The effect of carbon fiber powder reinforced composite coating on mechanical properties of TIG welded black steel pipes

Abstract

Welding of steel materials is a very significantaction in the development of components for nuclear fusion reactors. The aim of this research is to explore a latest technique for joining pipeline based on composites incorporated with fibers. A systematic experimental programme was carried out to test this new technique in this study. There are three stages to the experimental programme. The samples are developed with various weld process parameters: Current-600 Amperes; Voltage-80 Volts and Temperature- 1200 degreesC. In phase-1 fabrication process two Black Steel (ASTM 795-Grade B) pipes of 3 in.. diameter and 200 mm length are employed for making a butt joint using TIG Welding. In Phase-2 for FRP joining, Carbon is taken as fiber and Epoxy is taken as Matrix. The FRP composite is made by taking 20% carbon as reinforcement, 18% HY955 as hardener and remaining 62% Epoxy as matrix material. The FRP Composite made in different layers is applied on the black steel pipe joint. Four layers of composites are applied successively one after the other on the joint and dried it properly. In phase-3, standard specimens are prepared from each joint of FRP coated black steel pipes for Tensile strength, Flexural Strength and Vickers’s Hardness according to ASTM Standards and mechanical testing is carried out along with microstructural studies. Weld consistency and a basic understanding of weld defect analysis was examined in TIG welded samples with a Black Steel base material.. The results showed that the tensile strength is improved by 26% for the joint with FRP addition, hardness improved by 2% and flexural strength improved by 4.16%. The results inferred that compared to normal TIG Welded joint, the composite material lining on TIG welded parts produce better results.