Evaluation of weld metal hot cracking susceptibility in superaustenitic stainless steel

Solidification cracking susceptibilities of two types of superaustenitic stainless steel, 254SMO and SR50A, were evaluated by transverse Varestraint tests. The susceptibilities were compared with those of conventional austenitic stainless steel 316L, and factors influencing the difference of susceptibility were discussed. The comparison showed that 254SMO and SR50A are more sensitive to solidification cracking than 316L. In the transverse Varestraint tests, both total and maximum crack lengths are longer in the superaustenitic stainless steel. Because of the longer maximum crack length, the superaustenitic stainless steel also has a wider brittleness temperature range of cracking than 316L: about 178 °C for the superaustenitic stainless steel and 43 °C for 316L. It is believed that straight subgrain boundaries owing to the cellular dendritic solidification and segregations of sulfur and phosphorus in the subgrain boundaries of superaustenitic stainless steel make it more sensitive to solidification cracking. In addition to the solidification cracking, reheat cracking is also observed within the previous weld bead in the superaustenitic stainless steel because of fully austenitic solidification with significant segregations. This suggests that caution should be given to the occurrence of reheat cracking when superaustenitic stainless steel is multi pass welded.