Weld-cracking mechanisms in austenitic stainless steels

Conference · Wed Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:6735090

Lippold, J C

The hot cracking susceptibility of several austenutuc stainless steel filler wires and a Type 304L base material has been evaluated using both the VARESTRAINT Test and a modified patch test. In general, alloys which solidified with ferrite as the primary phase and contained 5-12 volume percent ferrite in the as-welded microstructure were more resistant to cracking than alloys which solidified as austenite. Fully austenitic Type 310 and highly-ferritic Type 312 weld deposits were particularly sensitive to hot cracking and exhibited significant backfilling of fusion zone cracks. The higher alloy content of both Type 310 and Type 312 promoted the formation of a greater proportion of eutectic constituents along fusion zone grain boundaries which serve to render these alloys more susceptible to crack formation. An investigation of hot cracking in autogenous EB welds in Type 304L has also underscored the importance of solidification behavior on weld integrity. Solidification cracking in these welds has been associated with a fully austenitic region along the weld centerline. The transition in solidification behavior at the centerline results from the segregation of nitrogen during the final stages of freezing. It is shown how the cracking susceptibility of these alloys is related to both the weld microstructure and the nature of the Fe-Cr-Ni ternary system. 28 references, 12 figures.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 6735090
• Report Number(s): SAND-82-8238; CONF-811184-3; ON: DE83001157
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360101* -- Metals & Alloys-- Preparation & Fabrication
ALLOYS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM STEELS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CRACKS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
FILLERS
HEAT AFFECTED ZONE
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
JOINTS
MATERIALS
MICROSTRUCTURE
NICKEL ALLOYS
STAINLESS STEEL-304L
STAINLESS STEEL-310
STAINLESS STEELS
STEELS
WELDED JOINTS
ZONES