What are low alloy steels, and what precautions

should I take when welding them?

Frequently Asked Questions
Low alloy steels contain a few percent (typically between 1 and 7%) of elements such as Cr, Ni, Mo
and V. This category includes chromium steels (containing up to 5% Cr and 1% Mo) and nickel steels
(containing up to 5% Ni).
Low alloy steels are generally weldable (see What is weldability?), but it is important to know the
service, joint configuration and the subgroup of the material type. Low alloy steels can be welded by
most processes, as long as adequate precautions are taken to avoid defects. It is important to know
the composition of the material, either from a mill sheet or a dedicated chemical analysis, as
composition influences weldability significantly.
With increasing carbon or alloy content, low alloy steels generally become more difficult to weld as the
heat affected zone hardness increases. The need for postweld heat treatment (PWHT) of these joints
also increases. The composition is also important in identifying high, but allowable, levels of residual
elements such as sulphur or phosphorus, which can lead to problems with liquation cracking or temper
embrittlement during PWHT.
To avoid fabrication hydrogen cracking, it is important to use low hydrogen processes and
consumables, particularly as increasing the carbon and alloy content, and increasing the section
thickness, increases the risk of hydrogen cracking. A post-heat treatment may be required to reduce
the levels of hydrogen in the weld region.

1: Brittle Fracture Surface

Materials that do not fail in a ductile manner will fail in a brittle manner.
Brittle fractures are characterised as having little or no plastic deformation prior to failure.
Materials that usually fracture in a brittle manner are glasses, ceramics, and some polymers and metals. Under some
circumstances some metals that are usually ductile will fail in a brittle manner, possibly with catastrophic results.
Like ductile fractures, brittle fractures also have a distinctive fracture surface. The fracture surface of a brittle failure is
usually reasonably smooth. The crack propagates through the material by a process called cleavage.
The images below show the fracture surface of a steel that failed in a brittle manner.

Cleavage

Crack
propagation (cleavage) in brittle materials occurs through planar sectioning of the atomic bonds between the atoms at
the crack tip.