Welding Thermal Simulation Research Articles

Multi-angle analysis of Mo on martensite–austenite component and toughness in SCGHAZ of X80 pipeline automatic ring welding

In order to solve the embrittlement problem of welded joint of pipeline steel, this paper proposes to study the influence of Mo on M-A component of the subcritically reheated coarse-grained HAZ (SCGHAZ), and Mo on bainite transformation. Through the welding thermal simulation experiment, two kinds of X80 pipeline steel with different Mo content were set different secondary thermal cycle peak temperatures to simulate the heat affected zone (HAZ). Samples in the SCGHAZ were selected to observe the microstructure, M-A component, microalloy-element distribution and fracture crack trend, and comprehensively analyze the reasons for the deterioration of impact toughness caused by the changes of Mo content. The results show that the increase of Mo content leads to the formation of twinning martensite, which is one of the reasons for the deterioration of toughness. Mo is enriched at the interface of ferrite and M-A component, reducing the binding energy at the interface, resulting in the desorption of M-A component from the matrix, the formation of pores and becoming the nucleation site of cracks, resulting in the generation of micro-cracks and the decrease of toughness.

Influence of secondary peak temperature on simulated ICCGHAZ microstructure and toughness of high-strength low-alloy steels

Abstract The ICCGHAZ specimens of laser-arc hybrid welding under various secondary peak temperatures were prepared using welding thermal simulation technology. Investigations were conducted into how the toughness and microstructure of the simulated ICCGHAZ specimens were correlated with the secondary peak temperature. Results showed that the size, distribution, and morphology of the M-A constituents in the ICCGHAZ specimens were primarily influenced by the secondary peak temperature. With this temperature at 760 °C, the blocky M-A constituents mostly aggregated into chains along the grain boundaries. As the secondary peak temperature reached 800 °C, while the blocky M-A constituents typically stayed close to the grain boundaries, the necklace M-A constituents began dispersing. The former austenite grain boundaries vanished as the M-A constituents migrated outward when the temperature further rose to 840 °C. At secondary peak temperatures of 760 °C and 800 °C, the volume proportion of the M-A constituents was 2.9% and 3.2%, respectively. In comparison, the volume fraction rapidly decreased to 0.9% at 840 °C. The size of the M-A constituents shrank as the secondary peak temperature rose, whereas the crack initiation energy Ei, crack propagation energy Ep, and impact energy Et increased. The toughness of the ICCGHAZ specimen was diminished because of the grain boundary necklace distribution characterization and the large size of the M-A constituents.

Effect of Pre-Weld Heat Treatment on the Microstructure and Properties of Coarse-Grained Heat-Affected Zone of a Wind Power Steel after Simulated Welding

The effect of pre-weld heat treatment on the microstructure and low-temperature impact toughness of the coarse-grained heat-affected zone (CGHAZ) after simulated welding was systematically investigated through the utilization of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron back-scattering diffraction (EBSD). The Charpy impact test validated the presence of an optimal pre-weld heat treatment condition, resulting in the highest impact toughness observed in the CGHAZ. Three temperatures for pre-weld heat treatment (690, 720 and 750 °C) were used to obtain three different matrices (Steel 1, Steel 2, Steel 3) for simulated welding. The optimal pre-weld heat treatment is 720 °C for 15 min followed by water quench. Microstructure characterization showed that there is an evident microstructure comprising bainite (B) in Steel 1 and Steel 2 after pre-weld heat treatment, while the addition of martensite (M) with the pre-weld heat treatment temperature exceeds Ac1 by almost 60 °C (Steel 3). These differences in microstructures obtained from pre-weld heat treatment influence the refinement of high-temperature austenite during subsequent simulated welding reheating processes, resulting in distinct microstructural characteristics in the CGHAZ. After the optimal pre-weld heat treatment, Steel 2 subjected to single-pass welding thermal simulation demonstrates a refined microstructure characterized by a high density of high-angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) within the CGHAZ, particularly evident in block boundaries. These boundaries effectively prevent the propagation of brittle cracks, thereby enhancing the impact toughness.

Effect of Nb Content and Second Heat Cycle Peak Temperatures on Toughness of X80 Pipeline Steel.

The microstructure evolution and variation of impact toughness in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of X80 pipeline steel with different Nb content under different peak temperatures in the secondary thermal cycle were studied through welding thermal simulation, the Charpy impact test, EBSD analysis, SEM observation, and TEM observation in this study. The results indicate that when the peak temperatures of the second pass were lower than Ac1, both X80 pipeline steels had high impact toughness. For secondary peak temperatures in the range of Ac1 to Ac3, both X80 pipeline steels had the worst impact toughness, mainly due to the formation of massive blocky M-A constituents in chain form on grain boundaries. When the secondary peak temperatures were higher than Ac3, both X80 pipeline steels had excellent impact toughness. Smaller grain size and higher proportions of HAGBs can effectively improve the impact toughness. Meanwhile, high Nb X80 pipeline steel had higher impact absorption energy and smaller dispersion. Adding an appropriate amount of Nb to X80 pipeline steel can ensure the impact toughness of SCCGHAZ and SCGHAZ in welded joints.

Effect of Mg Addition on Inclusions in the Welding Heat-Affected Zone of Pressure Vessel Steels

With the development of the pressure vessel industry, high-energy wire welding has a great future. However, this means higher demands on the weldability of pressure vessel steels. Controlling inclusions via oxidative metallurgy is a reliable method of improving the weldability of pressure vessel steels. Hence, in this paper, experimental steels with different Mg element mass fractions were prepared using vacuum metallurgy. Simulated welding for high-heat input welding was carried out using the Gleeble-2000 welding thermal simulation test machine. The inclusions in the welding heat-affected zone (HAZ) in the experimental steels were observed using an optical microscope (OM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The compositions of the inclusions were analyzed using an energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The research results indicated that the addition of Mg could increase the number density of the inclusions in the welding HAZ. With the addition of Mg from 0 to 5 wt.%, the total number density of the inclusions increased from 133 to 687 pieces/mm2, and the number density of the inclusions with a size of 0–5 μm2 increased from 122 to 579 pieces/mm2. The inclusions in the experimental steel welding HAZ with Mg elements were mainly elliptical composite inclusions composed of (Mg-Zr-O) + MnS. Moreover, MnS precipitated on the surface of the Mg-containing inclusions in the welding HAZ. Intragranular acicular ferrite (IAF) nucleation was primarily induced via the minimum lattice mismatch mechanism, supplemented with stress-strain energy and inert interface energy mechanisms.

In Situ Observation of Microstructure Transformation in Q1100 High-Strength Steel during Welding Thermal Simulation

In Situ Observation of Microstructure Transformation in Q1100 High-Strength Steel during Welding Thermal Simulation

Evolution of microstructure in nickel-based C-HRA-2 alloy during welding thermal simulation

The welding heat-affected zone (HAZ) of C-HRA-2 nickel-based alloy at different welding peak temperatures (Tp) (850 to 1450 °C) was obtained through welding thermal simulation. The microstructure of the different simulated HAZs was characterized by an optical microscope (OM), a scanning electron microscope (SEM), and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The microhardness of simulated HAZs was examined using a microhardness tester. The results indicated that fine and dispersed M23C6 carbides were identified along the grain boundaries in the simulated HAZs at 1050 and 1150 °C. In the simulated HAZs above 1250 °C, eutectic microstructure of γ matrix bonded with M23C6 carbides was identified close to the grain boundaries due to constitutional liquation. The liquefaction of γ matrix and M23C6 carbides primarily accounted for the simulated HAZ liquation of C-HRA-2 alloy during continuous welding heating. The content of the liquefied phase was increased as Tp was increased. The liquefied phase was converted into the eutectic microstructure of γ matrix and M23C6 carbides in the cooling process. Besides 1050, 1150, and 1450 °C, the microstructures under other Tp were similar to the microstructure of the Base Metal (BM). The microhardness distribution of simulated HAZs tended to be higher in the middle and lower at both ends with the increase of Tp. Furthermore, the result indicated that the microhardness of the simulated HAZ was the closest to BM at 1050 °C.

Study on corrosion resistance of HAZ and TMAZ in friction stir welding joint of 7075 aluminum alloy by thermal simulation

It is difficult to characterize the variation of corrosion resistance of the narrow areas in friction stir welding (FSW) joints due to the large temperature gradient. In this paper, the welding thermal simulation was performed to simulate the heat affected zone (HAZ) and thermo-mechanical affected zone (TMAZ) of the FSW 7075-T6 aluminum alloy, and the corrosion resistance and microstructure of the simulated samples were studied. Results show that the corrosion potential changes greatly under different thermal simulation temperatures. The pitting corrosion of the HAZ simulated samples presents two pitting potentials, but for the TMAZ simulated samples, two pitting potentials will gradually evolve to one pitting potential with the increase of the maximum temperature. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results show that the corrosion mechanism of the HAZ and TMAZ is completely inconsistent, which is related to the differences in precipitate and grain characteristics.

Microstructure evolution and microhardness of thermal-simulated HAZ in Fe–Mn–Al–C steel

The microstructure evolution and microhardness of Fe–Mn–Al–C steel heat-affected zone (HAZ) were investigated systematically using the weld thermal simulation technique. The results illustrated that the microstructure in HAZ with different peak temperatures (600, 800, 1000 and 1300°C) and heat inputs (10, 20 and 30 kJ cm–1) mainly consisted of ferrite and austenite. When the peak temperature was 1300°C, there are many high-angle grain boundaries which may inhibit crack propagation. With the increase in heat input, κappa carbide precipitation increased, the grain size became finer and microhardness increased. The microhardness was 438 HV when the peak temperature was 1300°C at 30 kJ cm–1. Highlights The welding of high carbon, high aluminium and low-density steel was simulated. The HAZ was composed of austenite and a small amount of high-temperature δ-ferrite. The proportion of high- and low-angle grain boundaries has a great influence on the mechanical properties. The welding heat input was 30 kJ cm–1, the grain size of the HAZ decreased and microhardness was the largest.

Analysis of microstructural evolution and mechanical properties in the simulated heat-affected zone of Fe-23Mn-0.45C-1.5Al high-Mn austenitic steel

Welding thermal simulation technology was used to process Fe-23Mn-0.45C-1.5Al high-Mn austenitic steel to reproduce the heat-affected zone (HAZ) and investigate the effect of peak temperature on microstructural evolution and cryogenic toughness. Subsequently, the simulated HAZ samples experienced isothermal aging at 500 °C for different time to clarify the embrittlement mechanism. The results revealed that phase transformation was absent in simulated HAZ sample. However, with the increase of peak temperature (Tp) in thermal cycles from 1050 °C to 1320 °C, the grain size, carbide precipitates at grain boundaries, grain boundary segregation of carbon and the proportion of low angle grain boundaries increase gradually, while the proportion of high angle grain boundaries decrease. When Tp was above 1200 °C, granular M7C3-type and rod-shaped M23C6-type carbides precipitated at grain boundaries. Impact absorbed energy of simulated sample at room and cryogenic temperatures decreased with the increase of Tp. The impact energy of experiment steel is 228 J at room temperature. When the Tp increased to 1050 °C, 1200 °C and 1320 °C, the impact absorbed energy of simulated sample decreased to 208 J, 174 J and 142 J, respectively. The variation trends of impact absorbed energy for aged samples manifested that the precipitation of M23C6-type or M7C3-type carbides at grain boundaries was the main factor causing the embrittlement of HAZ, and then the segregation of carbon at grain boundary and high proportion of low angle grain boundaries were the secondary factor causing the deterioration of impact toughness.

Effect of Nb Addition and Heat Input on Heat-Affected Zone Softening in High-Strength Low-Alloy Steel.

The effect of both Nb content and heat input on the softening phenomenon of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of low-alloy high-strength steel was studied through welding thermal simulation experiments. The microstructure evolution, density variation of geometrically necessary dislocation, microhardness distribution and the second phase precipitation behavior in HAZ was characterized and analyzed by combining the optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, high-resolution transmission electron microscope with microhardness tests. The results showed that the softening appeared in the fine-grain HAZ (FGHAZ) of the low-alloy high-strength steel with the polygonal ferrite and bainite microstructure. With an increase in Nb content, the FGHAZ softening was inhibited even with high heat input; however, the hardness shows little variation. On the one hand, the increase in the Nb content increased the volume fraction of high-strength bainite in the FGHAZ. On the other hand, the remarkable strengthening was produced by the equally distributed precipitation nanoparticles. As a result, the two factors were the main reason for the solution of the FGHAZ softening problem in the low-alloyed high-strength steel with the mixed microstructure of ferrite and bainite.

Effects of V–N Microalloying on Microstructure and Property in the Welding Heat Affected Zone of Constructional Steel

Shielded metal arc welding and welding thermal simulation experiment were carried out for constructional steel containing 0% V and 0.10% V, and the microstructure, precipitation feature, microhardness HV0.2, and −20 °C impact value in the welding heat affected zone (HAZ) were investigated. The results showed that in the coarse-grained heat affected zone (CGHAZ), V and N were completely dissolved in the matrix of steel containing 0.10% V to promote the growth of prior austenite grains, meanwhile the fraction of high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) decreased, thereby leading to the mean −20 °C impact value decreases from 87 J to 18 J. In the grain refined heat affected zone (GRHAZ), V(C, N) precipitates experience re-dissolution and re-precipitation at grain boundaries, V–N microalloying changes the microstructure from lath bainite + granular bainite + small amount of polygonal ferrite to polygonal ferrite + pearlite + martensite, thereby leading to the mean microhardness decreases from 335 HV0.2 to 207 HV0.2, and the mean −20 °C impact value decreased from 117 J to 103 J. In the intercritical heat affected zone (ICHAZ), V(C, N) precipitates experience re-dissolution, re-precipitation, and growth, causing the formation of micro-sized V(C, N) precipitates, thereby leading to the mean −20 °C impact value decreases from 93 J to 62 J.

Evolution of Microstructure in Welding Heat-Affected Zone of G115 Steel with the Different Content of Boron.

Welding thermal simulation was performed to investigate the effects of boron content (0, 60, and 130 ppm), welding peak temperature (Tp), and cooling time from 800 to 500 °C (t8/5) on the microstructure, carbide, subgrain, and microhardness of heat-affected zone (HAZ) in G115 steel. According to the experimental results, the microstructure of coarse-grained HAZ (CGHAZ), fine-grained HAZ (FGHAZ), inter-critical HAZ (ICHAZ), and sub-critically HAZ (SCHAZ) was martensite, martensite containing a small amount of undissolved carbide, martensite, and over-tempered martensite, tempered martensite, respectively. The presence of B element improved the thermal stability of M23C6 carbide, thereby resulting in a greater amount of undissolved carbides with a larger diameter in the materials with higher B content under the same Tp. Element B is effective in improving Ac1 and Ac3 for the material. Besides, compared with the material without and containing 60 ppm B, the Ac1 and Ac3 of the material containing 130 ppm B increased by 95 and 108 °C, 69 and 77 °C, respectively. Meanwhile, the FGHAZ area of the material containing 130 ppm B was significantly lower than the material without or containing 60 ppm B, indicating that element B can significantly reduce the formation range of FGHAZ. The alloy content in austenite of ICHAZ of materials without or containing 60 ppm B increased, compared with CGHAZ, its Ms and Mf declined by 50 and 7 °C, 46 and 7 °C, respectively. In contrast, the alloy content in austenite of the material with 130 ppm B content decreases, its Ms and Mf was 37 °C and 32 °C higher than CGHAZ, respectively. The microhardness of HAZ was ranked in descending order as CGHAZ, FGHAZ, ICHAZ, and SCHAZ. Differently, the microhardness of CGHAZ and FGHAZ showed an increasing trend with the rise of B content but exhibited a decreasing trend with the rise of t8/5.

Mechanism of BN-Promoting Acicular Ferrite Nucleation to Improve Heat-Affected Zone Toughness of V-N-Ti Microalloyed Offshore Steel.

This study examined the effect of boron (B) on the microstructure and toughness of the simulated coarse-grained heat-affected zone (CGHAZ) of normalized vanadium microalloyed offshore steel by using the welding thermal simulation method under different heat inputs for welding. The results showed that when t8/5 (the cooling time from 800 to 500 °C) increased from 14 s to 24 s, In the range of t8/5 of 24–44 s, the impact energy of the CGHAZ rose initially and then remained constant at around 125 J at −40 °C, and dropped to 79 J when t8/5 increased to 64 s. The particles (Ti,V)(C,N)-BN and BN contributed in the generation of acicular ferrite, which minimized the loss of CGHAZ toughness due to the presence of carbon. Furthermore, the microstructural parameters controlling CGHAZ toughness were the contents of the high misorientation grain boundaries and effective grain size at a tolerance angle of 15° at varied heat inputs.

Significant improvement in CGHAZ toughness of HSLA steel via welding with trailing mechanical treatment

The Coarse-grained heat-affected zone (CGHAZ) is well known as the local brittle zone in the welding joints of HSLA steels. In the present work, compressive strain is applied to the specimen during the CGHAZ welding thermal simulation process to achieve microstructure refinement and modification for toughness improvement. The strain is applied to the specimen when the temperature of the simulated thermal cycle decreased to 1100 °C, with the purpose of achieving dynamic recrystallization in the CGHAZ. Parallel experiments without the compressive strain are also conducted as a reference. The microstructure of the CGHAZ with and without the compressive strain was observed by optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used for observation of the matrix and microstructure of martensite-austenite (M-A) constituents. Electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) techniques were used to get the information of boundary misorientation distribution. The toughness of the specimens under each condition was assessed through instrumented Charpy impact test at −20 °C. Results showed that the compressive strain refined prior austenite grain (PAG) size and packet size, while the block width and lath width were almost unaffected. Refinement of the PAG also modified the microstructure of M-A constituents. The microstructure refinement and modification of M-A constituents improved crack initiation energy and crack propagation energy, resulting in significant promotion of toughness from 60.20 J to 163.10 J.

Microstructure and microhardness evolution of thermal simulated HAZ of Q&P980 steel

The microstructure evolution and microhardness of Q&P980 steel heat-affected zone (HAZ) was investigated systematically using weld thermal simulation technique. The phase transformation temperatures were determined by the dilatometry. Ac1 and Ac3 were observed to be quite constant, 750 and 935 °C, at the heating rates higher than 150 °C/s. The different regions of HAZ were obtained varying the peak heating temperature in the simulation experiments. With the peak temperature increased from 300 to 1350 °C, the microstructure evolved from martensite/ferrite/retained austenite to tempered martensite/carbides/ferrite, then finally turned to single martensite phase with fine lath or coarse lath morphology. The volume percentage of retained austenite reduced dramatically from 13% to 2% due to retained austenite transformation at high temperature. The lowest microhardness of 268 HV was obtained in sub-critical HAZ and the highest microhardness of 485 HV was obtained in fine grained HAZ. The welding continuous cooling transformation (CCT) diagram of Q&P980 steel corresponding coarse grained HAZ was constructed by dilatometric methods. There was ferrite, bainite and martensite transformation regions when the cooling rates ranged from 0.1 to 100 °C/s. The microhardness kept at a high certain level of 450–460 HV at high cooling rates (≥20 °C/s) because of the formation of martensite. By the CCT diagram determined, the effect of cooling rate on microstructure and microhardness can be deduced and utilized for optimizing the welding parameters.

Prediction of HAZ Microstructure and Hardness for Q960E Joints Welded by Triple-Wire GMAW Based on Thermal and Numerical Simulation.

Since heat affected zone (HAZ) is the weak area of welded joints, this article proposes a method to predict the HAZ microstructure and hardness for the triple-wire gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process of Q960E high strength steel. This method combines welding thermal simulation and numerical simulation. The microstructures and hardness of Q960E steel under different cooling rates were obtained by thermal simulation and presented in a simulated HAZ continuous cooling transformation (SH-CCT) diagram. The cooling rate in HAZ were obtained by numerical simulation with ANSYS software for the triple-wire welding of Q960E thick plates. By comparing the cooling rate with the SH-CCT diagram, the microstructure and hardness of the HAZ coarse-grained region were accurately predicted for multiple heat input conditions. Further, an ideal heat input was chosen by checking the prediction results. This prediction method not only helps us to optimize the welding parameters, but also leads to an overall understanding of the process-microstructure-performance for a complex welding process.

Study on the Correlation between the Microstructure Characteristics and Corrosion Behaviors of 2A12-T4 Aluminum Alloy under Thermal Strain

In this study, the welding thermal simulation technology was used to prepare samples under different peak temperatures and strain levels in order to reveal the effects of thermal strain on the microstructure characteristics and corrosion resistance of aluminum alloy. Furthermore, the correlation between microstructure evolution law and corrosion behavior was studied by analyzing the microstructure characteristics and performing electrochemical polarization curve tests. Results showed that the amount and distribution of the precipitated phase were the main factors affecting the corrosion behavior of aluminum alloy. The precipitated phase was distributed along the direction of tensile strain, and the grain size was coarsened from 152 to 260 μm (and even exceeded 280 μm) after experiencing peak temperatures of 300 and 400 °C. In addition, the risk of corrosion for the samples that experienced thermal strain was increased compared to those that did not undergo tensile strain. The samples that experienced a peak temperature of 300 °C presented the best corrosion resistance as the precipitated phase was evenly distributed in the matrix. However, when the peak temperature was 400 °C and the strain was 8%, the number and density of the precipitated phase increased due to the dynamic recrystallization, and the corrosion resistance of the sample became the worst. Finally, the microstructure analysis results showed that dynamic recrystallization occurred in the sample with a peak temperature of 400 °C, and the precipitated phase was mainly distributed along the grain boundaries. This led to the decrease of the corrosion resistance of grain boundaries, and the corrosion developed from pitting corrosion to intergranular corrosion.

HAZ hardness prediction of boron-added steels

The empirical equation to predict the heat-affected zone (HAZ) hardness of B-added steels has been proposed. For this purpose, weld thermal cycle simulation tests of both B-free and B-added steels in combination with hardness measurements were conducted. Firstly the previous HAZ hardness prediction equation was modified using the experimental results of B-free steels. Next, by introducing the B effect on hardenability to the modified equation, a new empirical equation to predict HAZ hardness of B-added steels was developed. The present equation takes into account the effects of peak temperature and Mo composition on B hardenability. The comparison of the predictions with the experiments of the weld thermal cycle simulation tests showed that the present equation can predict the HAZ hardness fairly well. The adjustable parameters of the B effect on hardenability introduced to the equation agree with the conventional results in the literature. To confirm that the present equation can be used to predict HAZ hardness of actual welded joints, hardness profile of welded joints was measured. The predicted HAZ hardness profile has shown to be in good accordance with the measured hardness profile.

Research on Microstructure and Properties in Welded Joint of 700 MPa grade Low Carbon Micro-alloy steel

High-strength residual heat treatment steel bar was tested with welding thermal simulation in Gleeble 3500. Effect of heat input on the microstructure, impact toughness and microhardness of weld heat-affected zone (HAZ)was studied. The results show that with the increase of t8/5, microstructure of coarse grain heat-affected zone (CGHAZ)transforms into granular bainite and pearlite in stead of ferrite, feather-like upper bainite and strip-like lower bainite, HAZ impact value increases firstly then decreases and reaches maximum at t8/5= 100s and the hardness decreases. And when t8/5 increased to 60s there were only ferrite and pearlite in the microstructure of CGHAZ. The impact energy of high-strength residual heat treatment steel bar would be at the range of a good level for physical production with the range of t8/5 from 20s to 300s.