Metallurgical Investigations on Electron Beam Welded Duplex Stainless Steels

Abstract

Thick-walled components made of duplex stainless steels are used in the semi-finished products as well as in machinery, apparatus and plant construction. Electron beam welding (EBW) of these components may be recommended for economic and quality reasons. To guarantee the necessary mechanical and technological properties and the corrosion resistance, the duplex stainless steels are welded with filler material and afterwards undergo a post-weld heat treatment. The present work shows interim results of investigations concerning the development of an electron beam multi-process technology for welding these steels without filler material and post-weld heat treatment. The studies were performed on standard duplex stainless steel of type 1.4462 (X2CrNiMoN22-5-3). When welding duplex stainless steels, the cooling rate and the chemical composition have a crucial influence on the final result. Based on fundamental investigations relating to the influence of the process parameters on the effusion of nitrogen and the cooling rates, the resulting austenite formation, mechanical properties and the corrosion resistance were taken into account to develop appropriate electron beam multi-process techniques. The ferrite content was measured metallographically and by magnetic induction, the impact toughness was measured at −40 °C and the determination of critical pitting temperatures was performed using electrochemical noise measurements.