C.P. Chou

Evaluation of TIG flux welding on the characteristics of stainless steel

Abstract The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of specific oxide fluxes on the surface appearance, weld morphology, retained δ ferrite content, hot cracking susceptibility, angular distortion and mechanical properties obtained with the tungsten inert gas (TIG) process applied to the welding of 5 mm thick austenitic stainless steel plates. An autogenous gas tungsten arc welding process was applied to stainless steels through a thin layer of activating flux to produce a bead on plate welded joint. The MnO2 and ZnO fluxes used were packed in powdered form. The experimental results indicated that the 80% MnO2–20% ZnO mixture can give full penetration and also a satisfactory surface appearance for type 304 stainless steel TIG flux welds. TIG welding with MnO2 and/or ZnO can increase the measured ferrite number in welds, and tends to reduce hot cracking susceptibility in as welded structures. It was also found that TIG flux welding can significantly reduce the angular distortion of stainless steel weldments.

Effect of Mechanical Properties Using Different Filler Metals on Wide-Clearance Activated-Diffusion- Brazed Ni-Based Superalloy

The investigation of mechanical properties and failure mechanism of activated-diffusion-brazed (ADB) joints in IN-738 plate were conducted. Joints of this type, which had wide clearance, were formed using the brazing alloys Nicrobraz 150 and DF4B. The microstructural characterization showed that chromium borides with a blocky morphology were present in joints associated with the two brazing alloys. A major difference in matrix phase chemistry was observed, however, for the two brazing alloys, e.g., an Ni-B eutectic phase was observed in Nicrobraz 150, but DF4B exhibited a coarsened gamma prime (γ) phase and an absence of a nickel boride matrix phase. Results of tensile test showed that ADB specimens using DF4B brazing alloy exhibited 95% nominal tensile strength of IN-738 base materials. Fracture cracks in the joint area were initiated and confined to dispersed chromium boride sites. However, tensile test of ADB specimens using Nicrobraz 150 showed poor tensile properties at all testing temperatures, and their fractures were initiated at a brittle nickel boride site and propagated along the weak-bonded interface between the Ni-B eutectic phase and base materials.

Effect of nitrogen addition to shielding gas on residual stress of stainless steel weldments

Abstract The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of nitrogen additions to the shielding gas on the ferrite content and residual stress in austenitic stainless steels. Autogenous gas tungsten arc (GTA) welding was applied on austenitic stainless steels 304 and 310 to produce a bead on plate weld. The delta ferrite content of the weld metals was measured using a Ferritscope. The residual stress in the weldments was determined using the hole drilling strain gauge method. The present results indicated that the retained delta ferrite content in type 304 stainless steel weld metals decreased rapidly as nitrogen addition to the argon shielding gas was increased. The welding residual stress increased with increasing quantity of added nitrogen in the shielding gas. It was also found that the tensile residual stress zone in austenitic stainless steel weldments was extended as the quantity of added nitrogen gas in the argon shielding gas was increased.