Abstract
Dissolution kinetics of NbC particles in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of Type 347 austenitic stainless steel were experimentally studied by a rapid cooling method. Coupons with 1.5-mm thickness were water quenched on a GLEEBLE thermomechanical simulator at various instances during the heating portion of a welding thermal cycle. Particle dissolution kinetics data were obtained by statistical analysis of digital images of resulting microstructure. For most of the test alloys, a good correlation exists between the dissolution kinetics and the susceptibility to cracking in the HAZ. The faster the Nb-carbide particles dissolve, the more resistant the alloy is to constitutional liquation cracking. The rate at which particles dissolve seems to be affected by their stoichiometry. If Nb:C ratios in bulk alloys are closer to the ideal stoichiometry of 7.7, NbC particles formed in the alloy are more likely to be stable and, hence, slower to dissolve.
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