Progress in weldability research of duplex stainless steels

Duplex stainless steels(DSSs)show better corrosion resistance with higher strength than traditional austenite stainless steels in many aggressive environments,and can be welded properly with almost every welding processes,if proper heat input is provided.Progresses of research works on weldability of DSSs in recent years are reviewed in this paper.Balance control of ferrite/austenite phases is most important for DSSs welding.The phases balance can be controlled with filler materials,nitrogen addition in shielding gas,heat input,post weld heat treatment,and alternating magnetic field.Too high cooling rate results in not only extra ferrite,but also chromium nitride precipitation.While too low cooling rate or heating repeatedly results in precipitation of secondary austenite and intermetallic compounds.In both situations,mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the DSS joints deteriorate.Recommended upper and lower limits of heat input and maximum interpass temperature should be observed.

The role of physical properties in explosive welding of copper to stainless steel

This paper investigates the effects of the physical properties on the microstructure and weldability of explosive welding by joining two metals with a significant contrast in thermophysical properties:stainless steel and copper.Sound welds between stainless steel and copper were obtained,and the interfacial morphology was wavy,regardless of the position of the materials.The weldability of dissimilar pairs was found to be more dependent on the relationship between the physical properties of the base materials than on the absolute value of the material property.When there is a significant difference in thermal conductivity between the flyer and the base plate,together with a material with a low melting temperature,the weldability of the pair is often poor.The relative position of the plates affects the interfacial microstructure even when similar morphologies are found.For the metallic pairs studied,the wave size was bigger for the configuration in which the ratio between the density of the flyer and the density of the base plate is smaller.The same phenomenon was observed for the impedance:bigger waves were found for a smaller ratio between the impedance of the flyer and the impedance of the base plate.

Progress in weldability research of high entropy alloys

High entropy alloys usually show good weldability.The weldability problems of high entropy alloys are segregation,cracks,and hardening or softening of weld,etc.When an Al_(x)CoCrFeNi alloy is welded,Al and Ni will segregate to the interdendritic region in the weld,but the degree of segregation is less than that of the base metal.When an Al_(x)CoCrCu_(x)FeNi alloy or a CoCrCu_(x)FeNi alloy is welded,Cu tends to segregate to the interdendritic region in the weld.Increasing the cooling rate of the welding process,such as with laser welding,is conducive to reducing the segregation in the weld.The segregation in the weld and the heat affected zone,especially the segregation of Cu,will lead to the generation of hot cracks.Hot cracking is the main form of cracking in high entropy alloys joints.Welding will lead to changes in the hardness of the weld.The main factors affecting the hardness change are the grain sizes and the precipitations.With laser welding,if the base metal is cold rolled,the hardness of the weld will decrease.If the base metal is hot rolled and annealed or cast,the hardness of the weld will increase.With TIG welding,the hardness of the weld is usually lower than that of the base metal,unless the grain of the base metal is particularly coarse before welding.With friction stir welding,recrystallization and grain refinement occur in the stir zone,and the hardness of the stir zone will be significantly improved no matter the original base metal is cold rolled or cast.

Design of TRIP Steel With High Welding and Galvanizing Performance in Light of Thermodynamics and Kinetics

A new type of transformation induced plasticity （TRIP） steel with not only high strength and high ductility but also superior welding and galvanizing properties was designed and developed recently. Low carbon and low silicon content were preliminarily selected with the aim of meeting the requirements of superior quality in both welding and galvanizing. Phosphorus was chosen as one of the alloying elements, because it could reduce carbon activity in cementite and increase the stability of austenite. In addition, the possibility of phosphorus segregating at grain boundary was also discussed by thermodynamics as well as kinetics. Phase diagram was estimated at high temperature and the composition of the steel was then selected in the hyperperitectic range to avoid problems, which might occur in sheet steel continuous casting. Phase diagram in the inter.critical temperature was estimated for the steel to obtain the starting temperature of fast cooling. For understanding the minimum rate of fast cooling, pearlite growth kinetics was calculated with self-developed diffusion coefficients of elements in grain boundary. Overaging temperature was determined through the calculation of To temperature by both equilibrium and para-equilibrium assumptions, which was different from the current determination, which is only based on an equilibrium estimation.

Experimental and numerical studies on aluminum-stainless steel explosive cladding

In this study,the effect of varied loading ratio(mass of the explosive/mass of flyer plate)on the nature of interface,temperature and pressure developed in aluminum-steel explosive cladding is presented.Increase in the loading ratio,R,enhances the pressure developed,kinetic energy utilization and deformation work performed.Interfacial microstructures exhibit the formation of molten layer at few spots,owing to the increase in temperature beyond the melting point of parent alloy.The increase in temperature and the quantum of pressure developed were determined by numerical simulation performed in Ansys AUTODYN by employing smoothed particle hydrodynamics(SPH)method.The positioning of the experimental conditions on the weldability window is presented as well.

Comparison of explosive welding of pure titanium/SUS 304 austenitic stainless steel and pure titanium/SUS 821L1 duplex stainless steel

Pure commercial titanium was welded with two types of stainless steel,namely SUS 304 austenitic stainless steel and SUS 821L1 duplex stainless steel.The wavy interface of SUS 821L1 was smaller than that of SUS 304.The vortex zone was observed from both longitudinal and transverse directions,and its composition was analyzed.The interface of Ti/SUS 821L11 was able to bear 401−431 MPa shear load while that of Ti/SUS 304 could withstand 352−387 MPa.The weldability window was used to analyze experimental phenomenon.Furthermore,the smoothed particle hydrodynamics(SPH)numerical simulation method was used to simulate the wavy interface.The trend of wavelength and amplitude change with strength and the stand-offs was consistent with the experimental results.

Weldability and SAW welding wire of X80 pipeline steel

Weldability test was carried out on the newly developed fine grain, low sulphur, high strength and high toughness pipeline steel of X80 and its matching SAW wire. Test of maximum hardness in welding heat-affected zone and test of Y groove cracking show that X80 steel features low hardenability and good cracking resistance. The submerged arc welding joint made with the newly developed low carbon and multi-alloyed SAW wire of WGX2 exhibits a little higher strength than the base metal, qualified bending performance, under maximum limitation hardness and good impact toughness, which can completely meet the technical requirement of X80 steel. Despite somewhat coarsening the grain size in welding heat-affected zone is still much finer than that of traditional steels, and the microstructure in weld metal is almost full acicular ferrite. The results show that X80 steel and WGX2 wire are of great weldability.

Welding of 2205 duplex stainless steel natural gas pipeline

There are abundant natural gas resources in western China, but many oil and gas fields are rich in chloridion, sulfureted hydrogen, carbon dioxide and other corrosive medium, which have strong corrosivity to pipeline. One gas field possesses abundant natural gas with great pressure, and the chloridion concentration in the water separated from gas is about 10% , so the medium has great corrosivity. In order to ensure the safety of the pipeline, about 13 km length pipeline and the internal pipes of a gas treatment plant that purifies gas about 12 billion cubic meter a year are made of 2205 duplex stainless steel （2205 DSS ） . 2205 DSS has many characteristics in welding with complex welding process; and because of high quality requirements for the construction of natural gas pipeline and restriction of on-site conditions, the site welding is very difficult. Around the engineering application, a large number of experimental researches have been carried out on the material microstructure, properties and weldability. Finally welded joints which conform to the requirements of standard are obtained, contributing to the first large-scale application of this material in the field of oil and gas pipelines. Considering the engineering application and the latest research development, the welding and key factors affecting the joint properties of 2205 DSS pipes are summarized and analyzed.

IMPROVEMENT OF MATERIALS WELDABILITY BY SHOCK WAVES

The weldability is an important property to metal materials. Materials weldability becomes worse with the yield strength increasing. The experimental results indicate that the specific shock waves treatment could improve the weldability of steels such as 16MnR, SM 58Q, e.g. increase the notch toughness of coarse grains zone in HAZ and decrease cold cracking sensibility. The work would explore initially the mechanisms of improvement of weldability by shock waves. The further study on the low alloy high strength steel WEL TEN80 indicates that the shock waves may increase the material weldability on this grade of trength.

Girth weldability evaluation for submarine pipeline laying

Based on the offshore standard DNV-OS-F101-2010,girth welding tests and girth weldability evaluations were carried out for the X65 and X70 UOE submarine pipelines of 3 wall thickness gauges,in which semi-automatic gas metal arc welding （GMAW） was adopted matched with metal powder flux cored wire. The girth welding procedure specification （WPS） was optimized to obtain good quality and cold-crack-free girth weld joint without preheating and post-weld heat treatment. At the same time, porosities, inclusions and incomplete fusion defects were avoided. Girth weld joints were evaluated for tensile strength, bending, Vickers hardness, charpy impact toughness and crack tip opening displacement （CTOD） fracture toughness. Results show that all the girth weld joints have good mechanical performances,indicating that the irth weldabilitv of Baosteel＇ s UOE submarine pipelines is excellent in the case of semi-automatic GMAW.

Weldability and liquation cracking behavior of ZhS6U superalloy during electron-beam welding

The weldability of the ZhS6U nickel-based superalloy, which is prone to solidification cracking during electron-beam welding(EBW) repair processes, was investigated. The effects of two different pre-weld heat-treatment cycles on the final microstructure before and after welding were examined. Welds were made on flat coupons using an EBW machine, and the two heat-treatment cycles were designed to reduce γ′ liquation before welding. Microstructural features were also examined by optical and scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that the change in the morphology and size of the γ′ precipitates in the pre-weld heat-treatment cycles changed the ability of the superalloy to release the tensile stresses caused by the matrix phase cooling after EBW. The high hardness in the welded coupons subjected to the first heat-treatment cycle resulted in greater resistance to stress release by the base alloy, and the concentration of stress in the base metal caused liquation cracks in the heat-affected zone and solidification cracks in the weld area.

Welding of SA213-T91 and SA213-T23 heat-resistant steels applied in ultra supercritical thermal power units

The marteasite SA213-191 and bainite SA213-T23 high-temperature resistant steels were applied to the heating surface of the ultra supercritical thermal power unit boiler. The weld metal microstructures and welded joint performance between the two kinds of dissimilar steels were analyzed. The main reasons of the welding defects such as hot crack, cold crack, brittleness and decrease in toughness were discussed during the welding of the dissimilar heat-resistant steels of SA213- 191 and SA213-T23 in boiler manufacturing and processing operation. The welding materials were chosen and welding procedure was made according to the base metals.

New approach for assessing the weldability of precipitation-strengthened nickel-base superalloys

A new procedure was proposed for evaluating the weldability of nickel-base superalloys. The theory is on the basis of two microstructural patterns. In pattern I, the weld microstructure exhibits severe alloying segregation, many low-melting eutectic structures, and low weldability. The weld requires a weaker etchant and a shorter time for etching. In pattern Ⅱ, the weld microstructure displays less alloying segregation, low quantity of eutectic structures, and high weldability. The weld needs a stronger etchant and a longer time for etching. Five superalloys containing different amounts of Nb and Ti were designed to verify the patterns. After welding operations, the welds were etched by four etchants with different corrosivities. The weldability was determined by TG-DSC measurements. The metallography and weldability results confirmed the theoretic patterns. Finally, the etchant corrosivity and etching time were proposed as new criteria to evaluate the weldability of nickel-base superalloys.

Metallurgical modeling of microcrack repairment during welding nonferrous materials: non-equilibrium grain boundary segregation(Ⅱ)

Metallurgical modeling of microalloying boron behavior in nickel-based superalloys during pre-weld heat treatment and welding has been systematically established. Non-equilibrium grain boundary resegregation is physically coupled with non-equilibrium solidification of the weld pool for improved quantitative understanding of the imminent detriment of boron near the as-transformed grain boundary of the mushy zone and weldability. A strategic priority of the reduction in boron through low heat input and pre-weld heat treatment to suppress massive boride nucleation and grain boundary liquation are introduced.Both factors are capable of reducing the material response to boron-assisted intergranular liquation cracking at the high-energy sites of the grain-coarsened heat-affected zone( HAZ) beneath the surface and are of practical importance to provide robust integrity of joints. The synergistic self-repairment arterial crack network with the crystallographic substructure of the backfill enables amelioration of the HAZ crack resistance. The theoretical predictions are in satisfactory agreement with the phenomenological microanalysis, indirectly. This metallurgical modeling is also applicable to other high-temperature aerospace materials with similar metallurgical properties.

Abrasive-assisted Nickel Electroforming Process with Moving Cathode

In traditional electroforming process for revolving parts with complex profiles, the drawbacks on surface of deposits, such as pinholes and nodules, will lead to varying physical and mechanical properties on different parts of electroformed components. To solve the problem, compositely moving cathode is employed in abrasive-assisted electroforming of revolving parts with complicated profiles. The cathode translates and rotates simultaneously to achieve uniform friction effect on deposits without drawbacks. The influences of current density and transla- tion speed on the microstructure and properties of the electroformed nickel layers are investigated. It is found that abrasive-assisted electroforming with compound cathode motion can effectively remove the pinholes and nodules, positively affect the crystal nucleation, and refine the grains of layer. The increase of current density will lead to coarse microstructure and lower micro hardness, from 325 HV down to 189 HV. While, faster translational linear speed produces better surface quality and higher micro hardness, from 236 HV up to 283 HV. The weld-ability of the electroformed layers are also studied through the metallurgical analysis of welded joints between nickel layer and 304 stainless steel. The electrodeposited nickel layer shows fine performance in welding. The novel compound motion of cathode promotes the mechanical properties and refines the microstructure of deposited layer.

Friction Stir Weldabilities of AA1050-H24 and AA6061-T6 Aluminum Alloys

The friction stir weldabilities of the strain-hardened AA1050-H24 and precipitate-hardened AA6061-T6 aluminum alloys were examined to reveal the effects of material properties on the friction stir welding behavior. The experimental results are obtlained. (1) For AA1050-H24, the weld can possess smoother surface ripples; there is no elliptical weld nugget in the weld; there is no discernible interface between the stir zone and the thermomechanically affected zone; and the internal defect of the weld looks like a long crack and is located in the lower part of the weld. (2) For AA6061-T6, the weld usually possesses slightly rougher surface ripples; an elliptical weld nugget clearly exists in the weld; there are discernible interfaces among the weld nugget, thermomechanically affected zone and heat affected zone; and the internal defect of the weld is similar to that of the AA1050-H24 weld. (3) The effective range of welding parameters for AA1050-H24 is narrow, while the one for AA6061-T6 is very wide. (4) The maximum tensile strength efficiency of the AA1050-H24 joints is similar to that of the AA6061-T6 joints, i.e. 79% and 77%, respectively.

Evaluation of Cracking Resistance of Copper-Bearing Age Hardening Steel Weldment

The weldability of a low-carbon copper-bearing age hardening steel was evaluated using cracking suscepti- bility calculation, HAZ maximum hardness measurement, and Y-groove cracking evaluation test. The results show that the hardenability characteristics and cold cracking susceptibility of the steel are very low. The results also indicate that a crack-free weldment can be obtained during the welding of this type of steel even at an ambient temperature as low as -5 ℃ as well as in an absolute humidity lower than 4 000 Pa without any preheat treatment. A slight preheat treatment can prevent the joint from cracking when welding is carried out at lower ambient temperature or higher absolute humidity.

Weldability and Microstructure of Nickel-Silicon Based Alloys

The NiSix based alloy typically has poor weldability due to its lower ductility. A limited amount of work has been performed on the weldability of NiSix based alloys. Therefore, the effect of heat treatment and welding parameters on weldability of the alloys, and the relationship between the weldability and microstructure were studied. The results show that the as-cast Ni-Si-Nb-B alloy （Ni 76. 5%, Si 20%, Nb 3%, and B 0. 5%） could be successfully welded after preheating at 600 ℃. The welding procedure should be performed on the alloys before any heat treatment and a preheating at 600 ℃ should be used. The fusion zone is harder than the matrix due to a large amount of 7 phase and a finer microstructure. The cracks are predominantly intergranular in heat affected zone and associated with the needle-like ）, phase. The heat treatment before welding increases the tendency of cracking in the fusion zone.

Field girth weldability evaluation of X70 UOE pipeline

Based on API STD 1104-2005 and CSA Z662-2007, field girth welding tests and girth weldability evaluations were executed for three types of wall thickness X70 UOE pipeline, in which the most popular main line girth welding method, single-wire automatic gas metal arc welding （GMAW）, was used. The welding procedure specification was optimized to achieve a good quality and cold-crack-free girth weld joint without preheating or post-weld heat treatment. In addition ,porosities ,inclusions ,and incomplete fusion defects were avoided. The tensile strength,bending ,Vickers hardness,Charpy V-notch impact toughness, and crack tip opening displacement fracture toughness of the girth weld joint were evaluated, and the field girth weldability of Baosteel＇ s X70 UOE pipeline is joint exhibited good mechanical performance. Thus, the excellent for automatic GMAW.

Nickel-base superalloys for USC power plants

The advanced ultra-supercritical power plants of the future will utilize steam pressures and temperatures that are too high for traditional ferritic steels,thus requiring austenitic materials.Older nickel-base superalloys such as 263 and 617 were initially evaluated under the European THERMIE project beginning in the 1990s.An entirely new age-hardened alloy 740 which possesses exceptional fireside corrosion resistance and creep strength was also developed for boiler tubing capable of serving at 700C.Subsequently,interest in the USA considered other product forms such as steam header piping and steam turbine forgings for service as high as 760C.A more stable and weldable alloy version now called 740H was developed to meet these more demanding conditions.This paper summarizes the current status of work on alloys 740 and 740H.