Effect of Post Weld Heat Treatment on Weld Hardness Quality of P91 Welded Pipes

Abstract

Quality of a weld produced is generally evaluated by different parameters such as weld size, bead geometry, deposition rate, hardness and strength. A common problem that has been faced at the construction sites is to obtain a good welded joint having the required strength with minimal detrimental residual stresses to avoid any premature cracking due to high variation of hardness. In order to address this issue and to attain good weld quality, this study has been made to comprehend the effect of the post weld heat treatment on P91 material welds produced by TIG welding. Findings from the studies indicate that the PWHT has significant influence on the weld hardness of Alloy Steel-A335 P91 pipes. It is eminent that during cooling, after welding of P91, quenched martensite was formed in the HAZ that results in an increased hardness to an undesirable level of more than 250HB. PWHT at temperature of 760°C for 2 hours has good influence on mechanical properties as the hardness decreases and turns out to be uniformly distributed. If the PWHT is correctly carried out, the hardness of parent metals, heat affected zones and weld metal can be brought into the required limits to avoid any premature cracking due to high variation of hardness.