Microstructure characterization in the weld metals of HQ130 + QJ63 high strength steels

Microstructural characterization of the weld metals of HQ130 + QJ63 high strength steels, welded under 80% Ar + 20% CO₂ gas shielded metal arc welding and different weld heat inputs, was carried out by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The relative contents of acicular ferrite (AF) and pro-eutectic ferrites (PF) in the weld metals were evaluated by means of XQF-2000 micro-image analyser. The experimental results indicate that there is acicular ferrite in the grain and some pro-eutectic ferrite on the boundary of original austenite grains when the weld heat input is small (E = 9.6 kJ/cm), but the main microstructure is ferrite side plate (FSP) when the heat input is larger (E = 22.3 kJ/cm). So the weld heat input should be strictly controlled in the range 10 ∼ 20 kJ/cm and then the content of pro-eutectic ferrite is limited to < 25%. Thus weld metals of HQ130 + QJ63 high strength steels with high toughness and excellent resistance to cracking can be ensured.     

Effects of heat input on microstructure and mechanical properties of Fe–2Cr–Mo–0.12C steel

ABSTRACT

Thermal simulated specimens with the heat inputs of 20, 50 and 80?kJ/cm were used to investigate the effects of heat input on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the Fe–2Cr–Mo–0.12C pressure-vessel steel. The results indicated that the microstructures in the coarse-grained heat affected zone of tested steels with various heat inputs were mainly consisted of lath martensite and bainite ferrite. As the heat input increased, the fraction of martensite decreased and the bainite ferrite fraction increased. The toughness (tested at ?40°C) and hardness for the heat input of 50?kJ/cm were 102?J and 346?HV, respectively, which was attributed to the high-volume fraction (60%) of the high-angle grain-boundary and the fine bainite lath.

This paper is part of a thematic issue on Nuclear Materials.     

Effect of welding heat input on microstructure and mechanical properties of simulated HAZ in Cu containing microalloyed steel

The influence of weld thermal simulation on ICGC HAZ microstructure and mechanical properties of Cu containing Nb-Ti-microalloyed steel has been investigated. Low heat input of 0.7 kJ/mm (simulated fast cooling of Δt _8/5 = 5 s) and high heat input of 4.5 kJ/mm (simulated slow cooling of Δt _8/5 = 61 s) were used to generate double-pass thermal cycles with peak temperatures of 1350 and 800 °C, respectively. The microstructure after high heat input mainly consisted of polygonal and quasi-polygonal ferrite (QF) grains with certain amount of acicular ferrite, whereas, after the low heat input, microstructure mainly consisted of lath or elongated bainite–ferrite, QF and M–A constituents. The size of ferrite grains decreased and volume of M/A constituents increased with fast cooling rate. The precipitation characteristics were found to be similar in both cooling rates. However, the precipitation of Cu-related phases was promoted by slow cooling rate. By fast cooling rate, the investigated steel exhibited an increase in hardness from 187_HV to 197_HV. Consequently higher yield strength with considerable loss in the (−10 °C) CTOD fracture toughness (δ_{fast cooling} = 0.86 mm and δ_{slow cooling} = 1.12 mm) were demonstrated.     

Microstructure and Fracture Morphology in the Welding Zone of T91 Heat—resisting Steel Used in Power Station

Microstructure performance in the welding zone of T91 heat-resistant steel under the condition of TIG welding was researched by means of metallography, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Experimental results indicated that microstructure of T91 weld metal was austenite + a little amount of S ferrite when using TGS-9cb filler wire. Substructure inside the austenite grain was crypto-crystal lath martensite, on which some Cr23C6 blocky carbides were distributed. The maximum hardness (HRC44) in the welding zone is near the fusion zone. There existed no obvious softening zone in the heat-affected zone (HAZ). For T91 steel tube of $63 mmx5 mm, when increasing welding heat input (E) from 4.8 kJ/cm to 12 5 kJ/cm, fracture morphology in the fusion zone and the HAZ changed from dimple fracture into quasi-cleavage fracture (QC). Controlling the welding heat input of about 9.8 kJ/cm is suitable in the welding of T91 heat-resistant steel.     

X100管线钢焊接接头组织对其断裂性能的影响

通过调整焊接线能量研究了X100管线钢CO2气体保护药芯焊焊接接头的组织及其对维氏显微硬度和断裂韧性(CTOD)的影响规律.结果表明:和15kJ/cm焊接线能量相比,30kJ/cm线能量下焊接接头的显微硬度较低,粗晶区的断裂韧性也较低,其主要原因是30kJ/cmm焊接线能量下组织中的贝氏体含量减小使得材料强度降低.     

Effects of acicular ferrite on charpy impact properties in heat affected zones of oxide-containing API X80 linepipe steels

This study was concerned with effects of acicular ferrite on Charpy impact properties in heat affected zones (HAZs) of two API X80 linepipe steels containing oxides. In the one steel, Mg and O₂ were additionally added to form a larger amount of oxides than the other steel, which was a conventional X80 steel containing a considerable amount of Al and Ti. Various HAZ microstructures were obtained by conducting HAZ simulation tests under different heat inputs of 35 kJ cm⁻¹ and 60 kJ cm⁻¹. Oxides present in the API X80 linepipe steels were complex oxides whose average size was 1-2 μm, and the number of oxides increased with increasing amount of Mg and O₂. The volume fraction of acicular ferrite present in the steel HAZs increased with increasing number of oxides, and decreased with increasing heat input. When the volume fraction of acicular in the HAZ was higher than 20%, Charpy impact energy at −20 °C was higher than 100 J as the ductile fracture mode was dominant. Particularly in the steel HAZs having a larger amount of oxides, Charpy impact properties were excellent because oxides worked as nucleation sites of acicular ferrite during welding. Charpy impact properties of the HAZs could be well correlated with the volume fraction of acicular ferrite and number of oxides under different heat input conditions.     

Austenitic and ferritic stainless steel dissimilar weld metal evaluation for the applications as-coating in the petroleum processing equipment

The current study presents some fundamental observations on the effects of the welding heat input in the chemical composition, microstructure, hardness and petroleum corrosion resistance of the fusion zone, formed by the AWS E309MoL austenitic stainless steel covered electrode and the AISI 410S ferritic stainless steel, being a dissimilar welding procedure. Such welding configurations are widely used as an overlay of equipment in the petroleum and gas industries. The welds were performed with the application of three different levels in heat inputs (6, 9 and 12 kJ/cm). Samples of the weld metals were conventionally prepared for the microstructural characterization by light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. A corrosion test with samples immersed in heavy oil heated at 300 °C, was carried out for a period of 60 h. The corrosion rate was determined by the weight loss given after the aforesaid test. The fusion zone microstructure has a typical δ-ferrite acicular morphology, from which the level of δ-ferrite was duly altered with the increases of the welding heat input, due to the variations in the composition of the weld metal caused by dilution. It was also concluded that the chemical composition and the weld metal microstructure had a slight influence in the material’s corrosion rate. As a matter of fact, the corrosion rate of the weld metals evaluated herein, was considered satisfactory with few variations between the welding heat inputs duly applied.     

XRD and TEM analysis of microstructure in the welding zone of 9Cr-1Mo-V-Nb heat-resisting steel

Under the condition of tungsten inert gas shielded welding (TIG) + shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) technology, the microstructure in the welding zone of 9Cr-1Mo-V-Nb (P91) heat-resisting steel is studied by means of X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The test results indicate that when the weld heat input (E) of TIG is 8.5 ∼ 11.7 kJ/cm and the weld heat input of SMAW is 13.3 ∼ 210 kJ/cm, the microstructure in the weld metal is composed of austenite and a little amount of δ ferrite. The substructure of austenite is crypto-crystal martensite, which included angle. There are some spot precipitates in the martensite base. TEM analysis indicates that the fine structure in the heat-affected zone is lath martensite. There are some carbides (lattice constant, 1.064 nm) at the boundary of grain as well as inside the grain, most of which are Cr₂₃C₆ and a little amount of (Fe, Me)₂₃C₆.     

Effect of simulated welding thermal cycle on microstructure and mechanical properties of X90 pipeline steel

The effect of welding thermal cycle simulation on the microstructure and mechanical properties of X90 pipeline steel was investigated by means of microstructure analysis, tensile- and Charpy impact-tests. At the heat input of 15 kJ/cm, the microstructure of coarse-grained heat affected zone is mainly composed of lath bainite and granular bainite, resulting in excellent strength and toughness. At 25 kJ/cm with two thermal cycles, however, strength and impact toughness decrease due to the formation of more polygonal ferrite with coarser grains.     

Correlation of fracture toughness with microstructural features for ultrafine‐grained 6082 Al alloy

In the present work, cryorolling (CR) and room temperature rolling (RTR) followed by annealing (AN) at 200°C were carried out to investigate the effects of grain size, precipitates (Mg‐Si‐phases), and AlFeMnSi‐phases on the fracture toughness of 6082 Al alloy. Using the values of the conditional fracture toughness, (K_Q), in the critical fracture toughness (K_IC) validation criteria, it was found that the sample size is inappropriate, which implies that the conditional fracture toughness obtained cannot be considered as the critical fracture toughness. Therefore, to establish the relative improvement in fracture toughness, the equivalent energy fracture toughness (K_ee) and J‐integral were calculated and used. The results show that the values of K_ee (89.91 MPa √m) and J (89.86 kJ/m²) obtained for the sample processed via CR followed by AN (CR + AN) are the highest when compared with the other samples processed through CR, RTR, and RTR followed by AN, RTR + AN. Microstructural features such as high fraction of low Taylor factor, high fraction of kernel average misorientation, Si‐rich particles, small size AlFeMnSi‐phases, and mixed mode of failure (transgranular shear and micro‐void coalescence) also support the high fracture toughness in the CR + AN sample. It was also observed that the effect of residual stresses on the fracture toughness of CR and RTR samples is minimal. Therefore, the correlation between microstructure and residual stresses is not considered in the present work due to very small values of the residual stresses for CR and RTR samples and the absence of residual stress from the heat‐treated samples.     

Effect of nickel on microstructure and mechanical properties of heat affected zone of low carbon steel

Abstract

In the present study, the effect of nickel along with varying heat input on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the heat affected zone (HAZ) of a low carbon steel was investigated. Experiments were carried out in which low carbon steel specimens with five different nickel contents, 1, 2, 2.9, 4.1, and 5.2 wt-%, were welded using a submerged arc welding machine with heat inputs of 0.5, 1, and 2 kJ mm^-1. Following welding, the microstructure, hardness, and toughness of the HAZs were determined. From the results, attempts were made to establish a relationship between heat input, nickel content, microstructure, hardness, and toughness. Charpy impact testing and microstructural observation showed that, for a heat input of 0.5 kJ mm^-1, nickel contents between 2.9 and 5.2 wt-% were effective in forming lower transformation products, such as martensite, thereby producing lower toughness values. It was subsequently found that, taking into consideration the microstructure, hardness, and toughness of the HAZ, a lower heat input for a nickel content of 1 wt-% and a medium heat input for nickel contents between 2 and 5.2 wt-% gave good results.     

Effect of heat input on microstructure and mechanical properties of dissimilar joints between super duplex stainless steel and high strength low alloy steel

In the present study, microstructure and mechanical properties of UNS S32750 super duplex stainless steel (SDSS)/API X-65 high strength low alloy steel (HSLA) dissimilar joint were investigated. For this purpose, gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) was used in two different heat inputs: 0.506 and 0.86 kJ/mm. The microstructures investigation with optical microscope, scanning electron microscope and X-ray diffraction showed that an increase in heat input led to a decrease in ferrite percentage, and that detrimental phases were not present. It also indicated that in heat affected zone of HSLA base metal in low heat input, bainite and ferrite phases were created; but in high heat input, perlite and ferrite phases were created. The results of impact tests revealed that the specimen with low heat input exhibited brittle fracture and that with high heat input had a higher strength than the base metals.     

热输入对脉冲等离子弧增材制造Inconel 718合金组织与性能的影响

采用基于脉冲等离子弧的增材制造技术在Q235基板上加工了Inconel 718合金试样,通过改变功率和焊接速度研究了不同热输入对试样组织与性能演变规律的影响。借助光学显微镜、扫描电镜、能谱分析、维氏硬度仪等手段对试样晶粒形态、枝晶间距、元素偏析、析出相成分及分布、显微硬度等进行表征,结果表明随着热输入从1.08×106 J/m增大至1.76×106 J/m,晶粒形态从细长的柱状枝晶逐渐转变为粗大的胞状枝晶,枝晶间距从6.34μm增大至9.09μm,Nb、Mo等元素在枝晶间偏析加剧,Laves相由颗粒状、块状逐渐变为长链状,显微硬度不断下降。     

Welding heat input effect on the hydrogen permeation in the X80 steel welded joints

In this study, the effect of microstructure at the base metal (BM), the fine grain heat affected zone (FGHAZ), the coarse grain HAZ (CGHAZ) and weld metal (WM) under different welding heat input on hydrogen permeation in X80 steel weldments have been investigated. Base metal showed the highest effective diffusivity. With each heat input, the effective hydrogen diffusivity in FGHAZ is comparable to that of the base metal. The effective hydrogen diffusivity in weld metal was lower than that in CGHAZ. With increasing the welding heat input, the effective diffusivity in different zones of the weldment decreased correspondingly. Non-metallic inclusions were not detected in each specimen. Constituents in microstructure under low heat input are likely to agglomerate during accelerated cooling. The retained hydrogen may create an unpredictable susceptibility to hydrogen cracking at the CGHAZ even existing during service.     

热输入对10CrNi3MoV钢MAG焊接头组织和性能的影响

为制定合理的焊接工艺,保证焊接质量,设置不同焊接热输入进行了10CrNi3MoV钢MAG焊接。采用微观组织分析、断口观察、力学测试等手段研究了焊接热输入对接头组织及性能的影响。结果表明,热输入较小时（E=11.0 kJ·cm^-1、E=14.4 kJ·cm^-1）,焊缝组织以针状铁素体为主,并含有部分粒状贝氏体、先共析铁素体等;热输入较大时（E=18.1 kJ·cm^-1）,针状铁素体占比降低,粒状贝氏体、先共析铁素体等增多,组织粗化。随热输入的增大,粗晶区晶粒粗化,组织由板条马氏体逐步转变为板条贝氏体,板条界限模糊,并有粒状贝氏体出现;焊缝金属强度降低,冲击韧性先略有升高后显著降低,断裂形式由微孔聚缩型韧断变为准解理/韧性混合断裂。热输入E=14.4 kJ·cm^-1时,焊缝组织以细密的针状铁素体为主,具有最佳强韧性匹配。     

热输入对Inconel 617镍基高温合金激光焊接接头显微组织与力学性能的影响EI北大核心

采用两种热输入不同的焊接工艺参数对3 mm壁厚的Inconel 617镍基高温合金进行激光焊接。通过光学显微镜和扫描电子显微镜对焊接接头显微组织进行观察分析,并测试了焊接接头在室温(25℃)及高温(900℃)下的拉伸性能。结果表明:激光焊接热输入对Inconel 617焊接接头显微组织及力学性能影响明显。在高热输入(200 J/mm)条件下,焊缝正面宽度3.88 mm,熔化区中部晶粒尺寸粗大,取向杂乱,树枝晶二次枝晶间距较大(6.71μm),枝晶间碳化物颗粒尺寸较为粗大,枝晶间Mo,Cr等合金元素的凝固偏析较为严重。焊接接头热影响区宽度约0.29 mm,在晶界和晶内形成了γ+碳化物共晶组织,这是由于焊接升温过程中,热影响区内球状碳化物颗粒与周边奥氏体发生组分液化,并在焊后凝固过程中形成共晶。低热输入(90 J/mm)工艺参数获得的焊缝正面宽度为2.28 mm,焊缝呈沿熔合线母材外延生长并沿热流方向定向凝固形成的柱状晶形态。焊缝中部树枝晶二次枝晶间距较小(2.26μm),枝晶间碳化物颗粒尺寸细小,热影响区宽度约0.15 mm。室温(25℃)拉伸测试表明:高热输入下获得的焊接接头由于焊缝中固溶元素偏析造成的局部组织弱化,从焊缝中部破坏,强度与伸长率有所降低,低热输入条件下获得的焊接接头从母材破坏。而高温实验条件下(900℃),母材晶界发生弱化导致所有试样均从母材破坏。     

Microstructure and toughness of coarse grain heat-affected zone of domestic X70 pipeline steel during in-service welding

The microstructures and mechanical properties of coarse grain heat-affected zone (CGHAZ) of domestic X70 pipeline were investigated. The weld CGHAZ thermal cycles having different cooling time Δt _8/5 were simulated with the Gleeble-1500 thermal/mechanical simulator. The Charpy impact absorbed energy for toughness was measured, and the corresponding fractographs, optical micrographs, and electron micrographs were systematically investigated to study the effect of cooling time on microstructure, impact toughness, and fracture morphology in the CGHAZ of domestic X70 pipeline steel during in-service welding. The results of simulated experiment show that the microstructure of CGHAZ of domestic X70 pipeline steel during in-service welding mainly consists of granular bainite and lath bainite. Martensite–austenite (M–A) constituents are observed at the lath boundaries. With increase in cooling time, the M–A constituents change from elongated shape to massive shape. The reduction of toughness may be affected by not only the M–A constituents but also the coarse bainite sheaves. Accelerating cooling with cooling time Δt _8/5 of 8 s can be chosen in the field in-service welding X70 pipeline to control microstructures and improve toughness.     

石油储罐钢焊接热影响区模拟研究

采用焊接热模拟技术,研究不同焊接热输入条件下焊接热循环对石油储罐钢焊接热影响区粗晶区(CGHAZ)的组织和性能的影响.结果表明:实验钢在80～100kJ/cm的大热输入下,热影响区仍能够保持良好的低温韧性;随着焊接热输入的增加,实验钢CGHAZ组织变粗大,低温冲击功下降;钢中弥散分布着大量细小TiN粒子,在焊接热循环中...     

Influence of Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion Process Parameters at Constant Volumetric Energy Density on Surface Topography and Microstructural Homogeneity of a Titanium Aluminide Alloy

In powder bed fusion additive manufacturing, the volumetric energy density E _V is a commonly used parameter to quantify process energy input. However, recent results question the suitability of E _V as a design parameter, as varying the contributing parameters may yield different part properties. Herein, beam current, scan velocity, and line offset in electron beam powder bed fusion (PBF-EB) of the titanium aluminide alloy TNM–B1 are systematically varied while maintaining an overall constant E _V. The samples are evaluated regarding surface morphology, relative density, microstructure, hardness, and aluminum loss due to evaporation. Moreover, the specimens are subjected to two different heat treatments to obtain fully lamellar (FL) and nearly lamellar (NLγ) microstructures, respectively. With a combination of low beam currents, low-to-intermediate scan velocities, and low line offsets, parts with even surfaces, relative densities above 99.9%, and homogeneous microstructures are achieved. On the other hand, especially high beam currents promote the formation of surface bulges and pronounced aluminum evaporation, resulting in inhomogeneous banded microstructures after heat treatment. The results demonstrate the importance of considering the individual parameters instead of E _V in process optimization for PBF-EB.     

Pulsed metall inert gas (MIG) welding and its effects on the microstructure and element distribution of an aluminum matrix reinforced with SiC composite material

This study aims to demonstrate the effects of pulsed current on the welding pool and fusion zone microstructures of the aluminum 2014 alloy matrix composite material reinforced with 14 and 20 vol% SiC particles. A programmable synergic controlled MIG welding machine with pulsed power supply was used. One hundred Ampere and 120 Ampere pulsed current values were used to determine the effect of heat input on microstructures. A 1 mm diameter SG‐AlSi₅ wire was used as filler material. The microstructures were studied using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy dispersive X‐ray (EDX) spectroscopy, and the phase analyses were performed via X‐ray diffraction analyzer (XRD). The study showed that increasing the SiC rate has a greater effect on the formation of Al₄C₃ phase than increasing the heat input values. Al₄C₃ formation was not formed as a needle‐like structure.