COMPARISION OF HEAT AFFECTED ZONE IN WELDED

JOINTS

When steel is welded it is heated , the microstructure of heated

portion is different from that of the base metal and is described
as the heat affected zone. Rapid heating and cooling takes place
throughout welding, which generate severe thermal cycle near
weld line region. Non uniform heating and cooling in the
material cause residual stress ,cold cracking inclination in the
weld metal and parent metal.
The microstructure of the base metal (mild steel) observed
through the microscope ,the light thick layers are ferrite phase
while cementite phase appears as thin dark layers in between.
The microstructure consisting of alternate layers of alpha-ferrite
and cementite phase is known as pearlite.Alpha-ferrite is an
interstitial solid solution of carbon in bcc iron. Maximum
solubility is 0.022wt%C at 727*C.Here we have Hypoeutectoid
steel which has Proeutectoid-alpha in its structure. Both 5mm
and 10mm pieces have almost the same structure.
 MICROSTRUCTURE BEFORE WELDIND(magnification-200X)

WELDED STRUCTURE
The structure of the welded region is very much different than
that of the base metal. After welding the structure becomes just
like normalised steel, ie. the structure contains fine lamella of
pearlite.
Since the welding temperature was only just above A3 line and
it was allowed to cool in air at room temperature we obtained
normalised structure.
The grains are more finer when they are nearer to the base
metal. Thermal cycles cause residual stress and cold cracking
inclination in the weld region. It decreases the tensile strength
of the material.

MICROSTRUCTURE OF 10mm THICK WELDED PLATE (magnification 100X)

ANNEALED AFTER WELDING

After welding the specimen is heated in a furnace about 50-
90*C above upper critical temperature .Retaining the
component at this temperature converts the microstructure
into austenite upon very slow cooling in furnace the austenite
decomposes into ferrite and cementite ie. coarse pearlite.