Weldability of X100 linepipe

Abstract

Research has been carried out to identify weld metal compositions and microstructures capable of meeting high strength and toughness requirements for X100 seam welded linepipe. Single pass, multiwire submerged arc welds were made in experimental, high strength low alloy steel plates using consumables to give a wide range of weld metal alloying. Work has shown that the optimum strength and toughness are obtained in Mo–B–Ti alloyed weld metals with Pcm values between 0.218 and 0.250. Weld metal microstructures were almost fully acicular ferrite with an ultrafine grain size (1–2 µm). Dilatometric studies demonstrated that at typical weld cooling rates the optimised welds transformed at significantly lower temperatures than those reported for X65 plate deposits, which contain acicular ferrite in the form of idiomorphic primary ferrite and intragranular Widmanstätten ferrite. The maximum rate of transformation in the optimised welds occurred between 515 and 570°C, which indicates that the acicular ferrite in this case consisted of intragranular Widmanstätten ferrite and/or bainite. The ferrite would appear to have a fine plate morphology growing from large as well as small inclusions, but not very far before the onset of hard impingement, thereby ensuring an ultrafine grain size. Tensile strengths of 708–784 MPa were achieved with an 80 J Charpy impact transition temperature toughness between -68 and -115°C. More highly alloyed weld metals containing 2–3%Mn and 1.5%Si transformed at lower temperatures and showed increased strength, but there was a substantial loss of toughness, attributed to the relatively unimpeded growth of large ferrite plates from larger inclusions, and the replacement of ultrafine acicular ferrite between these plates by blocks of martensite–austenite. One pass per side, multiwire submerged arc welds manufactured to the optimum weld metal chemistry confirmed their applicability for thin section X100 linepipe.