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Joining of refractory-austenitic bimetal tubing of niobium and stainless steel using electron beam, gas tungsten arc, and plasma arc welding techniques
Creep strength-enhanced ferritic (CSEF) steels such as Grade 91 (9Cr-1Mo-V) and Grade 92 (Fe-9Cr-2W-0.5Mo) steels are widely used in the fossil-fuel-fired and nuclear power plants. The weld integrity of these steels is crucial for power plants' safe and reliable operations. Due to harsh service conditions, the steel weld can become susceptible to environmental degradation. Field welding repair is used to restore the degraded weld’s performance where a controlled temper-bead welding technique is commonly used to temper the freshly formed martensite during welding. However, knowledge of weld repairability is limited and experimental trial and error optimization to achieve desired microstructure and joint properties is expensive and time-consuming. Many existing computational models, e.g., finite element models, are limited to solving heat conduction equation and ignoring convective heat transfer due to molten metal flow. These models can result in over-prediction of peak temperatures of weld pool and heat-affected zone (HAZ), which in turn can affect the accuracy of tempering prediction. Moreover, these finite element models require an input of the deposit profiles in advance and thus limits the usability of these models. Here, a molten pool-based, multi-pass multi-layer model has been developed based on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach with the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method. The model calculates the bead formation, thereby eliminating the need for pre-determined bead profiles required by finite element models. For computational efficiency, a coordinate system attached to the moving heat source is utilized. A subroutine is developed to convert the temperature profiles in the reference frame stationary to the heat source to that stationary to the workpiece. The converted thermal cycles are then imported into a microstructure model to compute the tempering kinetics and resultant hardness using a Johnson-Mehl-Avrami-Kolmogorov (JMAK), and modified Grange-Baughman parameter. The modeling approach is first developed and validated on single- and multi-pass deposition of stainless steel filler metal onto a SA-533 high strength steel substrate. The models are then applied to a multi-pass V-groove repair weld of Grade 91 steel plate as well as directed energy deposition of Grade 92 steel. Non-destructive characterization of microstructures was performed on Grade 91 and 92 steel welds. Two welding processes, cold metal transfer (CMT) and flux-cored arc welding (FCAW), were investigated for the Grade 91 steel weld samples. For the Grade 92 weld samples, three different heat inputs (low, medium, and high) of gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) were utilized to replicate traditional field welding processes. The non-destructive evaluation (NDE) method used for this research was immersion ultrasonic testing (UT) using a micro-resolution ultrasonic imaging methodology specifically designed to operate in the through-transmission configuration operating at 20 MHz of frequency. The system used a focused ultrasonic beam spot size diameter between 250-300 μm, and a 6 μm laser vibrometer spot size for detection, to produce highly defined images with longitudinal and mode-converted shear waves. From the micro-resolution ultrasonic C-scan images, three microstructural regions, i.e., weld metal (WM), HAZ, and base metal (BM), were clearly identifiable. Various levels of ultrasonic amplitudes distributed over the three regions were correlated with electron beam backscattered diffraction (EBSD) images using grain size, grain boundaries, and dislocation densities. The results showed that areas with relatively higher ultrasonic amplitude levels were associated with smaller grains and higher dislocation densities, while areas with lower amplitude levels were associated with larger grains and lower dislocation densities. In addition, ultrasonic velocity data obtained across the three different weld microstructural regions of Grade 91 test samples were correlated with optical metallographic images and hardness measurements. The results showed distinctive decreases in ultrasonic velocity and hardness over the HAZ region, where weld failures often occur during service.
Compact motor drive positions guide for welding filler wire. Drive part of automated wire feeder in partly or fully automated welding system. Drive unit contains three parallel subunits. Rotations of lead screws in three subunits coordinated to obtain desired motions in three degrees of freedom. Suitable for both variable-polarity plasma arc welding and gas/tungsten arc welding.
SHINE Medical Technologies is developing a facility that will produce molybdenum-99 for medical isotope procedures. As part of this facility, a metal tank, called the target solution vessel (TSV), will hold a uranyl sulfite solution. The TSV must withstand neutron irradiation near room temperature and potential corrosion from the aqueous solution. The large cylindrical TSV will be fabricated by welding and will have numerous pipes and connections also attached via welding. The vessel and those pipes will have varying thicknesses so both gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and flux-cored arc welding (FCAW) will be necessary to fabricate different sections. The original material under consideration for the TSV was Zircaloy-4 (Zry-4), but it is known to form a hydride which can degrade its mechanical properties. Thus, some investigation here is focused on the effects of hydrogen uptake in the Zry-4. Additionally, the alternative material being considered is AISI 347, a stainless steel. Both materials have little existing data for their neutron irradiation behavior below 100°C, and both have open questions on the weld behavior under neutron irradiation. Testing has focused on characterizing their weld properties with tensile tests and performing neutron irradiation of samples in the High Flux Isotope Reactor (HFIR) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL).
The invention relates to a gas shielded electric arc welding torch having a detachable gas cup extension which may be of any desired configuration or length. The gas cup extension assembly is mounted on a standard electric welding torch gas cup to enable welding in areas with limited access. The gas cup assembly has an upper tubular insert that fits within the gas cup such that its lower portion protrudes thereform and has a lower tubular extension that is screwed into the lower portion. The extension has a rim to define the outer perimeter of the seat edge about its entrance opening so a gasket may be placed to effect an airtight seal between the gas cup and extension. The tubular extension may be made of metal or cermaic material that can be machined. The novelty lies in the use of an extension assembly for a standard gas cup of an electric arc welding torch which extension assembly is detachable permitting the use of a number of extensions which may be of different configurations and materials and yet fit the standard gas cup.
The basic purpose of this paper is to provide a literature review relative to fabrication of the General Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) that is used to provide electrical power for deep space missions of NASA. The particular fabrication operation to be addressed here is arc welding of the GPHS encapsulation. A considerable effort was made to optimize the fabrication of the fuel pellets and of other elements of the encapsulation; that work will not be directly addressed in this paper. This report consists of three basic sections: 1) a brief description of the GPHS will be provided as background information for the reader; 2) mechanical properties and the optimization thereof as relevant to welding will be discussed; 3) a review of the arc welding process development and optimization will be presented. Since the welding equipment must be upgraded for future production, some discussion of the historical establishment of relevant welding variables and possible changes thereto will also be discussed.
The electric-arc welding of commercially available single-mode optical fiber has been demonstrated. A mean transmission of 92% and a maximum transmission of 98% are reported for welds of fiber waveguide of 4.5 microns core diameter.
A new wrought FeMnAl steel contains high Mn content and high Al content. This steel has high strength. When it is compared to conventional steels with the similar strength, its density is lower. FeMnAl steels can be used in armor vehicle manufacturing, in which welding is a common practice to join the steel plates together. The welding of FeMnAl steels has not been sufficiently studied before. Here, this work studied the weldability and weld microstructure of an FeMnAl steel and provided useful data for the welding practice of FeMnAl steels. The influences of weld filler metals and shielding gases were studied, using single-pass bead-on-plate gas metal arc welding (GMAW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) two processes. The optimal filler metals and shielding gases have been determined to achieve the better weldability. Autogenous GTAW and electron beam welding were also conducted. Cracks were found in the HAZ in the GMAW welds and electron beam welds. Fewer or no cracks were found in the HAZ of GTAW welds. SEM, SEM/EDX, TEM, TEM/EDX, and EBSD were used to analyze the grain boundaries in the HAZ and the cracks. The grain boundaries of FeMnAl base metal are mostly high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs), which attract impurity and solute atoms and cause intergranular cracking. The proposed cracking mechanisms are liquation cracking and ductility-dip cracking. It was found that GTAW provides much better weldability for the FeMnAl steel than GMAW and EBW.
The potential for stress corrosion cracking (SCC) of welded stainless-steel interim storage containers for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) has been identified as a high priority data gap. This paper presents a fusion welding process that was developed for SNF canister repair. Submerged arc welding (SAW) was developed to weld 12.7 mm (0.5 in.) thick 304L stainless steel plates to simulate the initial welds on SNF canisters. The SAW procedure was qualified following ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code requirements. During SAW, the welding temperature was recorded at various locations by using thermocouples. After SAW, weld microstructures were characterized, joint mechanical properties were tested, and the maximum tensile residual stress direction was identified. After SAW procedure qualification, artificial cracks were excavated perpendicular to the maximum tensile residual stress direction in the SAW heat affected zone. Machine cold-wire gas tungsten arc welding (CW-GTAW) was developed and used for repair welding at cracked locations.
Highlights: • The influence of cold wire addition to the tandem submerged arc welding process on the ICRCGHAZ is investigated. • Comprehensive characterization of the microstructure and micro-hardness in the ICRCGHAZ of a HSLA steel is performed. • A lower fraction of finely distributed M-A formed in the ICRCGHAZ of TSAW + cold wire steel, leading to lower micro-hardness. • The aspect ratio and inter-particle spacing of M-A constituents decreased in the ICRCGHAZ through cold wire addition. - Abstract: The thermal cycles that high strength low alloy (HSLA) low carbon steels experience during welding inevitably affect the microstructure and mechanical properties of the weld joints. It is generally agreed that the coarse-grained heat affected zone (CGHAZ) and the intercritical reheated coarse-grained heat affected zone (ICRCGHAZ) in one-pass and multi-pass welding, respectively, have the poorest microstructure and mechanical properties relative to the rest of the steel joint. The martensite-austenite (M-A) constituents formed in the HAZ regions predominantly govern property deterioration in the CGHAZ and the ICRCGHAZ by promoting the initiation and propagation of micro-cracks. However, the characteristics of the M-A constituents, i.e., fraction, size, shape and aspect ratio, are strongly affected by the welding heat input. Accordingly, in this study, the aim was to evaluate the influence of a cold wire addition in conventional tandem submerged arc welding (TSAW + cold-wire) on the microstructure and micro-hardness in the CGHAZ and ICRCGHAZ. Microstructural characterization showed that a lower fraction of finely distributed M-A constituents associated with smaller prior austenite grains (PAGs) formed in the CGHAZ of the steel welded by the TSAW + cold-wire process (CW-OD weld) relative to that welded by the conventional TSAW process (TW-OD weld). Furthermore, the fraction of M-A constituents in the ICRCGHAZ of the CW-OD weld was decreased. A higher fraction of slender shaped M-A constituents in the ICRCGHAZ of the TW-OD weld resulted in an increase in the micro-hardness. The microstructure and micro-hardness changes associated with cold wire addition were attributed to the lower welding heat input and, consequently, the faster cooling rate with a corresponding reduction in the retention time in the austenitic region and ferrite/austenite region in the CGHAZ and ICRCGHAZ regions, respectively.
Circuit maintains arc length on irregularly shaped workpieces. Length of plasma arc continuously adjusted by control circuit to maintain commanded value. After pilot arc is established, contactor closed and transfers arc to workpiece. Control circuit then half-wave rectifies ac arc voltage to produce dc control signal proportional to arc length. Circuit added to plasma arc welding machines with few wiring changes. Welds made with circuit cleaner and require less rework than welds made without it. Beads smooth and free of inclusions.
Commercially pure titanium is used for low-temperature applications due to good toughness attributed to single-phase microstructure (α). Electron beam welding (EBW) and gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) processes have been used for welding two grades of commercially pure titanium (Grade 2 and Grade 4). Martensitic microstructure is found to be finer in the case of EBW joint as compared to GTAW joint due to faster rate of cooling in the former process. Weldments have been characterized to study the mechanical behavior at ambient (298 K) and cryogenic temperatures (20 and 77 K). Strength of weldments increases with the decrease in temperature, which is found to be more prominent in case of Grade 4 titanium as compared to Grade 2. Weld efficiency of Grade 4 is found to be higher at all the temperatures (ambient, 77 and 20 K). However, ultimate tensile strength/yield strength ratio is higher for Grade 2 as compared to Grade 4. % Elongation is found to increase/retained at cryogenic temperatures for Grade 2, and it is found to decrease for Grade 4. Electron backscattered diffraction analysis and transmission electron microscopy of deformed samples confirmed the presence of extensive twinning in Grade 2 and the presence of finer martensitic structure in Grade 4. Fractography analysis of tested specimens revealed the presence of cleavage facets in Grade 4 and dimples in specimens of Grade 2. Higher strength in Grade 4 is attributed to higher oxygen restricting the twin-assisted slip, which is otherwise prominent in Grade 2 titanium.
Mechanical properties of welded SiC-ZrB 2 and SiC-ZrB 2 -ZrC ceramics were measured up to 1700 °C. Commercial powders were hot pressed, machined into coupons, and preheated to 1600 °C before joining the ceramics using either tungsten inert gas welding or plasma arc welding. Toughness of the parent materials was 3–4 MPa*m 1/2 which decreased after welding to 2–2.5 MPa*m 1/2 . Strength of the SiC-ZrB 2 -ZrC parent material was ~700 MPa at 25 °C, ~300 MPa at 1700 °C, and retained 40–60% of this strength once welded. Strength of the SiC-ZrB2 parent material was ~600 MPa at 25 °C and 1700 °C and retained 20–30% of this strength once welded. Griffith analysis indicated that the strength in the parent materials was controlled by the size of SiC clusters while strength of welds was controlled by the size of pores in fusion zones. Therefore, removal of pores in produced fusion zones should be investigated to improve strength of future ceramic welds.
The eye is protected against bright light by the natural aversion response to viewing bright light sources. The aversion response normally protects the eye against injury from viewing bright light sources such as the sun, arc lamps and welding arcs, since this aversion limits the duration of exposure to a fraction of a second (about 0.25 s). The principal retinal hazard resulting from viewing bright light sources is photoretinitis, e.g., solar retinitis with an accompanying scotoma which results from staring at the sun. Solar retinitis was once referred to as 'eclipse blindness' and associated 'retinal burn'. Only in recent years has it become clear that photoretinitis results from a photochemical injury mechanism following exposure of the retina to shorter wavelengths in the visible spectrum, i.e., violet and blue light. Prior to conclusive animal experiments at that time, it was thought to be a thermal injury mechanism. However, it has been shown conclusively that an intense exposure to short-wavelength light (hereafter referred to as 'blue light') can cause retinal injury. The product of the dose-rate and the exposure duration always must result in the same exposure dose (in joules-per-square centimeter at the retina) to produce a threshold injury. Blue-light retinal injury (photoretinitis) can result from viewing either an extremely bright light for a short time, or a less bright light for longer exposure periods. This characteristic of photochemical injury mechanisms is termed reciprocity and helps to distinguish these effects from thermal burns, where heat conduction requires a very intense exposure within seconds to cause a retinal coagulation otherwise, surrounding tissue conducts the heat away from the retinal image. Injury thresholds for acute injury in experimental animals for both corneal and retinal effects have been corroborated for the human eye from accident data. Occupational safety limits for exposure to UVR and bright light are based upon this knowledge. As with any photochemical injury mechanism must consider the action spectrum, which describes the relative effectiveness of different wavelengths in causing a photobiological effect. The action spectrum for photochemical retinal injury peaks at approximately 440 nm.
Welding is a common method that allows two metallic materials to be joined together with high structural integrity. When joints need to be leak-tight, light-weight, or free of contaminant-trapping seams or surface asperities, welding tends to be specified. There are many welding techniques, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Some of these techniques include Forge Welding, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding, Friction Stir Welding, and Laser Beam Welding to name a few. Whichever technique is used, the objective is a structural joint that meets the requirements of a particular component or assembly. A key practice in producing quality welds is the use of shielding gas. This article discusses various weld techniques, quality of the welds, and importance of shielding gas in each of those techniques. Metallic bonds, or joints, are produced when metals are put into intimate contact. In the solid-state "blacksmith welding" process, now called Forge Welding (FOW), the site to be joined is pounded into intimate contact. The surfaces to be joined usually need to be heated to make it easier to deform the metal. The surfaces are sprinkled with a flux to melt surface oxides and given a concave shape so that surface contamination can be squeezed out of the joint as the surfaces are pounded together; otherwise the surface contamination would be trapped in the joint and would weaken the weld. In solid-state welding processes surface oxides or other contamination are typically squeezed out of the joint in "flash."
Austenitic stainless steels are widely used in high performance pressure vessels, nuclear, chemical, process and medical industry due to their very good corrosion resistance and superior mechanical properties. However, austenitic stainless steels are prone to sensitization when subjected to higher temperatures (673 K to 1173 K) during the manufacturing process (e.g. welding) and/or certain applications (e.g. pressure vessels). During sensitization, chromium in the matrix precipitates out as carbides and intermetallic compounds (sigma, chi and Laves phases) decreasing the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties. In the present investigation, 304L austenitic stainless steel was subjected to different heat inputs by shielded metal arc welding process using a standard 308L electrode. The microstructural developments were characterized by using optical microscopy and electron backscattered diffraction, while the residual stresses were measured by X-ray diffraction using the sin{sup 2}ψ method. It was observed that even at the highest heat input, shielded metal arc welding process does not result in significant precipitation of carbides or intermetallic phases. The ferrite content and grain size increased with increase in heat input. The grain size variation in the fusion zone/heat affected zone was not effectively captured by optical microscopy. This study shows that electron backscattered diffraction is necessary to bring out changes in the grain size quantitatively in the fusion zone/heat affected zone as it can consider twin boundaries as a part of grain in the calculation of grain size. The residual stresses were compressive in nature for the lowest heat input, while they were tensile at the highest heat input near the weld bead. The significant feature of the welded region and the base metal was the presence of a very strong texture. The texture in the heat affected zone was almost random. - Highlights: • Effect of heat input on microstructure, residual stresses and corrosion is studied. • HAZ and width of dendrite in the welded region increase with heat input. • Residual stresses are tensile near the welded region after the highest heat input. • Welded region has the highest pit density after highest heat input. • Dendrites and δ-ferrite were highly oriented in the welded region.
In this study, the microstructural features of 7A52 heat-treatable aluminum alloys welded by variable polarity plasma arc (VPPA) combined with gas metal arc welding (GMAW) (VPPA–GMAW) were investigated and compared with those of 7A52 aluminum alloys welded by GMAW. The grain structures and modification of the precipitates were analyzed by optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Complementary to modification of the precipitates, the precipitation evolution in the heat-affected zone and magnesium loss in the fusion zone were measured by differential scanning calorimetry and inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. In VPPA–GMAW, the weld only needs one pass by depositing on one side of the 10-mm-thick aluminum alloy plates because of the large penetration capability of VPPA and good fluidity of the molten metal in the weld pool. Accordingly, the effect of excessive heat input on the microstructure can be minimized. The results show that the grain growth is not obvious and the magnesium loss is small in the fusion zone of VPPA–GMAW compared with that of GMAW under the condition of equal heat input to the workpiece. Small precipitates inside the grains remain homogeneously distributed, and a large volume fraction of the η′ phase exists. The VPPA–GMAW weld exhibits less tendency to soften; thus, VPPA–GMAW is appropriate for welding thick-plate aluminum alloys with a high production rate.
In the present work, the influence of heat input on phase balance, residual stresses and corrosion resistance of UNS 32101 lean duplex stainless steel welds has been investigated. Three weldment types were obtained with different heat inputs by varying welding current, using gas tungsten arc welding process. The results revealed that increasing heat input caused a significant microstructural evolution with high austenite fraction in weld metals. The residual stresses were measured on the surface and through the sample’s thickness by x-ray diffraction technique based on Sin{sup 2}ψ method. The results showed an inversely proportional relationship between the heat input and the compressive residual stresses on the surface and through the thickness of the weld metal. Potentiodynamic polarization tests of the different welded joints evaluated in 3.5% NaCl solution exhibited high corrosion resistance of the weld metal produced with the low heat input.