Hot ductility of simulated stainless-steel weld metals

Abstract

Simulation of stainless-steel weld metals was performed using a Gleeble-1500 thermomechanical simulator. Two classes of materials were investigated, including both fully austenitic and austenitic-ferritic stainless steels. The niobium content varied within each class. The simulation comprised heating to melting point, melting for a short time, and cooling to a number of temperatures, at which point the samples were fractured under a tensile load. The hot ductility, in terms of reduction of area, was measured. Metallographic examinations were performed using both optical and electron microscopy. The hot ductilities of the austenitic-ferritic weld metals investigated were superior to those of fully austenitic weld metals of corresponding niobium content. The beneficial effects of ferrite were found to decrease with increasing niobium content. The effect of niobium on hot ductility was detrimental, i.e. an increase in niobium content resulted in a decrease in hot ductility which was attributed to the formation of (FeCrNi)2Nb-γ, a low melting eutectic, along the austenitic grain boundaries. The criterion of hot ductility by simulation of the weld metals was also found to be reliable for evaluating susceptibility to solidification cracking.