Effect of heat input on microstructure and mechanical properties of dissimilar joints of AISI 316L steel and API X70 high-strength low-alloy steel

The microstructure and mechanical properties of dissimilar joints of AISI 316L austenitic stainless steel and API X70 high-strength low-alloy steel were investigated.For this purpose,gas tungsten arc welding(GTAW)was used in three different heat inputs,including 0.73,0.84,and 0.97 kJ/mm.The microstructural investigations of different zones including base metals,weld metal,heat-affected zones and interfaces were performed by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy.The mechanical properties were measured by microhardness,tensile and impact tests.It was found that with increasing heat input,the dendrite size and inter-dendritic spacing in the weld metal increased.Also,the amount of delta ferrite in the weld metal was reduced.Therefore,tensile strength and hardness were reduced and impact test energy was increased.The investigation of the interface between AISI 316L base metal and ER316L filler metal showed that increasing the heat input increases the size of austenite grains in the fusion boundary.A transition region was formed at the interface between API X70 steel and filler metals.     

Microstructural, compositional, and microhardness variations across a gas-metal arc weldment made with an ultralow-carbon consumable

An experimental gas-metal arc (GMA) weldment of HSLA-100 steel fabricated with an ultralowcarbon (ULC) consumable of interest for United States Navy applications, designated “ARC100,” was studied to determine the relationships among the microstructure, the solute redistributions at various positions across the weldment, and the local properties (microhardness). These relationships were investigated by a variety of techniques, including microhardness mapping, optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) (including compositional X-ray mapping), and parallel electron energy-loss spectroscopy (PEELS). The microconstituents observed in this weld include lath ferrite, degenerate ferrite, lath martensite, retained austenite, and oxide inclusions; no carbides or other solid-state precipitates are present within the weld metal. Microhardness mapping indicates an undermatched weld metal (lower hardness as compared to the base plate) in which the hardest regions are in the first and last top beads, the root passes, and between highly ferritic soft bands associated with the outer portion of each weld bead’s heat-affected zone (HAZ) (within the fusion zone). The majority of the gradient in the substitutional alloying elements (Ni, Cu, Mn, and Cr) occurs within a region of less than about 0.5 mm of the fusion boundary, but the composition still changes even well into the fusion zone. Appreciable segregation of Ni and Cu to solidification cell boundaries occurs, and there is appreciable enrichment of C, Ni, Cu, and Mn in thin films of interlath retained austenite. This ULC weld metal is softer than the base plate due to the preponderance of lath ferrite rather than lath martensite, even at the high cooling rates experienced in this low-heat-input weld. Alternatively, the strength of the weld metal is due to the presence of at least some untempered lath martensite and the fact that the majority of the ferrite is lath ferrite and not polygonal ferrite. The interlath retained austenite might enhance toughness, but might also serve as a source of hydrogen in solution, which could potentially contribute to hydrogen-assisted cracking.     

Microstructural evolution in the heat-affected zone of a friction stir weld

The microstructure and crystallographic texture spanning the soft region at the thermomechanically affected zone/heat-affected zone (TMAZ/HAZ) boundary of a friction stir weld in 2519 Al were systematically investigated to determine their contributions to the properties of that region. The microstructure was shown to be the primary cause of softening at the TMAZ/HAZ boundary. During welding, fine ϑ′ precipitates responsible for much of the strength in this alloy coarsen and transform to the equilibrium ϑ phase in the HAZ and into the TMAZ, accounting for the observed softening through the HAZ region. The higher temperatures achieved in the TMAZ partially resolutionize the precipitates and allow the subsequent formation of Guinier-Preston (GP) zones during cooling. These two processes are responsible for the variation in microhardness observed in the TMAZ/HAZ region. Texture analyses revealed significant differences in the crystallographic texture across this region that were primarily due to macroscopic rigid-body rotations of the grains, but do not account for the observed softening. The effect of the observed microstructural evolutions on the friction stir welding (FSW) deformation field and on the fracture behavior of the weld are also discussed.     

Strength Recovery in a High-Strength Steel During Multiple Weld Thermal Simulations

BlastAlloy 160 (BA160) is a low-carbon martensitic steel strengthened by copper and M₂C precipitates. Heat-affected zone (HAZ) microstructure evaluation of BA160 exhibited softening in samples subjected to the coarse-grained HAZ thermal simulations of this steel. This softening is partially attributed to dissolution of copper precipitates and metal carbides. After subjecting these coarse-grained HAZs to a second weld thermal cycle below the A _c1 temperature (at which austenite begins to form on heating), recovery of strength was observed. Atom-probe tomography and microhardness analyses correlated this strength recovery to re-precipitation of copper precipitates and metal carbides. A continuum model is proposed to rationalize strengthening and softening in the HAZ regions of BlastAlloy 160.     

Characterization of Microstructures across the Heat-Affected Zone of the Modified 9Cr-1Mo Weld Joint to Understand Its Role in Promoting Type IV Cracking

In the postweld heat-treated (PWHT) fusion welded modified 9Cr-1Mo steel joint, a soft zone was identified at the outer edge of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the base metal adjacent to the deposited weld metal. Hardness and tensile tests were performed on the base metal subjected to soaking for 5 minutes at temperatures below Ac₁ to above Ac₃ and tempering at the PWHT condition. These tests indicated that the soft zone in the weld joint corresponds to the intercritical region of HAZ. Creep tests were conducted on the base metal and cross weld joint. At relatively lower stresses and higher test temperatures, the weld joint possessed lower creep rupture life than the base metal, and the difference in creep rupture life increased with the decrease in stress and increase in temperature. Preferential accumulation of creep deformation coupled with extensive creep cavitation in the intercritical region of HAZ led to the premature failure of the weld joint in the intercritical region of the HAZ, commonly known as type IV cracking. The microstructures across the HAZ of the weld joint have been characterized to understand the role of microstructure in promoting type IV cracking. Strength reduction in the intercritical HAZ of the joint resulted from the combined effects of coarsening of dislocation substructures and precipitates. Constrained deformation of the soft intercritical HAZ sandwich between relatively stronger constitutes of the joint induced creep cavitation in the soft zone resulting in premature failure.     

The use of new PHACOMP in understanding the solidification microstructure of nickel base alloy weld metal

The weld metal microstructures of five commercial nickel base alloys (HASTELLOYS* C-4, C-22, and C-276, and INCONELS* 625 and 718) have been examined by electron probe microanalysis and analytical electron microscopy. It has been found that solidification terminates in many of these alloys with the formation of a constituent containing a topologically-close-packed (TCP) intermetallic phase(i.e., σ, P, Laves). Electron microprobe examination of gas-tungsten-arc welds revealed a solidification segregation pattern of Ni depletion and solute enrichment in interdendritic volumes. New PHACOMP calculations performed on these segregation profiles revealed a pattern of increasingM _d (metal-d levels) in traversing from a dendrite core to an adjacent interdendritic volume. In alloys forming a terminal solidification TCP constituent, the calculatedM _d values in interdendritic regions were greater than the criticalM _d values for formation ofσ as stated by Morinagaet al. Implications of the correlation between TCP phase formation andM _d in the prediction of weld metal solidification microstructure, prediction of potential hot-cracking behavior, and applications in future alloy design endeavors are discussed.     

Direction of grain-boundary migration in the weld metal of an austenitic stainless steel

The moving direction of the grain boundary (GB), after solidification in the weld metal of AISI310S stainless steel, was examined through a computer simulation technique using the vertex dynamics model and by observing the microstructure. The results are as follows. (1) The grain-growth exponent in the vertex model was fitted to describe the experimental data. (2) The vertex dynamics model can predict the moving direction of a grain boundary in the weld metal after solidification.     

850级钢熔化焊焊缝的组织特征

利用金相显微镜、扫描电子显微镜及附带EDS系统和透射电子显微镜研究850 MPa级焊缝金属的微观组织,并通过分析焊缝金属凝固和相变过程,研究组织形成机制。发现原δ铁素体柱状晶晶界附近的锰和镍含量高于其心部含量。原δ铁素体柱状晶晶界附近组织由平行板条马氏体组成,板条宽度约为300 nm,原δ铁素体柱状晶心部组织由"交织状"板条马氏体组成,板条宽度约为400 nm。分析认为造成原δ铁素体柱状晶晶界附近和心部组织差异的重要原因是锰和镍的偏析,而焊缝金属良好的冲击韧性是因为存在30%"交织状"马氏体和一定量残余奥氏体。     

Solidification and solidification cracking in nitrogen-strengthened austenitic stainless steels

The solidification behavior of three heats of nitrogen-strengthened austenitic stainless steel was examined and was correlated with solidification mode predictions and with hot cracking resistance. The heat of NITRONIC* 50 solidified by the austenitic-ferrite mode, and the NITRONIC 50W and NITRONIC 50W - Nb heats solidified by the ferritic-austenitic mode. This behavior was in good agreement with predictions based on Espy’s formulas for Cr and Ni equivalents. Both the NITRONIC 50W and NITRONIC 50W + Nb welds contained primary delta-ferrite, with the latter weld and the NITRONIC 50 weld also containing some eutectic ferrite. Solute profiles in austenite near the eutectic ferrite showed decreasing Fe and increasing Cr, Ni, Mn, and Mo relative to austenite in the dendrite cores. Numerous Nb-rich precipitates were found on the eutectic ferrite/austenite interfaces and within the eutectic ferrite. The precipitates were mainly Nb(C, N), with some Z-phase, a Nb-rich nitride, also detected. One instance of the transformation of eutectic ferrite to sigma-phase was observed to have occurred during cooling of the NITRONIC 50 weld. Hot cracking was seen in the NITRONIC 50 and NITRONIC 50W + Nb welds and resulted from the formation of a niobium carbonitride eutectic in the interdendritic regions. In the absence of Nb, the NITRONIC 50W heat formed no observable eutectic constituents and did not hot crack. The presence of hot cracks in the NITRONIC 50W + Nb weld indicates that solidification by the ferritic-austenitic mode did not counteract the effects of small Nb additions.     

Microstructure of Ti-48.2 at. Pct Ni shape memory thin films

Amorphous thin films of Ti-48.2 at. pct Ni formed by sputtering were annealed at 773 K for 5 minutes, 1 hour, and 10 hours. It was found by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) that the microstructure changes in the sequence of (1) Guinier-Preston (GP) zones for 5 minutes, (2) GP zones and Ti₂Ni precipitates for 1 hour, and (3) Ti₂Ni precipitates for 10 hours. A high-resolution electron microscope (HREM) revealed that Ti₂Ni precipitates have partial coherency with the TiNi matrix.     

Microstructure and crystallography of unidirectionally solidified Ni-W eutectic alloy

A Ni-W eutectic alloy was subjected to a process of unidirectional solidification (UDS) by the Bridgman-Stockbarger technique. Three phases were identified by transmission electron microscopy, namely: W fibers, a solid solution matrix of W in Ni, and Ni₄W precipitates of the Dla structure in the matrix. The growth axis of the W-fibers was found to be <111> and the orientation relationship between them and the Ni(N) matrix was identified as the Bain type, so that (100)_bcc ‖ (100)_fcc. The shape of the Ni₄W precipitates varies from equiaxial at high solidification rates to elongated plates at low rates. The orientation relationship between the precipitates and the matrix is the same for all solidification rates. The microstructure of specimens subjected to creep deformation was studied and the deformation modes were identified. These include dislocations and microtwins that originate mainly at the boundary between the Ni(W) matrix and the W-fibers. In some specimens the creep test was carried out after solution treatment at 1030 °C followed by quenching, which resulted in a Ni(W) matrix reinforced with W-fibers without Ni₄W precipitates. The microstructural changes during this creep process and the fracture surface were studied by SEM and TEM.     

Evaluating the Properties of Dissimilar Metal Welding Between Inconel 625 and 316L Stainless Steel by Applying Different Welding Methods and Consumables

The current work was carried out to characterize welding of Inconel 625 superalloy and 316L stainless steel. In the present study, shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) with two types of filler metals (ERNiCrMo-3 and ERSS316L) and an electrode (ENiCrMo-3) were utilized. This paper describes the selection of the proper welding method and welding consumables in dissimilar metal joining. During solidification of ERNiCrMo-3 filler metal, Nb and Mo leave dendritic cores and are rejected to inter-dendritic regions. However, ERSS316L filler metal has small amounts of elements with a high tendency for segregation. So, occurrence of constitutional super-cooling for changing the solidification mode from cellular to dendritic or equiaxed is less probable. Using GTAW with lower heat input results in higher cooling rate and finer microstructure and less Nb segregation. The interface between weld metal and base metal and also unmixed zones was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis. Microhardness measurements, tensile test, and Charpy impact test were performed to see the effect of these parameters on mechanical properties of the joints.     

Microstructure and mechanical property correlations in AA 6061 aluminium alloy friction stir welds

The influence of friction stir welding on the microstructure development and its role on residual stress distribution in the weldment and mechanical properties has been investigated. The study also focused on the impact of post weld heat treatment on the microstructure and mechanical properties as well as on residual stress distribution. The weld nugget region contained fine equiaxed grains as a result of thermo-mechanical working. Hardness survey showed that nugget region is soft due to precipitates dissolution. Weld joint exhibited lower strength as compared to the parent metal. Post weld Solution Treatment and Aging (STA) of longitudinal welds resulted in strength and ductility equivalent to that of parent metal while transverse weld tensile strength and ductility were lower than that of parent metal even after post weld STA. Residual stress distribution profiles across the weld region are asymmetric with respect to weld centerline, with the largest residual; stress gradients occurring on the advancing side of the weld. Within the region inside the shoulder diameter, residual stress is entirely compressive. Welds exhibited tensile residual stresses in post weld STA condition     

CO2 laser beam welding of 6061-T6 aluminum alloy thin plate

Laser beam welding is an attractive welding process for age-hardened aluminum alloys, because its low heat input minimizes the width of weld fusion and heat-affected zones (HAZs). In the present work, 1-mm-thick age-hardened Al-Mg-Si alloy, 6061-T6, plates were welded with full penetration using a 2.5-kW CO₂ laser. Fractions of porosity in the fusion zones were less than 0.05 pct in bead-on-plate welding and less than 0.2 pct in butt welding with polishing the groove surface before welding. The width of a softened region in the-laser beam welds was less than 1/4 times that of a tungsten inert gas (TIG) weld. The softened region is caused by reversion of strengthening β″ (Mg₂Si) precipitates due to weld heat input. The hardness values of the softened region in the laser beam welds were almost fully recovered to that of the base metal after an artificial aging treatment at 448 K for 28.8 ks without solution annealing, whereas those in the TIG weld were not recovered in a partly reverted region. Both the bead-on-plate weld and the butt weld after the postweld artificial aging treatment had almost equivalent tensile strengths to that of the base plate.     

Characterizations of the Microstructure of 9Cr-1Mo Steel Weld Joint After Long-Term Service in a Supercritical Fossil Power Plant

In the present work, the microstructure, micro-hardness, and chemical composition of 9Cr-1Mo weld joint after long-term service in a supercritical power plant were analyzed by using various analytical techniques. The hardness profile showed a maximum at the fusion boundary and a minimum in the region of the fine grain heat-affected zone (FGHAZ). Many cavities along the grain boundaries and in grains were also observed in the FGHAZ. Ferrite zones with lower hardness and larger grain sizes were observed in the weld metal. The formation mechanisms of the cavities and ferrite zones were discussed based on the results.

     

Influence of high-temperature exposure on the microstructure and mechanical properties of dissimilar metal welds between modified 9Cr-1Mo steel and alloy 800

Transition joints between ferritic steel and austenitic stainless steel are commonly encountered in high-temperature components of power plants. Service failures in these are known to occur as a result, mainly, of thermal stresses due to expansion coefficient differentials. In order to mitigate the problem, a trimetallic configuration involving an intermediate piece of a material such as Alloy 800 between the ferritic and austenitic steels has been suggested. In our work, modified 9Cr-1Mo steel and 316LN stainless steel are used as the ferritic and austenitic components and the thermal behavior of the joints between modified 9Cr-1Mo steel and Alloy 800 is described in this article. The joints, made using the nickel-base filler material INCONEL 82/182 (INCONEL 82 for the root pass by gas-tungsten arc welding and INCONEL 182 for the filler passes by shielded-metal arc welding), were aged at 625 °C for periods up to 5000 hours. The microstructural changes occurring in the weld metal as well as at the interfaces with the two parent materials are characterized in detail. Results of across-the-weld hardness surveys and cross-weld tension tests and weld metal Charpy impact tests are correlated with the structural changes observed. Principally, the results show that (1) the tendency for carbon to diffuse from the ferritic steel into the weld metal is much less pronounced than when 2.25Cr-1Mo steel is used as the ferritic part; and (2) intermetallic precipitation occurs in the weld metal for aging durations longer than 2000 hours, but the weld metal toughness still remains adequate in terms of the relevant specification.     

Relationship Between Microstructure,Strength, and Fracture in an Al-Zn-Mg Electron Beam Weld: Part I: Microstructure Characterization

This work presents a detailed, multiscale, spatially resolved study of the microstructure of an electron beam butt weld of the EN-AW 7020 (Al-Zn-Mg) alloy. Using a combination of optical, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and small-angle X-ray scattering, the distribution of phases in the different areas of the heat-affected zone and of the fusion zone is quantitatively characterized, for two different aging states: naturally aged after welding and artificially aged at 423 K (150 °C). The heat-affected zone consists of regions experiencing different levels of precipitate dissolution and coarsening during welding as well as new precipitation during post-welding heat treatment (PWHT). The microstructure of the fusion zone is typical from a fast solidification process, with a strong solute segregation in the interdendritic zones. The precipitate distribution after PWHT follows this solute distribution, and the resulting hardness is much lower than the relatively homogeneous value in the base metal and the heat-affected zone.     

Evaluation of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Laser Beam Welded AISI 409M Grade Ferritic Stainless Steel

 The microstructure analysis and mechanical properties evaluation of laser beam welded AISI 409M ferritic stainless steel joints are investigated. Single pass autogeneous welds free of volumetric defects were produced at a welding speed of 3000 mm/min. The joints were subjected to optical microscope, scanning electron fractographe, microhardness, transverse and longitudinal tensile, bend and charpy impact toughness testing. The coarse ferrite grains in the base metal were changed into dendritic grains as a result of rapid solidification of laser beam welds. Tensile testing indicates overmatching of the weld metal is relative to the base metal. The joints also exhibited acceptable impact toughness and bend strength properties.     

Fatigue crack propagation in austenitic stainless steel weldments

The fatigue crack propagation rate (FCPR) in 316L austenitic stainless steel (ASS) and its weldments was investigated, at two loading amplitudes, 7 and 8.5 kN, under tension-tension mode. Two welding techniques, submerged arc welding (SAW) and manual arc welding (MAW), have been used. Magnetic δ-ferrite, depending upon Ni and Cr content in the metal, in the weld zone upon solidification was considered. The ferrite number (FN) of δ-ferrite formed in the SAW zone was much higher (maximum 9.6) compared to the corresponding value (maximum 0.75) in the MAW zone. A fatigue starter notch was positioned at different positions and directions with respect to the weld zone, in addition to the heat-affected zone (HAZ). Regions of high and low FCPRs as the fatigue crack propagated through and across the weld zone have been noticed. This is related to the direction of the tensile residual stresses present in weld zone, resulting from solidification of the weld metal. The FCPR was higher along through the HAZ and weld zone because of the microstructural change and direction and distribution of tensile residual stresses. The FCPR was much lower when crack propagated perpendicular to the weld zone, particularly in the case of SAW in which higher δ-ferrite volume fraction was noticed. A lower FCPR found across the weld zone, in both SAW and MAW, was accompanied by rubbed areas in their fractures.