A COMPARISON OF PUBLISHED HAZ THERMAL SIMULATION METHODS USED TO DERIVEE WELD HAZ THERMAL CYCLES

Accurate thermal simulation is the key in the simulation approach to defining the unique microstructure and properties of the HAZ regions. Simulation enables an expansion of the volume of material char- acteristic of each H4Z region to a sufficient size for property determination.The combined influence of heat input,preheat temperature, plate thickness, and widing process on HAZ microstructure and properties relics on the accurate simulation of thermal cycles corresponding to different peak temperatures using an HAZ simulator like the Gleeble.Several computer programs have been developed to predict thermal excursions in various HAZ regions during welding. Some were developed based simply on the thermal propertics of a material;whereas, others were generated on the basis of actual experimental data.A suitable HAZ thermal simulation program must be ons that can authntically duplicate an ac- tual thermal cycle experienced during welding within reasonable limies. Therefore, the similarities and differences among the HAZ thermal cycles predicted by various methodologies should be fully under- stood. A total of sts thermal cycle prediction methodologies were compared in this evaluation. It was de- termined that some HAZ simulation programs have sever limitations due to the idealized assumptions considered in their development.According to the experieare at The University of Tennessee and the comparison results in this study, the HAZ thermal simulation programs; ' HAZ Calculator' and F(s, d); are recommended for accurate HAZ thermal cycle duplication.

Mechanical and Metallurgical Characterization of HSLA X70Welded Pipeline Steel Subjected to Successive Repairs

The aim of this work is to study the influence of successive weld repairs on the microstructure and the mechanical behavior of the heat-affected zone（HAZ） of an HSLA X70 steel. Detailed microstructural examination combined to grain size measurement showed that beyond the second weld repair, the microstructure of the HAZ undergoes significant change in the grain morphology and grain growth. The results of the X-ray diffraction analyzed using MAUD software indicated an increase in the crystallite size and a decrease in the dislocation density according to the number of weld repair operations. Consequently, a loss of mechanical properties, namely the yield strength and the toughness with the number of weld repairs, was recorded. Beyond the second weld repair operation, the properties of the welded joint do not fulfill the standards applied in piping industry.

Numerical Studies of Estimation of Fracture Parameters for Mismatched Welded Joints with HAZ Cracks

An idealized tri-material assumption is established to describe the constitutive relationship of mismatched welded joints by considering the influence of heat affected zone（HAZ）.The fracture parameters Jand C＊are estimated for mismatched welded joints with HAZ cracks by finite element analysis with ABAQUS.A middle crack tension（M（T））specimen is utilized in the analysis for different material properties and geometries of the weldment.The influence of mechanical property and geometry on the fracture parameters Jand C＊of the specimen is discussed for the welded joints with HAZ crack.The results suggest that the HAZ property is a significant factor in the estimation of Jand C＊for the mismatched welded joint with HAZ crack.