Effects of oxygen content on microstructure and impact toughness of high heat input flux-cored wire weld metals

Abstract

Three weld metals with different oxygen contents were developed. The influence of oxygen contents on the microstructure and impact toughness of weld metal was investigated through high heat input welding tests. The results showed that a large number of fine inclusions were formed and distributed randomly in the weld metal with oxygen content of 500 ppm under the heat input condition of 341 kJ/cm. Substantial cross interlocked acicular ferritic grains were induced to generate in the vicinity of the inclusions, primarily leading to the high impact toughness at low temperature for the weld metal. With the increase of oxygen content, the number of fine inclusions distributed in the weld metal increased and the grain size of intragranular acicular ferrites decreased, which enhanced the impact toughness of the weld metal. Nevertheless, a further increase of oxygen content would contribute to a great diminution of the austenitic grain size. Following that the fraction of grain boundary and the start temperature of transformation increased, which facilitated the abundant formation of pro-eutectoid ferrites and resulted in a deteriorative impact toughness of the weld metal.