Pay attention to

dissimilar-metal welds

Guidelines for welding

dissimilar metals

Reprinted with permission

from
Chemical Engineering Progress May 1991
1991 American Institute of Chemical Engineers
All rights reserved

NiDI
NICKEL DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE
NiDI Reprint Series NO 14 018

Richard E. Avery
T he material presented in
this publication has been
prepared for the general
information of the reader
and should not be used or
relied on for specific
applications without first
securing competent advice.
The Nickel Development
Institute, its members, staff
and consultants do not
represent or warrant its
suitability for any general or
specific use and assume no
liability or responsibility of
any kind in connection with
the information herein.
Pay Attention to
Dissimilar-Metal Welds
D
issimilar-metal welding refers to
Recent the joining of two different alloy
systems. Actually all fusion
experience with welds are dissimilar-metal welds
boiler tubing (DMWs) because the metals being joined
have a wrought structure and the welds
reveals how have a cast structure. Frequently the match-
welding ing-composition filler metal is deliberately
altered from that of the base alloys. For this
practices affect discussion a dissimilar-metal weld will be
weld joint that between metals of two different alloy
systems.
performance On this matter, the chemical process
in service. industries can learn something from the
power industry. A very common DMW ap-
plication is joining ferritic [e.g., 2 1/4%
Cr-1% Mo (UNS K21590)] tubes to
austenitic boiler tubes such as 304H
(S30409) or a similar austenitic stainless
steel. Because these welds are so impor-
tant, they are treated separately in this
article.
Metallugical factors
Richard E. Avery,
In dissimilar-metal welding, the prop-
Avery Consulting
erties of three metals must be considered:
Associates, Inc. the two metals being joined and the filler
metal used to join them. For example, if
one of the metals being joined is welded
using preheat when welding to itself, pre-
heat should be used in making a DMW.
Another variable might be heat input con-
trol. On occasion there may be a conflict in
that the optimum control for one metal is
undesirable for the other. In this case, a
compromise is needed. This is one reason
the development of a DMW procedure
often requires more study than for a con-
ventional, similar-metal welding proce-
dure.
Fusion welds and other joining meth-
ods. The processes available for joining
dissimilar metals are:
l. Fusion welds. The processes for fu-
sion welds include shielded metal arc
(SMAW), gas metal arc (GMAW), sub-
merged arc (SAW), flux cored arc
1
(FCAW), and gas tungsten arc (GTAW).
With these processes there is a well-defined
weld that preferably contains a substantial
filler-metal addition. With the GTAW
process, however, the amount of filler
added is controlled by the welder. The
welder should be trained to make the prop-
er filler-metal addition used for the partic-
ular welding procedure.
2. Low-dilution welds. Low-dilution
welds include electron beam, laser, and
pulsed arc; the amount of base metal melt-
ed is relatively small, and filler metals are
not normally added.
3. Nonfusion joining: Typical nonfusion
joining processes are friction welding, and
explosion welding, diffusion bonding
along with brazing and soldering.
Dissimilar-metal joints can usually be
made by any of these methods, but low-di-
lution and nonfusion joining processes are
more often used for high-production, spe-
cial-application joining. DMWs encoun-
tered in power and process industries are
most often fusion welds made by the more
common welding processes.
In fusion welding, the weld metal is a
mixture of the two metals being joined and
the filler metal. In arc welds made with
consumable electrode processes such as
SMAW, GMAW, SAW, and FCAW, the
weld metal is well mixed or stirred by the
arc action and the composition is quite uni-
form from one area to another. By sampling
any place in the weld bead, the weld com-
position is determined and weld properties
reasonably predicted. While the bulk of the
weld is well mixed, there is an unmixed
zone (UMZ) at the weld interface, which is
a very narrow boundary layer of melted
base metal that froze before mixing with
the weld metal. Fortunately, the UMZ is
seldom important in normal service envi-
ronments but, on rare occasions, has ex-
hibited selected corrosion attack. There is
also a zone of unmelted base metal that will
have been altered by the heat of welding.
This heat-affected zone (HAZ) can Table 1. Determining DMW composition
influence service life.
Determining weld composition.
Method Advantages Limitations
It is necessary to know the approxi-
mate weld metal composition before
the service performance can be pre- 1. Chemical analysis of Most accurate Time consuming
dicted. Table 1 lists three methods of weld determination Expensive
determining the weld metal compo-
sition along with advantages and lim-
itations. The technique for method 1 2. Approximation of Less expensive and Estimating the
is obvious: metal is removed from base metal dilution usually shorter than percentage
the weld and an analysis performed. by weldcross section chemical analysis often difficult in
Method 2 approximates weld dilu- and composition welds such as
tion by area measurement as shown calculated multipass welds
in Figure 1. Method 3 uses the fol-
lowing base metal dilution percent-
ages for some of the common weld- 3. Approximate dilution Very fast way of Welding
ing processes: figures for common estimating rough technique can
SMAW (covered electrode): 20 welding processes composition have a strong
to 25% dilution and composition No laboratory work influence of
GMAW (spray arc): 20 to 40% calculated involved dilution in some
dilution processes, e.g.,
GTAW: 20 to 50% dilution
GMAW, GTAW
SAW (submerged arc): 20 to
50% dilution
The figures are approximate be- metal welding. In other words, it is sion and oxidation resistance equal
cause the welding technique has a assumed both metals in a DMW are to the least resistant base metal being
strong influence on the dilution, par- basically weldable. joined. When a DMW is in an envi-
ticularly with GTAW. Dilution in the Service condition effects. A ronment where the liquid can be an
SMAW process is most predictable, properly engineered DMW matches electrolyte, the weld metal should be
which is an advantage in making weld properties to the service condi- cathodic to (more corrosion resis-
DMWs. tions. Some of the more important tant than) both base metals. If the
When the amount of dilution from factors to be considered are me- weld is anodic (less corrosion re-
the base metal is determined by ei- chanical and physical sistant), it can suffer
ther method 2 or 3 of Table 1, the properties and weld accelerated galvan-
average percentage of a specific corrosion/oxidation re- Ductility ic corrosion.
element, X, is determined by the sistance.
comparable to Dissimilar-metal
formula below. In this example, the Mechanical prop-
combinations
dilution is 15% from each base metal erties. The weld metal the metals being
A and B, while the filler metal con- should be equal to or Nickel-containing
tributes 70% of the weld volume. stronger than the joined is desirable, and nickel alloys
XX = (XA)(0.15) + (XB)(0.15) + weaker material being but not always are easily welded to
(XF)(0.70) joined, although the most commercially
where XX is the average percentage American Society of possible. used metals.
of element X in the weld metal, XA is Mechanical Engineers Exceptions are fu-
the percentage of element X in (ASME) code allows a sion welding to alu-
base metal A, XB is the percentage weld strength of 95% in some cases. minum, titanium, and most refracto-
of element X in base metal B, and XF Ductility comparable to the metals ry metals and alloys. Some of the
is the percentage of element X in the being joined is desirable, but not al- most commonly encountered com-
filler metal F. ways possible. binations will now be discussed.
Calculations are normally made Physical properties. Weld metal Steel-to-stainless steel welds
for only major alloy constituents, physical properties similar to the below 800F. These are probably the
e.g., iron, chromium, nickel, copper, base metals are desirable. In joints most frequently encountered DMWs
and molybdenum, while elements that are heat cycled, a gross mis- in industry, with the possible excep-
such as carbon or manganese are sel- match in the coefficient of thermal tion of boiler tube welds. In devel-
dom figured. Carbon is an important expansion can lead to an early ther- oping a DMW procedure, it is im-
factor in the weldability of iron base mal fatigue failure. portant to note the welding
alloys, but it is of no more signifi- Weld corrosion/oxidation resis- parameters normally used for each
cance in a DMW than in similar tance. The weld should have corro- of the metals being joined so that

2

R.E. AVERY, of Avery
Consulting Associates, Inc.,
Londonderry, NH (603/434-
2625; Fax: 603/425-2542),
and consultant to the Nickel
Development Institute, has
had more than 35 years ex-
perience in the fabrication
and joining of stainless
steels and high-nickel alloys.
He has authored more than
12 articles on welding as
well as sections of the
American Welding Society
Handbook. A registered
professional engineer,
he graduated from the
Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute with a B.S. in
metallurgical engineering.
those that are appropriate are in-
cluded in the welding procedure.
Carbon and low-alloy side con-
siderations. A simple guide in
making DMWs is to use the same
parameters such as preheat, inter-
pass temperature, heat input, post-
weld heat treatment, etc. that are
used in welding the alloys to them-
selves. Some of these controls are
as follows.
1. Carbon steels with less than
0.20% carbon can normally be weld-
ed with austenitic fillers without pre-
heat, but when the carbon is greater
than 0.30% temperature control is nec-
essary. As alloy content increases, i.e.,
in the case of low-alloy steels, preheat
control is usually essential.
Figure 1. Weld bead with 30% dilution, 15% from Metal A and 15% from Metal B.
2. Austenitic-covered electrodes corrosion resistance and adversely
or flux-cored wires should have low affect the mechanical properties of
moisture content to prevent hydro- many standard grades of stainless
gen-associated defects in the low- steel.
alloy HAZ. Coating moisture levels 2. Heating unstabilized stainless
acceptable for welding austenitic al- steels that have a carbon content of
loys may cause hydrogen-related 0.03% or higher can significantly re-
problems such as underbead crack- duce the intergranular corrosion re-
ing in the HAZ of a low-alloy steel. sistance. If heat treatment is a ne-
Electrodes can be rebaked in accor- cessity and full corrosion resistance
dance with manufac- of the austenitic stain
turers recommenda- less steel is needed,
tions to reduce columbium- or titani-
moisture. High-restraint um-stabilized types or
3. High-restraint joints are the low-carbon grades
joints are susceptible to (less than 0.03% C)
cracking unless preheat susceptible to should be used.
is used. The degree of cracking unless Filler-metal con-
restraint varies with siderations. One of
joint design and metal preheat is used. the most common
thickness. Material DMW combinations is
over about 1 1/4 in. (32 ty p e 304 ( UNS
mm) can be highly restrained and S30400) stainless to a low-carbon or
usually requires preheat. mild steel. Type 308 (S30800), the
4. When a preheat is needed, a standard filler metal for welding
temperature of 300F is usually ad- type 304 to itself, should not be used
equate with 400F used in severe to make this weld. Some type 308
conditions. Upon completion, the welds may be satisfactory, but even-
weld should be slow cooled to allow tually there will be quality problems
hydrogen to diffuse from the HAZ. because of iron dilution.
Stainless steel side considera- A higher alloy filler metal such as
tions. As with welding stainless steel type 309 (S30900) with a ferrite
to itself, good practice includes such number (FN) over 10 or type 312
items as proper cleaning before (S31200) with an FN over 25 should
welding, good fitup, and proper be used. The effect of dilution on an
shielding gases. Other considerations austenitic stainless steel weld can be
include the following: illustrated using the WRC 1988 dia-
1. Postweld heat treatments such gram in Figure 2. The structure of a
as a 1,100-1,300F stress relief are stainless steel weld may be fully
often beneficial in improving HAZ austenitic, such as type 310
properties in ferritic steels. This heat (S31000), or contain varying
treatment can, however, reduce the amounts of delta ferrite, as with types
3
 Figure 2. Effect of 25% mild steel dilution types 308, 309, and 312 weld metals. Structure of the diluted 308 is austenite and
martensite while 309 and 312 austenite and ferrite.
308, 309 or 312. The amount of fer- While types 309 and 312 are now
rite is determined by the composition widely used for DMWs, type 310 has
and weld cooling rates; the faster the a long history of use in dissimilar-
cooling, the higher the ferrite con- metal welding and for welding diffi-
tent. Fully austenitic welds are more cult metals including high-hardening
susceptible to hot cracking or fis- alloys such as tool steels. Type 310
sures than welds containing about welds often have given excellent
5% or more ferrite. service in spite of minor fissures de-
Figure 2 also shows that marten- tectable by liquid penetrant testing.
site (M) may be formed as the nick- One caution in using 310 for weath-
el and chromium equivalents are re- ering steels containing 0.070.15 %
duced. Martensite is a hard, low- phosphorus is the probable weld
ductile phase that is prone to hy- metal cracking. Type 309 or 312
drogen-related defects. In DMWs, it filler metals can better tolerate this
is best to avoid martensite. If type level of phosphorus and should be
308 filler metal is diluted by 25% used.
with mild steel, the weld metal is in Steel-to-stainless steel welds
the austenitemartensite over 800F. When
(A + M) phase area of service temperatures
Figure 2. Types 309 and Martensite is a are above 800F, the
312 electrodes both ideal filler is a nick-
have more nickel and hard, low-ductile elchromium or nick-
chromium and when di- phase that is el ch r o m iu m i r o n
luted by carbon steel are metal such as
still in the austenitefer- prone to American Welding
rite (A + F) phase area hydrogen-related Society (AWS)
and maintain excellent A5.14 Class ERNiCr-
crack resistance. defects. 3 bare wire or AWS
4
A5.11 Class ENiCrFe-2 or Class
ENiCrFe-3 electrodes. Nickel alloy
welds have a coefficient of thermal
expansion (COE) between ordinary
steel and austenitic stainless. With
the higher COE type 309 and 312
welds, there is a high stress concen-
tration at the steel-side fusion line
that, during thermal cycling, invites
thermal fatigue failures.
Another caution in using stainless
steel filler metals occurs when the
weldment is heat treated between
1100 and 1300F. Welds containing
higher amounts of delta ferrite, e.g.,
type 312 (FN more than 25) or type
309 (FN more than 10), can lose
room temperature ductility and suf-
fer reduced corrosion resistance as a
result of sigma formation in this tem-
perature range. If postweld heat treat-
ment in this range is required, a low-
ferrite composition weld metal
reduces the chance of sigma forma-
tion. Another method is to first but-
ter (surface by weld overlay) the
ferritic side with type 309 followed
by the heat treatment for the ferritic
 Figure 3. Typical dissimilar-metal weld defects in boiler tubes after a long time in service.

side. The butt weld is then made of the joint are nonmagnetic. Even bon steel to various grades of
using using a conventional filler such when all of materials are magnetic, chromium-molybdenum steels to
as type 308. An alternative is a the degree of ferromagnetism can austenitic stainless steels such as
nickel alloy filler metal that is not vary because of composition dif- type 304H (UNS S30409). This in-
subject to sigma formation. ferences, and the magnetic differ- volves a number of DMWs. The fer-
Other dissimilar-metal combi- ences can give false indications at ritic-to-austenitic welds have expe-
nations. Nickel- and copper-base al- the fusion line. Because of this, liq- rienced early service life failures.
loys are often welded to carbon and uid penetrant inspection is most fre- These welds have traditionally been
low-alloy steels as well as to each quently used for surface inspection. made with either an austenitic stain-
other. After determining the approx- Nondestructive radiographic less steel or a nickelchromium alloy
imate composition of the DMW, the inspection. DMWs can be inspected filler metal. Failures that occur after
approximate maximum tolerance using the same procedures and in- about five years have not been relat-
limits for major alloying elements spection standards employed in sim- ed to ordinary weld defects such as
can be determined; see Table 2. ilar-metal joints. The exposure slag, lack of fusion, or porosity but
should be selected for the material are related to metallurical changes
Inspection and testing and thickness of greatest interest. due to service conditions. The num-
In qualifying a welding proce- Because of differences in the radio- ber of DMW failures increased sig-
dure specification, DMWs are usu- graphic density, interpretation of nificantly in the mid to late 1970s,
ally evaluated by tensile radiographs can be and investigations were initiated in
and bend tests like sim- somewhat different North America under the direction of
ilar-metal welds. When DMWs can be than with similar the Electrical Power Research
either of the base metals Institute (EPRI). A brief summary of
or the weld metal is sig-
inspected using metal welds.
Nondestructive ul their findings follows.
nificantly weaker, which the same trasonic testing. Nature of failures. Typical
is often the case, a inspection When the weld metal is DMW defects in boiler tubes after
longitudinal bend test is coarse grained (such as long times in service are shown in
preferable because all standards an austenitic stainless Figure 3. Through an examination of
elements are forced to employed in steel, nickelchromi- numerous DMWs with 50,000 to
elongate the same um or nickelcopper 200,000 h of service, the EPRI stud-
amount and a better similar-metal weld joining a ferritic ies identified three distinct failure
evaluation is possible. joints. alloy), there is a major modes, all in 2 1/4 Cr1 Mo next to
With a transverse bend problem with interpret- the fusion line.
test, the specimen may tation at the fusion line. 1. Failures that occur along prior
move in the bend die, causing all of For this reason, the ultrasonic testing austenite grain boundaries in the
the elongation to take place in the of DMWs is seldom practical. low-alloy steel about one or two
weaker member and often resulting grains away from the weld fusion
in fracturing. Boiler tube DMWs line; this failure is most commonly
Nondestructive surface in- To make the most effective use of seen in DMWs made with stainless
spection. Magnetic particle testing is the materials in modern boilers, steel filler metal and occasionally in
not possible if one or more parts tubes range in composition from car- nickel-base filler-metal welds.

5
 2. Failures along a line of globu- Table 2. Approximate limit of diluting
lar carbides, formed in service, next elements in welds.*
to the fusion line; this is more com-
mon in DMWs made with nickel- Diluting Elements
base filler metal. Weld Metal Iron Nickel Chromium Copper
3. Failures that result because of
an oxide notch formed on the outside Nickel 30% 30% Unlimited
of the tube at the weld to low-alloy
junction. The notches do not usually
propagate to failure, but can in the Nickel-Copper 2.5% SMAW Unlimited 8% Unlimited
case of thin wall tubes subject to high 15% GMAW
bending stresses; this failure can

occur in both stainless steel and Ni-Cr-Fe 25% Unlimited 30% 15%
nickel base welds.
There is a difference in the service
Copper-Nickel 5% Unlimited 3-5% Unlimited
life of stainless steel and nickel base
welds. The nickel joints last three to
five times longer. Another finding * The limit values should be treated only as guides. Absolute limits are
was that a wider bevel on the ferrit- influenced by the welding process, weld restraint and small variations in
ic side extended service life. weld filler and base metal compositions,
Service conditions and predict-
Silicon should be less than 0.75% in the weld.
ed life. The service life of a boiler
tube DMW is strongly influenced by
the following factors: 1. Shop-welded transition pieces, the weld metal composition of
operating temperature: higher often called dutchmen, are used DMWs. Knowing the composition,
temperatures shorten life; because the DMW can be made weld properties can be predicted for
number of thermal cycles: the under optimum conditions, e.g., a wide range of DMWs.
greater the number of cycles, the down hand, automatic welding, etc.; In establishing a DMW proce-
greater the damage; the i.d. root can be ma- dure, the more restrictive require-
type of thermal cy- chined or ground to ments for each base metal (such as
cles: the cycle can be Knowing the provide a smooth sur- preheat, temperature control, weld
cold, warm, or hot; face; and inspection is heat treatment, etc.) should be
cold cycling causes the composition, easier. The field welds used. On occasion, there will be a
most stress; weld properties are then between sim- conflict that needs special study
temperature
excursions: the higher
can be predicted less steel to stainless and testing.
ilar metals, i.e., stain-

the temperature and. for a wide range steel and low alloy to CEP
number of excursions, of DMWs. low alloy.
the greater the 2. Making the
damage; DMW in the boiler;
total time at temperature: service some companies prefer making one
Literature Cited
life is shortened by longer times at DMW field weld rather than the
temperature. total of three welds described pre- 1. Bailey, N., ed., Welding Dissimilar
By using these factors and other viously. Metals, The Welding Institute,
engineering data, EPRI developed a 3. Nickel-base filler metals are Cambridge, United Kingdom (1986).
software program called Prediction used by most utilities intead of stain- 2. Welding Stainless Steels, Teledyne
of Damage in Service (PODIS) that less steel. The most widely used McKay, York, PA (1984).
estimates the remaining life of a filler metals are AWS A5.14 Class 3. Joining, technical bulletin, Inco
given DMW. PODIS can be helpful ERNiCrFe-2 for the GTAW root and Alloys International, Huntington, WV
covered electrodes conforming to (1985).
in establishing a monitoring inspec-
tion program for DMWs as they ap- AWS A5.11 Class ENiCrFe-2 or 4. Viswanathan, R., Dissimilar Metal
proach the end of their expected life. ENiCrFe-3. Weld and Boiler Creep Damage
Evaluations for Plant Life Extension,
Replacement weld joints. J. Pressure Vessel Technol., 107, pp.
Various utilities employ different In conclusion 218-225 (1985).
practices in making replacement The nickel-containing stainless 5. Roberts, D. I., R. H. Ryder, and R.
boiler tube DMWs, which probably steels, nickel- and copper-base alloys Viswanathan, Performance of
indicates that there is no single best are readily fusion welded to carbon Dissimilar Welds in Service, J.
method. Some of the following ap- and low alloy steel and to each other. Pressure Vessel Technol., 107, pp.
247-254 (1985).
proaches are used: Methods are described to estimate