Jesualdo Pereira Farias

Automatic Evaluation of Nickel Alloy Secondary Phases from SEM Images

Quantitative metallography is a technique to determine and correlate the microstructures of materials with their properties and behavior. Generic commercial image processing and analysis software packages have been used to quantify material phases from metallographic images. However, these all‐purpose solutions also have some drawbacks, particularly when applied to segmentation of material phases. To overcome such limitations, this work presents a new solution to automatically segment and quantify material phases from SEM metallographic images. The solution is based on a neuronal network and in this work was used to identify the secondary phase precipitated in the gamma matrix of a Nickel base alloy. The results obtained by the new solution were validated by visual inspection and compared with the ones obtained by a commonly used commercial software. The conclusion is that the new solution is precise, reliable and more accurate and faster than the commercial software. Microsc. Res. Tech. 74:36‐46, 2011.

The effect of wollastonite on operational characteristics of AWS E6013 electrodes

The main objective of this work was to assess the operational behavior of ANSI/AWS A5.1-91 E6013 type electrodes when 0, 8 and 16 % of quartz (100 % SiO2) is replaced with wollastonite (Calcium Silicate, 50 % SiO2 - 50 % CaO) in the coating composition. The electrodes were tested through bead-on-plate welds in flat position on DC, both polarities, and on AC currents. Arc stability, fusion rate and deposition rate were used as operational characteristics evaluation criteria. The results suggested that the replacement of quartz with wollastonite, that increased slag basicity, kept, or even improved, the typical excellent operational characteristics of E6013 type electrodes.

Aspectos metalúrgicos de revestimentos dissimilares com a superliga à base de níquel inconel 625

To extend the life and reliability of pipes and equipment in oil & gas production and processing settings is a continuous demand. These aspects are essentially dependent on corrosion resistant alloys used. In this context, the weld overlay with Ni-based superalloys is a great interesting alternative, since improve the corrosion resistance without increase the cost of manufacture when compared to massive equipment. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the metallurgical aspects of Inconel 625 weld overlays deposited by GTAW cold wire feed process. The welds were performed using a robotic workbench, an electronic power supply and a data acquisition system. The microstructural characterization was carried out using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (MET), electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction. The results shown that the microstructure of overlays was formed by a gamma matrix and secondary phases rich in Nb. These precipitates were identified as Nb-rich Laves phase and a complex TiN/NbC.

Ferritic stainless steel welding with the A-TIG process

The main advantage of the TIG with flux process (A-TIG welding) is the possibility of obtaining greater penetration of the weld bead while employing the same welding parameters as conventional TIG welding. Various studies have shown the influence of active fluxes on the geometric characteristics of stainless steel austenitic welds. However, little is known about the influence of this process on the geometric and metallurgical characteristics of the weld beads in ferritic stainless steels. In this work, different types of flux are applied when welding ferritic stainless steel with the objective of verifying possible influences on the weld beads profile, on its visual appearance, on the microstructure, on the hardness of the welded zone and on the impact resistance (Charpy test). The bead-on-plate welds were produced without using any addition metal. Six types of flux were used – one being an oxide produced in a laboratory (TiO2) and five commercial fluxes. The results showed that use of the flux allows an increase in penetration with significant changes in the appearance of the weld bead. It was also confirmed that the microstructure and the hardness of the weld bead for the steel studied were not affected by the type of flux used, with the microstructure analysed under an optical microscope. The steel in the study showed a high degree of fragility at ambient temperature.

Soldagem de um aço inoxidável ferrítico com o processo A-TIG

The A-TIG welding process presents as main advantage the possibility of increase in the penetration depth using the same parameters as conventional TIG welding. Many researchers show the influence of the active flux on the weld geometry in austenitic stainless steel, however little it is known of the influence of this process in the weld fillet shape and metallurgic characteristics of the weld fillet in ferritic stainless steel. In this work different types of flux are applied with the objective to verify possible influences on the weld fillet in ferritic stainless steel welding, such its visual aspect, the microstructure, the hardness and resistance to the impact of the fusion zone. Bead on plate welds were made without metal filler. Six types of flux had been used, and one flux was prepared in laboratory (TiO2) and the others five were commercial flux. The results indicate that the use of the flux allows increase in the penetration with significant changes in the aspect of the weld fillet. It was verified that the microstructure and the hardness of the weld fillet of this ferritic stainless steel was not been affected by the flux type. The result of the Charpy test in the metal base it was batter in the fusion zone.

Effect of temperature on the level of corrosion caused by heavy petroleum on AISI 304 and AISI 444 stainless steel

This work presents a study on the influence of national heavy petroleum in the corrosion of the AISI 444 and AISI 304 stainless steels in simulated refining operation conditions. The petroleum was first characterized through physicochemical analysis (density, fluidity point, viscosity, sulfur concentration). In an attempt to understand the corrosion effect of temperature and of the type of heating the referred types of steel thermal treatments were carried out at three levels of temperature (200, 300 and 400 °C). The procedure was done in conditions close to those in the distillation column. Heat was gradually increased from room temperature, and directly heated to working temperature. Each treatment took 4 hours to be completed. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and the analysis of X rays dispersive energy (EDX) were used after the trials to characterize the samples. The results show that treatment temperature, as well as the type of heating, has distinct influences on each type of steel.

Avaliação do Uso do Tecimento sobre o Nível de Diluição e Geometria do Cordão de Solda na Soldagem TIG com Alimentação Automática de Arame Frio

This work aims to study the influence of arc waving in GTAW process with cold wire feeding deposited in single pass in order to use nickel-based alloys as coating to of petroleum and natural gas industries, where low dilution is needed to avoid reduction in corrosion resistance of the coatings. The welds were made using an robot workbench and a cold wire feeder system. The alloy used as filler metal was AWS ER NiCrMo-3 (Inconel 625) and the substrate was ASTM A516 Gr 60 steel plates. Welds were carried out with automatic cold wire feeding varying without arc waving and with triangular type arc waving. In addition the heat input was changed at three levels. The results showed that the use of arc waving has considerably influence on the geometry of the weld bead and the level of dilution. With use of arc waving the weld bead reinforcement was reduced and the width were increased, providing a better distribution of material on the workpiece surface, thereby reducing the reinforcement/width (R/W) ratio. This parameter indicates the degree of convexity of the weld bead. A high R/W ratio indicates that the degree of convexity may be excessive; thereby hampering an adequate overlap between the passes aiming to produce weld overlay without voids between them. Penetration and dilution showed similar behaviors, with significantly reduction under conditions where the arc waving was applied. These results show that the use of arc waving ensures a combination of low R/W ratio with low dilution, condition that is desirable to weld coatings.

Minimização de defeitos em revestimentos de superligas de níquel depositada pelo processo TIG com alimentação de arame frio

The objective of the present work was to evaluate the influence of the welding parameters in the formation of defects in weld overlays with nickel-based alloys, and its possible elimination through the correct adjustment of the welding parameters. Coatings were deposited with the nickel-based alloys type Inconel 625, Hastelloy C276 and Inconel 686, on C-Mn steel plates, using GTAW cold wire feed process. The planning of the experiments was accomplished being applied the Taguchi method. The control factors evaluated were the Energy Technique (ET), the welding heat input (E), the type of alloy (L), the shielding gas (G) and the type of arc oscillation (T). Other parameters were maintained constant, having previously been investigated. The results showed that the arc oscillation type in spiral, although it contributes significantly to reduce the dilution level, it cause a strong instability to the process, resulting in most of the cases in surface defects or defects among passes. The optimum condition to avoid defects among passes was identified by the Taguchi method, which was constituted by the following combination of control factors: 2-2-2-3-3, or be: I energy technique (TE-I); medium heat input level (Emedium); Hastelloy C276 alloy; Shielding gas Ar+He; Double-8 arc oscillation. The optimum condition for the welding without defects results in high dilution level not being indicated for the welding of resistant coverings to the corrosion.

Evaluation of AISI 4140 Steel Repair Without Post-Weld Heat Treatment

The present work evaluates the two-layer technique on the heat affected zone (HAZ) of AISI 4140 steel welded with different heat input levels between the first and second layer. The weld heat input levels selected by the Higuchi test were 5/5, 5/10, and 15/5 kJ/cm. The evaluation of the refining and/or tempering of the coarsened grain HAZ of the first layer was carried out using metallographic tests, microhardness measurements, and the Charpy-V impact test. The tempering of the first layer was only reached when the weld heat input ratio was 5/5 kJ/cm. The results of the Charpy-V impact test showed that the two-layer technique was efficient, from the point of view of toughness, since the toughness values reached were greater than the base metal for all weld heat input ratios applied. The results obtained indicate that the best performance of the two-layer deposition technique was for the weld heat input ratio 5/5 kJ/cm employing low heat input.

Dilution Control of Weld Overlay Superalloys Using Taguchi Method

The objective of this work was to optimize the operational conditions aiming to deposit weld overlays with a minimal dilution and iron content as low as possible, and a thickness of weld higher than 3 mm just in a single layer. The alloys studied were Inconel 625, Hastelloy C276 and Inconel 686. The ASTM A516 Gr 60 steel was used as substrate. The welds were performed by GTAW cold wire feed process. The Taguchi method was applied to design the experiments and to evaluate the influence of the variables. The results showed that the arc oscillation (weaving) has a strong effect on the penetration and dilution of welds. The confirmation test for the optimal settings indicated that the additive model of the Taguchi method was not only confirmed the excellent reproducibility, but also provides sufficient confidence in the factorial effects.Copyright