Solidification of underwater wet welds
- Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (United States). Center for Welding and Joining Research
It is well known that the shape of a weld pool can influence the microstructure and segregation pattern of the final solidified weld metal. Mechanical properties and susceptibility to defects are consequently affected by the solidification mode of the weld. In this work the solidification behavior of weld beads deposited in air and underwater wet welding using rutile electrodes were compared. The welds were deposited by gravity feed, on low carbon, manganese steel plates using similar welding conditions. Macroscopic observation of the weld craters showed that welds deposited in air presented an elliptical weld pool. The underwater wet welds, on the other hand, solidified with a tear drop shape. Although the welds differed in shape, their lengths were approximately the same. Microscopic examinations carried out on transverse, normal and longitudinal sections revealed a coarser columnar grain structure in the underwater welds. These results suggest that the tear-drop shaped pool induced solidification in a preferred orientation with segregation more likely in welds deposited under wet conditions. This change in weld pool geometry can be explained by the surface heat loss conditions that occur in a wet weld: slower when covered by the steam bubble and faster in the region in contact with water behind the pool.
- OSTI ID:
- 205442
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950695--; ISBN 0-7918-1309-6
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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