Comparative Research of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Stainless and Structural Steel Dissimilar Welds

The present study utilized a metal inert gas welding (MIG) to make a dissimilar weld of stainless steel AISI 304, 314, 316L, 420 grades and a standard structural steel S355MC. It refers to a weld joining two materials from different alloy systems commonly used in heat exchangers, pressure vessels, and power plant systems. Obviously, maintaining the integrity of such welds is of paramount importance to the safety issues. Therefore, detailed microscopic and experimental studies were performed to evaluate the reliability of these welds. The microscopic analysis did not reveal any presence of weld defects such as porosity or cracks, which ensured that MIG process parameters were properly selected. The performance of dissimilar welds was assessed by hardness and tensile tests. The hardness profiles revealed differences between austenitic and martensitic steel welds that later showed extremely high values in the heat-affected zone (HAZ), which caused fractures in this zone during tensile test. The welds of all austenitic steel grades withstood the tensile test, showing an average tensile strength of 472 MPa with fractures observed in the base metal zone. It made clear that the use of a filler rod 308LSI is suitable only for the austenitic stainless and structural steel dissimilar welds and not appropriate for martensitic-structural steel welds. The achieved results revealed that the higher hardness of the martensitic phase in the HAZ of AISI 420 is closely related with the formation of untempered coarse martensitic structure and higher carbon content.

Influence of Tool Geometry and Process Parameters on Torque, Temperature, and Quality of Friction Stir Welds in Dissimilar Al Alloys

In the current investigation, the influence of the tool geometry, the position of the materials in the joint, the welding speed on the temperature and torque developed, and on the quality of the welds in dissimilar and tri-dissimilar T joints were analysed. The aluminium alloys used were AA2017-T4, AA6082-T6, and AA5083-H111 and the friction stir welds were performed with identical shoulder tools, but with either a pin with simple geometry or a pin with progressive geometry. Progressive pin tools proved to be a viable alternative in the production of dissimilar and tri-dissimilar welds, as they provide a larger tool/material friction area and a larger volume of dragged material, which promotes an increase in the heat generated and a good mixing of the materials in the stir zone, although they require a higher torque. Placing a stronger material on the advancing side also results in a higher temperature in the stir zone but requires higher torque too. The combination of these factors showed that tools with a progressive pin provide sound dissimilar and tri-dissimilar welds, unlike single-pin tools. The increase in the welding speed causes the formation of defects in the stir zone, even in tri-dissimilar welds carried out with a tool with a progressive pin, which impairs the fatigue strength of the welds.

Comparative Research of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Stainless-Structural Steel Dissimilar Welds

The present study utilizes a metal inert gas welding (MIG) to make a dissimilar weld joint of different stainless steel grades AISI 304, 314, 316L, 420 and a standard structural steel S355MC to estimate the correlation of a microstructure and the mechanical properties. The microstructure of the base metals (BM), the heat affected zone (HAZ), the fusion zone (FZ) and the weld seam were analyzed using optical microscopy. Optical microscopy did not reveal any presence of weld defects such as porosity or cracks. The analysis of microstructure showed that both the austenitic and martensitic stainless steel weld structures contain some retained delta ferrite and coarse Me23C6 carbides in the HAZ, while the FZ exhibits delta ferrite and some retained austenite. The hardness profiles revealed difference between austenitic and martensitic steel welds that the later showed extremely high values in the HAZ (~500 HV/0.1) which causes fracture in this zone. The welds of all austenitic steel grades withstood tensile test, showing the average tensile strength of 472 MPa with fracture observed in the base metal zone. It made clear that the use of a filler rod 308LSI is suitable only for the austenitic stainless and structural steel dissimilar welds, and not appropriate for martensitic-structural steel welds. The achieved results revealed that the higher hardness of the martensitic phase in the HAZ of AISI 420 is closely related with the formation of untempered coarse martensitic structure and higher carbon content.