Effect of gas tungsten arc welding parameters on the corrosion resistance and the residual stress of heat affected zone

Abstract

The Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) at weld joints is greatly defined by the input parameters used in the welding process. All the output parameters such as corrosion current, corrosion potential and residual stresses, etc., depend on the input welding parameters and define the quality of the welded joints. So, selecting the right parameters at optimum level satisfies the desired output. This paper presents an experimental design approach to study the welding process parameters effects on the stress corrosion at the Heat Affected Zone (HAZ). The experiments were performed using Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) to join 304L austenitic stainless steel tubes using a standard 308L electrode. Three welding parameters were selected as input variables: Number of passes, gas flow (argon flow) and welding current. The main effects of the welding parameters were studied and the correlations between the different responses were established. The results showed that the passes number and welding current were the most significant parameters that control the welding process.