Solidification behavior and cracking susceptibility of pulsed-laser welds in austenitic stainless steels

Journal Article · Wed Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · Welding Journal (Miami); (United States)

OSTI ID:7167543

Lippold, J C ^[1]

---

1. Edison Welding Inst., Columbus, OH (United States)

The solidification cracking susceptibility of several commercial heats of Types 304L, 316L and 321Mo stainless steels was evaluated under pulsed-laser welding conditions. Both the Suutala weldability diagram and the WRC constitution diagram predicted that all the heats tested in this investigation would be resistant to weld solidification cracking based on the individual values of their Cr[sub eq]/Ni[sub eq] ratio. Under the rapid solidification conditions imposed by pulsed-laser welding, however, a number of these resistant heats were found to be extremely susceptible to weld solidification cracking. As a result, a modified weldability diagram is proposed for austenitic stainless steels welded under conditions producing rapid solidification. The variation from predicted cracking susceptibility resulted from a shift in solidification behavior under rapid solidification growth conditions. Alloys susceptible to cracking exhibited a primary austenite solidification mode with a fully austenitic microstructure. Crack-resistant alloys were also fully austenitic, but this microstructure resulted from a massive transformation to austenite following primary solidification as ferrite. Several alloys exhibited mixed solidification modes, resulting in variable cracking susceptibility. The solidification conditions under which this shift in the primary solidifying phase occurs is reviewed in the context of the current results and previous observations.

• OSTI ID: 7167543
• Journal Information: Welding Journal (Miami); (United States), Journal Name: Welding Journal (Miami); (United States) Vol. 73:6; ISSN 0043-2296; ISSN WEJUA3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360102* -- Metals & Alloys-- Structure & Phase Studies
360103 -- Metals & Alloys-- Mechanical Properties
ALLOYS
AUSTENITIC STEELS
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
CHROMIUM-MOLYBDENUM STEELS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL STEELS
CHROMIUM-NICKEL-MOLYBDENUM STEELS
CORROSIO
CORROSION RESISTANT ALLOYS
CRACK PROPAGATION
FABRICATION
HEAT RESISTANT MATERIALS
HEAT RESISTING ALLOYS
HIGH ALLOY STEELS
IRON ALLOYS
IRON BASE ALLOYS
JOINING
JOINTS
LASER WELDING
LOW CA
MATERIALS
MICROSTRUCTURE
MOLYBDENUM ALLOYS
NICKEL ALLOYS
PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS
SOLIDIFICATION
STAINLESS STEEL-304L
STAINLESS STEEL-316L
STAINLESS STEEL-321
STAINLESS STEELS
STEEL-CR17NI12MO3-L
STEEL-CR18NI10TI
STEEL-CR19NI10-L
STEELS
TITANI
WELDED JOINTS
WELDING