Clarification of the false liquation crack existed in 9% Cr/CrMoV dissimilar welded joint by comparative etching process and in situ laser scanning confocal microscope

Abstract

Liquation cracks are generally regarded as thermal defects in various materials, e.g. in steels and nickel-based alloys. However, direct observation of microstructure with crack-like morphology that may be revealed by chemical etching or electrochemical etching methods, might lead to the misinterpretation of liquation cracks. To avoid the possible misinterpretation, comparative etching was employed to reveal the effect of various etching processes on the determination of liquation cracks. As a result, the formation process and mechanism of the false liquation crack in 9% Cr/CrMoV welded joint were clarified. The results obtained by optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) in the heat treatment zone of 9% Cr steel (9% Cr-HAZ) after chemical etching clearly demonstrate the existence of crack-like morphology, and the disappearance of element segregation zone after regrinding and re-polishing. Besides, laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) was applied to further exhibit the microstructure evolution experiencing high temperature to confirm the possibility of the liquation crack. The results showed that the element segregation and subsequent chemical etching process were the crucial factors to cause the formation of false liquation crack.