm厚的Ti75合金板进行激光焊接,通过调整不同的激光功率来获得全熔透的焊接接头.同时,观察了不同热输入下焊接接头的宏观形貌、微观组织,测试了焊接接头的力学性能和显微硬度,对接头不同部位的组织特征及成形原因进行了分析.结果表明,随着焊接过程中激光功率的增加,焊缝的宽度逐渐变大,在不同...     

Pulsed MIG welding of AZ31B magnesium alloy

Abstract

Pulsed metal inert gas welding of AZ31B magnesium alloy is carried out, and continuous butt joints of high quality are obtained at optimised parameters. The effects of parameters on weld formation and welding stability are studied. The microstructure, mechanical properties and fracture of weld beads with different filler wires are investigated. The results show that it is a stable drop transition process with optimised parameters, which belongs to globular transfer. The precipitates in fusion zone and heat affected zone (HAZ) are uniform, dispersive and almost granular. The grain size in fusion zone is fine, and the grain size does not grow too large in HAZ compared with the base metal. The ultimate tensile strength of weld beads can be 94% of base metal, and the average elongation is 11%. Dimples and coarse tearing ridges can be observed on the fracture of the weld bead.     

Comparison of creep behaviour of 2.25Cr–1Mo/9Cr–1Mo dissimilar weld joint with its base and weld metals

Abstract

Evaluation of the creep behaviour of 2.25Cr–1Mo and 9Cr–1Mo ferritic steel base metals, 9Cr–1Mo steel weld metal, and 2.25Cr–1Mo/9Cr–1Mo ferritic–ferritic dissimilar weld joints has been carried out at 823 K in the stress range 100–260 MPa. The weld joint was fabricated by shielded metal arc welding using basic coated 9Cr–1Mo electrodes. Investigations of the microstructure and hardness variations across the joint in the as welded, post-weld heat treated (973 K/1 h), and creep tested conditions were performed. The heat affected zone (HAZ) in both the steels consisted of a coarse prior austenitic grain region, a fine prior austenitic grain region, and an intercritical structure. In the post-weld heat treated condition, a white etched soft decarburised zone in 2.25Cr–1Mo steel base metal and a black etched hard carburised zone in 9Cr–1Mo steel weld metal around the weld fusion line developed. Hardness troughs also developed in the intercritical HAZ regions of both the steels. The width of the carburised and decarburised zones and hardness differences of these zones were found to increase with creep exposure. The 9Cr–1Mo steel weld metal showed higher creep strength compared to both the base metals. The 9Cr–1Mo steel base metal exhibited better creep resistance than the 2.25Cr–1Mo steel base metal at lower applied stresses. The dissimilar joint revealed lower creep rupture strength than both the base metals and weld metal. The creep strain was found to concentrate in the decarburised zone of 2.25Cr–1Mo steel and in the intercritical HAZ regions of both the steels. Creep failure in the stress range examined occurred in the intercritical HAZ of 2.25Cr–1Mo steel even though this region showed higher hardness than the decarburised zone. Extensive creep cavitation and cracks were observed in the decarburised zone.     

船用TA5钛合金激光焊接接头组织和性能研究

采用IPG光纤激光器对8 mm厚的TA5钛合金进行激光自熔焊接,并对焊接接头的微观组织和力学性能进行分析.结果表明,激光焊接接头表面成形连续、均匀、无飞溅,内部无气孔和裂纹等缺陷.母材组织为细小均匀的等轴α相;焊缝区组织主要由粗大的β柱状晶粒、大量的针状马氏体α'以及少量的板条马氏体组成;热影响区组织主要由等轴α相、少...     

Effects of nitrogen content and weld cooling time on the simulated heat-affected zone toughness in a Ti-containing steel

An increase of nitrogen content in a 0.02 wt% Ti-containing carbon-manganese steel resulted in a low coarsening rate of TiN particles in the heat-affected zone (HAZ), which led to an accelerated ferrite transformation instead of ferrite side plates during weld cooling cycle. The mixed microstructure of ferrite side plate, acicular ferrite and grain boundary polygonal ferrite in the simulated HAZ produced higher toughness. However, the increase of nitrogen content gradually increased the free nitrogen content in the HAZ and deteriorated HAZ toughness. Impact energy of the simulated HAZ (with Δt_8/5 ∼60 s) at –20 °C deteriorated by about 97 J per 0.001 wt% free nitrogen, in the free nitrogen range from 0.0009 wt% to 0.0034 wt%, even though the HAZ has the tough mixed microstructure. Cooling time after welding influenced the HAZ microstructure and toughness as well, and maximum toughness was obtained when cooling produced the tough mixed microstructure. Therefore, for a high HAZ toughness, both nitrogen content and cooling time should be controlled to obtain the tough mixed microstructure and to keep the free nitrogen content low. The optimal nitrogen content and cooling time from 800 °C to 500 °C were 0.006 wt% and between 60 s and 100 s, respectively, in this experiment.