Assessment of Mechanical and Metallurgical Properties of Thermally Aged Electron Beam Welded AISI 321 Stainless Steel

Abstract

Electron beam welding produces very narrow and deep penetration therefore it finds application where welding of thick materials is required. AISI 321 is susceptible to intergranular corrosion when it is used in high temperature and harsh conditions, owing to the Titanium depletion in the weld zone. However, the heat affected zone formed in electron beam welding extends to a narrow region across the weld pool. In the present study electron beam welding of austenitic 321 stainless steel is done to examine the mechanical and metallurgical properties of the joints. Microhardness tests along and across the weld bead were carried out. Tensile and impact tests were performed to analyze mechanical properties. The microstructures of the weld zone, fusion zone and base metals were also captured. Skeletal ferrites were seen in the weld metal. The aging treatment of 700°C for 24 hours which resulted in a change in morphology of the grains from skeletal to vermicular and promoted the formation of Ti-rich carbides on the grain boundaries. The maximum impact toughness at sub-zero temperature i.e. -40°C was recorded as 129.3 J in as-welded samples and it got reduced to 119.5 J after aging treatment. The average ultimate tensile strength was 582 N/mm2 and it got decreased to 481 N/mm2 after aging treatment.