The Heat-Affected Zone Toughness of
Low-Carbon Microalloyed Steels
The influence of N and P on notch toughness
appears to be significant
BY C. THAULOW, A. J. PAAUW AND K. GUTTORMSEN
ABSTRACT. Low-fracture toughness has
been correlated with brittle zones in the
HAZ of low-carbon microalloyed steels.
This investigation has focused on t w o
aspects of that problem:
1) The extent and the properties of
the brittle zones as a function of heat
input, refinement by subsequent weld
layers and postweld heat treatment.
2) The possibility of surface crack initi-
ation in the cap layer.
The first aspect has been examined
using weld thermal simulation testing,
including CCT diagrams, notch toughness
measurements and microstructural exam-
inations. The second has been investi-
gated using shallow surface notch CTOD
testing of bead-in-groove weldments.
with detailed fracture surface examina-
tions. A good qualitative relationship was
established between the weld thermal
simulation testing, the microstructural
analysis and the CTOD tests. Two low-
toughness zones were identified. Of spe-
cial interest are the crack arrest proper-
ties, the influence of elements such as N,
P and Nb, and the significance of local
brittle zones with respect to the risk of
failure of welded structures.
Introduction
The offshore activities in the North Sea
have to a large extent relied on welded
structures of medium-strength steel. In
the past, research indicated that the hard-
ness requirements in the heat-affected
zone (HAZ) required welding with low
heat inputs. At the same time, it was
determined that high heat inputs should
be avoided because they contributed to
reduced toughness levels in the HAZ. As
C. THAULOW and A. j. PAAUW are with the
Foundation for Scientific and Industrial
Research, Norwegian Institute of Technology,
Trondheim, Norway. K. GUTTORMSEN is with
the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, Sta-
vanger, Norway.
266-s I SEPTEMBER 1987
hardness for structural steels is largely
governed by the carbon content, the
reduction of this element was desirable,
but its reduction lowered the strength
level. Developments in steel production
resulted in the introduction of thermo-
mechanical rolling operations, which cre-
ated the possibility of a large grain refine-
ment of the microstructure that could
compensate for strength losses. The roll-
ing practice is primarily based on the
inhibition of austenite grain growth by
means of microalloying element additions
of Nb, V and Ti. Consequently, new
classes of low-carbon microalloyed steels
were developed and were introduced
into modern offshore structures.
Because of the critical nature of off-
shore activities, highlighted by tragic acci-
dents, a thorough evaluation of the
toughness behavior of weldments is
required. During such studies, low-frac-
ture toughness levels were registered in
weldments of a low-carbon micro-
alloyed steel in both as-welded (AW) and
postweld heat-treated (PWHT) condi-
tions. Toughness was evaluated by
means of crack tip opening displacement
(CTOD) testing. To evaluate the brittle
phenomena in the HAZ in more detail,
the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate ini-
tiated a research project including nine
low-carbon microalloyed steels and one
C-Mn steel. The C-Mn steel, used in the
KEY WORDS
Low-Carbon Steel
Microalloyed Steel
Weldment
HAZ
Weld Simulation Test
Notch Toughness
Fracture Toughness
Crack Initiation
Fracture Surface
Influence of P, N
1970's for offshore applications, was
used as a reference steel. To understand
the brittle behavior, it is important to
locate which part of the HAZ reveals a
low-toughness level, and also to evaluate
if brittle areas can reveal brittle fracture
behavior in large specimens and can
initiate a final fracture behavior. In such a
context, it is of interest to look at the
situation near the plate surface, since
from a theoretical point of view, fractur-
ing is unlikely to occur from small surface
cracks.
Background for the Tests
Single Bead Weldment
Figure 1A illustrates several zones in
the HAZ of a single bead weldment. Each
zone can be characterized by a certain
microstructural composition, which also
can clearly be seen on a macroetched
specimen (Fig. 1B); however, each zone
has no sharp transition, but does have a
transition region. Descending from the
weld interface into the base metal results
in a decreasing peak temperature (Tp),
implying that the different zones can be
indicated with peak temperatures as fol-
lows: coarse-grained zone, 1590°C
(2894°F) < T p < 1100°C; fine-grained
zone, 1100°C ( 2 0 1 2 ° F ) < T p < 850°C;
partially transformed zone, 850°C
(1562°F) < T p < 700°C; and tempered
zone, 7 0 0 ° C ( 1 2 9 2 ° F ) < T p .
The temperatures are only given as
indications, since the actual temperatures
depend on chemical composition and
welding parameters. The coarse-grained
zone is more or less characterized by
quenched microstructures of bainite/
martensite. The increase in peak temper-
ature also resulted in an increase in aus-
tenite grain growth, followed by a subse-
quent coarsening of the microstructure.
Consequently, there is a clear microstruc-
tural gradient in each zone; however, the
microstructure is the same. The fine-
grained zone is characterized by a fine
ferrite grain structure, which resulted
from the normalizing heat treatment of
the base metal. In the partially trans-
formed region, the peak temperature
was too low to produce a complete Peak
transformation. The pearlite has been temperature
transformed, but the transformation at Coarse grained zone Tp
the ferrite grain boundaries was only
partial. Finally, the tempered region is Fine g r a i n e d z o n e
characterized by a thermal treatment of 1100°<
the base material, but no change in the Partially t r a n s f o r m e d z o n e
- 850°C
microstructure was observed by optical
Tempered zone
microscopy. For each point in the HAZ, —700°C
or line parallel the weld interface, the
thermal history is indicated schematically
in Fig. 1A. The temperature cycle is char-
acterized by the peak temperature (TD)
and the cooling time from 800° to 500°C Tp = 1350 C
(Ats/s). The last parameter indicates Temp.
how rapidly the material cools down
and is dependent on the welding para-
meters. Increasing heat input increases
the cooling time, and consequently,
changes the microstructure. Another time
important aspect is that increasing the
cooling time (for instance heat input)
increases the extent of the zones (broad-
er zones).

Multipass Weldment
The situation in a multipass weldment
can be constructed from the condition
shown in Fig. 2. Weld 1 in this figure can
be assumed to be the single bead weld in
Fig. 1. The subsequent weldment, Weld
2, will change the HAZ of Weld 1. How-
ever, it is different from the HAZ of a
single bead weldment. The original
microstructure is not the ferrite/pearlite
microstructure of the base metal, but the
bainite/martensite of the coarse-grained
zone. The thermal history in such a HAZ
can be characterized by two tempera-
ture cycles, as indicated in Fig. 2. Subse-
quent weld beads will influence the
microstructures by a tempering heat Fig. 1— The heat-affected zone (HAZ) of a single bead weldment. A-A schematical presentation
treatment mechanism. of the different zones in the HAZ of a single bead weldment; B-a macrosection of a bead in
groove weldment, Steel 2
Investigated Steels
steels, while one steel (Steel 8) is a C-Mn carbon microalloyed steels is low (0.08-
The chemical compositions are pre- steel of the quality used previously for 0.12 wt-%) compared to the C-Mn steel
sented in Table 1. Nine steels are classi- offshore structures. (0.18 wt-%). However, all the steels have
fied as modern low-carbon microalloyed The carbon content of the nine low- a similar Mn content, in the range of

Table 1—Chemical Composition of the Investigated Steels

Chemical Composition (wt-%) ppm

C Si Mn P S Cu Ni Cr Mo V Ti Nb Al N O H

Steel 1 0.09 0.51 1.56 0.021 0.005 0.13 0.14 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.002 0.041 0.036 0.010 40 <0.5
Steel 2 0.12 0.33 1.49 0.007 0.003 0.23 0.24 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.011 0.028 0.028 0.003 21 <0.5
Steel 3 0.08 0.46 1.42 0.009 0.003 0.12 0.13 0.14 0.01 0.01 0.003 0.048 0.027 0.010 26 <0.5
Steel 4 0.11 0.45 1.32 0.005 0.002 0.21 0.15 0.05 0.02 0.01 0.004 0.017 0.027 0.007 26 <0.5
Steel 5 0.10 0.45 1.33 0.005 0.003 0.25 0.16 0.07 0.03 0.01 0.004 0.017 0.026 0.007 47 <0.5
Steel 6 0.08 0.39 1.39 0.017 0.002 0.26 0.25 0.08 0.02 0.01 0.002 0.030 0.027 0.010 40 <0.5
Steel 7 0.09 0.49 1.39 0.008 0.004 0.31 0.14 0.07 0.02 0.01 0.003 0.048 0.030 0.011 38 <0.5
Steel 8 0.18 0.40 1.41 0.022 0.019 0.03 0.02 0.06 0.01 0.01 0.002 0.030 0.017 0.008 48 <0.5
Steel 9 0.09 0.19 1.55 0.014 0.003 0.24 0.24 0.05 0.02 0.01 0.001 0.032 0.028 0.014 61 <0.5
Steel 10 0.09 0.33 1.43 0.007 0.001 0.25 0.45 0.02 0.01 0.05 0.006 0.022 0.024 0.004 44 <0.5

WELDING RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT I 267-s


i._Vi_-
Cycli Cycle 2
Temp,
(Tp]L,r 900
time
Fig. 2 — The temperature cycle in a multipass weldment
1.3-1.6 wt-%.
All steels are microalloyed with Nb, but
in different quantities, ranging from 0.017
to 0.048 wt-%. Other microalloying ele-
ments include Mo, V, Ti and Al. The levels
are low for M o , V and Ti, with an
exception for Steel 2, which has a Ti
content of 0.011 wt-%. The Al content
varies between 0.017 and 0.036 wt-%,
but that is a low level for steels. All
microalloying elements are affected by
the N content, which varies from 80 to
140 ppm.
Small amounts of Cu and Ni are
present in the steels at a level <0.25
wt-%. An exception is made for Steel 10,
which has a Ni content of 0.45 wt-%.
Steels for offshore applications require
high reduction of area values in the
through thickness direction. Consequent-
ly, the sulfur content is kept very low
(0.001-0.005 wt-%) for all modern low-
carbon microalloyed steels. In contrast,
the C-Mn steel reveals a higher S content
(0.019 wt-%), resulting in a quantity of
elongated inclusions.
Finally, the impurity element P varies
considerably for the steels, ranging from
0.005 to 0.021 wt-%. However, the
reduction of P is a general trend in the
production of new steels.
268-s | SEPTEMBER 1987
CTOD TEST SPECIMEN
Fig. 3 —A — The surface notched CTOD specimen; B — the position of
the electro-discharged notch in the bead-in-groove weldment
All steels were normalized after con-
trolled rolling, resulting in fine-grained
ferrite and pearlite in a clear banding
distribution. The plate thicknesses ranged
from 40 to 60 mm (1.5 to 2.4 in.).
The low-carbon microalloyed steels
have similar mechanical properties: upper
yield stress, 340-380 MPa (49.3-55.1 ksi);
tensile strength, 480-520 MPa (69.6-75.4
ksi); elongation, 30-35%; percentage
reduction of area, 70-80%; and Charpy
V-notch absorbed energy at - 4 0 = C ,
250-300 ) (184-221 ft-lb). The C-Mn steel
exhibits a similar level for mechanical
properties except for a lower Charpy
V-notch toughness (50 ) at - 2 0 ° C , or 37
ft-lb at -4°F).
Experimental Procedure
The experiments consist of the simu-
lated weld thermal test and the surface
fracture toughness tests.
The simulated weld thermal specimens
are square bars 10.5 X 10.5 X 90 mm
(0.4 X 0.4 X 3.5 in.), which are posi-
tioned in the weld thermal simulator,
Smitweld TS1405. By means of the ther-
mal resistance technique, the central part
of the specimen was exposed to a tem-
perature cycle with a selected peak tem-
L= 4W
W= B
BxB , Surface notched
a/W = 0.05 - 0.1
perature (Tp) and a cooling time from
800° to 500°C (1472° to 932°F) (At 8/ s).
By positioning a dilatometer on the spec-
imen, the phase transformation was reg-
istered by recording the change in vol-
ume. After the simulation tests, the spec-
imens were machined to Charpy V-notch
specimens to determine notch tough-
ness. Furthermore, the microstructure
was investigated by preparing the speci-
mens with grinding, polishing and etching
in 2% Nital.
The surface fracture toughness speci-
mens were extracted from single-pass
groove welds with a heat input of 4
MJ/m (101.6 kj/in.). The B X B specimens
were machined from the plates and
notched by means of electro-discharge
machining (EDM) with a / W = 0.05-Fig.
3. The notch was located so that its tip
was near the weld interface, which sug-
gested that further fracture occurred in
the HAZ. As the notch was not fatigue
precracked, the notch tip was blunted
with a radius of ess 0.2 mm, which sug-
gests that the obtained values cannot be
compared directly with standard CTOD
specimens. Testing was performed at
— 10°C (14°F) in a displacement-con-
trolled testing machine, at a rate of 0.01
mm/s.
 Steel 1 — Steel 6 — •> — .
Steel 2

Steel 3 Steel 9 . u —
Steel 4
200
0-— 300
J 1 \
a
Tp = 1350°C
CVN J
is \

S
100

^
fi"°
27
fi CVN.22oc
200
Li >
11 l v

l\ 1 \
\
\

0
-6 0 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 o c 100
. \\l x

Fraction
100
%
*—8^^
100
,U ' -

brittle 50
8 ^ 0
\ \ \ ••• -
fracture 8 \ _ . _ - - '
0
0
-6 0 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 0 1 30 c 10 20 s 30
°C
At
*" 8/5

Fig. 4 - The transition curve of the Charpy V-notch energy and the Fig. 5- The influence of the cooling time (At8/5) on the notch toughness
fraction of brittle fracture of the simulated weld thermal microstructure at -22°C of the simulated weld thermal specimens, comparing the
of Steel 1 (T = 1350°G and At8/5 = 12 s) curves of the investigated steels

Weld Thermal Simulation Results
The main tests were divided into t w o
parts:
1) The influence of the cooling time
(Ats/s) for a peak temperature of 1350°C
(2462°F). As indicated in Fig. 1, the peak
temperature of 1350°C is in the middle
of the peak temperature range of the
coarse-grained zone, and this peak tem-
perature is used as a first characterization
of the coarse-grained zone. By changing
the cooling time (At 8/5 ) of the tempera-
ture cycle, the influence of the heat input
on the coarse-grained zone can be ana-
lyzed.
2) The influence of the peak tempera-
ture (Tp) for a cooling time of 12 s. The
HAZ consists of different microstructural
zones, and a gradient exists in each zone.
To investigate this situation, the peak
temperature of the weld thermal simula-
tion cycle was systematically reduced
from 1350° to 700°C (2462° to 1292°F)
for a series of specimens.
From the weld thermal specimens, the
notch toughness was determined, and
the microstructures analyzed. The transi-
tion curve of a simulated microstructure
for Steel 1, T p = 1350°C and At 8 / 5 = 12
s, is shown in Fig. 4. The lower shelf of
the curve is positioned at ss —20°C
(—4°F), which implies that this tempera-
ture was probably most sensitive to a
change in microstructure with a coincid-
ing change in transition temperature.
A secondary project was carried out
on a few steels to investigate:
1) The influence of a postweld heat
treatment. The weld thermal specimens
were heat treated for 1 h at 600°C
(1112°F) before testing.
2) The influence of a double weld
thermal simulation cycle. By performing a
second weld thermal cycle, it was intend-
ed to analyze the changes occurring in
multipass welding.
Influence of the Cooling Time for a Peak
Temperature of 1350° C
The cooling time (Ats/s) w a s varied
between 4 s and 24 s, and a summary of
the Charpy V-notch toughness is present-
ed in Fig. 5. Steels 5 and 7 were not
investigated since their compositions are
similar to the other steels. The highest
toughness is observed for Steel 10, fol-
lowed by Steel 4. The other steels
revealed a similar behavior, with low
toughness at cooling times greater than
10 s. At lower cooling times, the tough-
ness increases significantly. It should be
noted that the C-Mn steel (Steel 8) fol-
lowed this tendency, too.
Three cooling times were chosen,
Af.8/5 = 4 / 5 s, 12 s and 24 s, and the
microstructures investigated were as fol-
lows:
P — pearlite;
F — polygonal, equiaxed ferrite often
located at former austenite grain
boundaries;
UB — upper bainite which is differen-
tiated between:
SP —side plate structure often
growing from former austenite
grain boundaries with plates
separated by austenite/mar-
tensite/carbide aggregates;
AF —acicular intergranular ferrite
plate/needle separated by
high-angle boundaries;
M —martensite.
What was observed was largely mar-
tensite and upper bainite consisting of
side plate ferrite and acicular ferrite, in
which the side plate ferrite structure was
the dominating component. At the lon-
gest cooling time, the structures of all
steels (excluding Steel 10), including the
C-Mn steel, was upper bainite, as shown
schematically in Fig. 6A. For the low-
carbon microalloyed steels, the same
microstructure was observed at the cool-
ing time of 12 s, while the C-Mn steel
displayed a large amount of martensite.
However, at the shortest cooling time,
deviations were observed. For instance,
Steel 2 had a reduced amount of mar-
tensite compared to the other steels. As
expected, the microstructure of the C-
M n steel was martensite.
With an increase in the cooling time, a
considerable coarsening of the micro-
structure was observed. This condition is
related to the increase in austenite grain
size with the increase in cooling time —
Fig. 6B. Also, Steel 10 showed an increase

WELDING RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT 1269-s

 Steel 2 Steel 4 \7 Steel 8 <

Steel 3 Steel 6 • Steel 9 O

B
•tig. y ^ w "
.2 100
o %
2 i,
0) 60
•**

c Tp = 1350 C
(D
CQ 0
30

At 8 / 5
Steel 10 •
150

in
c
a 100
a.
O)
a>
^.
'c
aj
u>
<
50

Tp - 1350 C

10 20 30

At 8 / 5
B
Fig. 6 —A — The influence of the cooling time (Ats/s) on the fraction of Fig. 7 — A comparison between the simulated weld thermal microstruc-
bainite in the microstructure; B — the prior austenite grain size ture of Steel 6 and Steel 10 (Tp = 1350°C, M8/5 = 24-25 s)

in austenite grain size as t h e c o o l i n g t i m e l o w e r bainite m i c r o s t r u c t u r e instead o f Steel 10 p r e s e n t e d t h e l o w e s t level. C o n -

increased. T h e m i c r o s t r u c t u r e o f Steel 10
d i d not consist of u p p e r bainite —Fig. 7.
A n e l e c t r o n microscopic evaluation is
n e e d e d f o r an identification of the m i c r o -
structure, but the t r a n s f o r m a t i o n dia-
grams indicated that l o w e r bainite c o u l d
b e f o u n d here.
C o m p a r i n g the microstructural obser-
vations w i t h t h e C h a r p y V - n o t c h t o u g h -
ness, s o m e interesting trends were
observed:
1) A high C h a r p y V - n o t c h toughness
level w a s f o u n d f o r a martensite m i c r o -
structure.
2) W i t h an increasing a m o u n t of u p p e r
bainite, t h e n o t c h toughness decreased,
a n d especially f o r the C - M n steel, w h e r e
a rather small a m o u n t w a s e n o u g h t o
r e d u c e the n o t c h toughness considera-
bly.
3) A c o m p l e t e u p p e r bainite m i c r o -
structure has a l o w n o t c h toughness f o r
almost all o f the specimens, including the
C - M n steel. H o w e v e r , Steel 4 s h o w e d a
rather high n o t c h toughness w i t h a c o m -
plete u p p e r bainite m i c r o s t r u c t u r e .
4) Superior toughness has been
o b s e r v e d f o r Steel 10, w h i c h s h o w s a
u p p e r bainite.
Influence of the Peak Temperature (T p ) for
a Cooling Time of 12 s
By changing the peak t e m p e r a t u r e of
the w e l d t h e r m a l simulation cycle, the
different zones in the H A Z o f a w e l d m e n t
w e r e analyzed. Besides an investigation
of the m i c r o s t r u c t u r e and its toughness, it
was possible t o f i n d , t o s o m e extent, the
transition peak t e m p e r a t u r e s f o r the
zones and the toughness gradient in the
zones. A s u m m a r y of the C h a r p y V - n o t c h
toughness curves f o r the eight investi-
g a t e d steels is p r e s e n t e d in Fig. 8. Starting
at t h e l o w e r peak t e m p e r a t u r e s , all
m i c r o a l l o y e d steels s h o w e d a m i n i m u m
toughness in the partially t r a n s f o r m e d
r e g i o n . T h e microstructures revealed the
t r a n s f o r m a t i o n of pearlite t o martensite,
w h i l e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n p r o d u c t s w e r e also
o b s e r v e d at the ferrite grain boundaries.
Increasing the peak t e m p e r a t u r e in-
creased t h e t r a n s f o r m a t i o n r e g i o n t o t h e
extent that w h o l e ferrite grains w e r e
t r a n s f o r m e d in the fine-grained z o n e .
Steel 4 s h o w e d the highest values, w h i l e
cerning the C - M n steel, t h e same t o u g h -
ness level w a s o b s e r v e d in the partially
t r a n s f o r m e d z o n e as in the base m e t a l .
A r o u n d a peak t e m p e r a t u r e of 8 5 0 ° C
(1562°F), t h e partially t r a n s f o r m e d r e g i o n
b e c a m e a fine-grained z o n e , character-
ized b y a f i n e ferrite grain structure w i t h a
grain size finer than the n o r m a l i z e d base
metal. T h e C h a r p y V - n o t c h toughness w a s
raised t o a high level f o r all the m i c r o a l -
l o y e d steels, but l o w e r than the base metal
( 2 5 0 - 3 0 0 1 / 1 8 4 - 2 2 1 ft-lb). H o w e v e r , it
w a s o b s e r v e d that the toughness of the
fine-grained z o n e of the C - M n steel w a s
higher t h a n t h e base m e t a l .
Increasing t h e p e a k t e m p e r a t u r e t o
higher values ( > 1 0 0 0 ° C / 1 8 3 2 ° F ) re-
sulted in a transition f r o m fine-grained t o
coarse-grained z o n e . T h e transition range
for Steels 1 , 4 a n d 10 a n d the C - M n steel
w a s 1 0 0 0 ° - 1 1 0 0 ° C . A s o m e w h a t higher
transition w a s f o u n d f o r Steel 2, w h i l e t h e
highest transition (1150°-1250°C/
2 1 0 2 ° - 2 2 8 2 ° F ) w a s o b s e r v e d f o r Steels
6, 9 a n d 3.
For Steels 1 , 6, 9 and 3 a n d the C - M n
steel, t h e transition f r o m high toughness
in t h e fine-grained z o n e t o l o w toughness

2 7 0 - s | SEPTEMBER 1 9 8 7
in the coarse-grained zone coincides with
the transition temperature of the micro- Steel 1 — Steel 6
structure. The microstructure is upper
bainite for the microalloyed steels, while Steel 2 Steel 8
the C-Mn steel has a considerable Steel 3 Steel 9
amount of martensite. Steel 10 exhibited
Steel 4 Steel 10
a special behavior, with the toughness
increasing in the transition region to a
very high level. Both Steels 2 and 4 show
upper bainite in the coarse-grained zone;
however, in a large part of the coarse-
grained zone (up to 1350°C/2462°F), a
high toughness level was found.

Influence of PWHT on the Weld

Thermal Specimens
The investigations were limited to
Steels 1, 2, 4 and 8. The peak tempera- Fig. 8 — The influence
ture was varied between 700° and of the peak
1350°C, and after the weld thermal sim- temperature (Tp) on
ulation experiments, the specimens were Ihe Charpy V-notch
heat treated for 1 h at 600°C. toughness at —22°C
of the simulated weld
The most dramatic influence of the
1400 thermal specimens,
heat treatment was observed in the par- comparing the curves
tially transformed region. The Charpy of the investigated
V-notch toughness level was raised to the steels
same toughness as the fine-grained
zone —Fig. 9. The fine-grained zone in
largest increase, although the scatter was Fracture Toughness Test Results
turn is also improved by the heat treat-
considerable for Steel 4. In the partially
ment. However, the low toughness part
transformed zone, transformation prod-
of the coarse-grained zone revealed at Surface Fracture Toughness
ucts were observed at the prior austenite
least the same low toughness level after
grain boundaries, but since the toughness All weldments were made with the
the heat treatment.
was low initially, the same low level was same type of electrode, using the same
Although the Charpy V-notch tough- observed here. welding procedure and a heat input of 4
ness seems not to be altered, the fracture
surfaces of Steels 1, 4 and 8 revealed a
large degree of intercrystalline fracture Steel 1 Steel 2
appearance after the heat treatment, 300
300
' P W H T * 1 hour)800 0 C
compared with a transcrystalline mode of "... : 8 I 0 J
PWHT : 1 h o u r / 6 0 0 C
fracture before heat treatment. Howev-
er, Steel 2 has a transcrystalline fracture • \ 200
200
both before and after a heat treatment. • (
' As simulated J,
CVN
CVN -22t
-22°C
' ' / ' - - ' " " - - " • \
Influence of a Second Weld
Thermal Simulation Cycle 100 100

The initial microstructure of the speci-

mens was the coarse-grained zone
\ OaV At
8/5
= 12 • VJ '
\;
/ \ o
(Tp = 1350°C and Atg/s = 12 s). The 0
900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1409
600 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300„140C eo 0 700 800
specimens were simulated with a second °c
cycle, with varying peak temperatures.
These experiments were limited to Steels
1, 4 and 8.
Steel 4 Steel 8
In the coarse-grained zone, transition
from 1000° to 1100°C (1832° to
/ PWHT : 1 hoUr/BOO C
2012°F), the notch toughness was low, as J J
"a/« = 12
*
the microstructure was similar to the
original microstructure of upper bainite —
Fig. 10. In the fine-grained zone, the CVN
200
i 'i
/ \
,' As simulated \ v
A
i 200 .
PWHT : 1 hour/600 0 C
-22°C a
CVN
coarse-grained initial microstructure was -22t

transformed, resulting in some grain

100
refinement of the austenite, although the 100

austenite grain size was still t o o large to Aa (Imulaiecl - ~". \ \'

result in a fine ferrite grain structure. Only
at the prior austenite grain boundaries '^v&tefc.
was the fine ferrite grain structure
600 ,
700 800 B00 1000 1100 1200 1300 140-0 600 700 600 900 1000 1100 1 2 0 0 1 3 0 0 . 1 4 00

Tp —•- Tp
observed, while upper bainite was found
within the grains. A certain improvement
Fig. 9- The influence of a postweld heat treatment (PWHT) on the Charpy V-notch toughness at
in the Charpy V-notch toughness was
—22 "C for simulated weld thermal specimens with varying peak temperatures and a cooling time
observed. Steels 4 and 8 showed the of At8/5= 12 s

WELDING RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT 1271-s

 Steel 4 Steel 8
(Tp) = 13SO°C / (M ) = 12 a ( T p ) i = 1350°C / ( A t a / 5 ) 1 = 12 s

J j

1
"Wl' *' "V5V ,2 •
200
' 200

CVN o CVN
-22°C
-2 2 C

/ \ )
100 100

/. -\ (y
IX V" ~'\. \ . . • • •y^'^' s <
"^._ w __
~"~^-o-' " " °

600 700 800 900 1000 1100 t?00 1300 1400 600 700 BOO 900 IOOO 1100 1200 1300 1400 800 700 800 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400
°C
°c °C

(Tp),

Fig. 10— The influence of the peak temperature of the second simulated weld thermal cycle (Tp)j on the Charpy V-notch toughness at —22°C. The
peak temperature of the first cycle was 1350°C while the cooling time from 800' to 500°C for both cycles was 12 s

MJ/m (101.6 kj/in.). All steels, except for Small-Scale CTOD Testing of the partially transformed region. The
Steel 2, reveal a pop-in or a final brittle results are presented in Figs. 12 and 13,
Small-scale CTOD specimens (10 X 10
fracture —Fig. 11. A pop-in through the respectively.
mm/0.4 X 0.4 in., a / W = 0.3) were
coarse-grained zone followed by ductile
machined from the weld thermal speci-
crack growth through the fine-grained
mens. The test program was limited to Discussion
zone, resulting in a final brittle fracture or
t w o simulated conditions:
further ductile crack growth, were The simulated weld thermal tests and
observed for the group of steels with low 1) T p = 1350°C and At 8 / 5 = 12 s
the CTOD tests identified t w o embrittled
CTOD values-Table 2. A final brittle 2) T p = 720°C and At 6 / 4 = 14 s
areas in the heat-affected zone:
fracture, with or without ductile crack The first condition represented the 1) A coarse-grained zone, consisting
growth, is shown for the group of steels coarse-grained HAZ, while the second of a coarse microstructure of martensite
with high CTOD values. simulation represented the investigation or bainite.

Table 2—Schematic Presentation of the Type of Fracture in the CTOD Specimens

r;
?

Number of specimens for e a c h f r a c t u r e type w i t h l o w e s t CTOD in p a r e n t h e s i s

Zone
Coarse grained Zone

PartiaHy Transformed
Flne grained Zone

Tempered Zone

Steel Steel Steel Steel Steel Steel Steel Steel Steel Steel
Weld

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
\
s

6 8 2

(0.47mm) (0.26mm] (1.1mm)

"j [^,^^^4*4^^® 2 1 9 9
(0.7mm) (0.25mm) (0.18mmX0.29mm)

\ I ! I •» 1 3 3 4 1 1
1 1 I I * "
(3.3mm) (1.8mm) (1.9mm) (1.6mm) (2.3mm) (1.76mm)

in - I 1 I » 6 5 8
(2.5mm) (1.9mm) (1.85mm)

6
* * *
(5.0mm)

= EDM notch a„~, Ductile fracture • • B l ittle frac ture

•—>- Final brittle fra cture 0 Unk aded

272-s I SEPTEMBER 1987

 T p = 720°C / A t - 1 2 s
8 / 5

1.5

6.0 mm 5
Q.

o
>
5.0
1.0 • — A LU
• * Q
CTOD 0„ \
-10 C I
O
• ce
• \ <
4.0
0.5 / /—* UJ
V)
"A UJ
CTOD o T
cc
-10 C
UJ
3.0
0-
0
Stee 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 o
—I
ui
2.0 Fig. 13 — The small-scale CTOD results from the simulated weld thermal >
UJ
specimens with Tp = 720°C and Atb/4=14 s. BXB specimens: Q
a/'W = 0.3 I
O
CC

1.0 <
UJ
tr>
ATp

CVN o
z
-22 C UJ
Steel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 \ / V ' Q.
o
-J
Fig. 11—The surface fracture toughness results for the investigated UJ
1540 C
steels. BXB specimens: a/W = 0.05. Fillet symbols: CTOD at maximum Tp >
load Weld thermal simulation test UJ
Q
I
1 O
CC
Stee 2 10 4 8 3 9
6 <
Tp = 1350°C UJ
/ A t 8 / 5 = 12 s 500 ID
C/Mn-steeK UJ
1.0
°c oc
-
mm 400
Or CL
CTOD
10°C 0 ATp 3 0 0
O
0.5
200 A
/ o •
•
o / >
100 UJ
a / Q
/ i
o / \

~/fi
I
fit ° y.r> — 0
3 0.004 0.008 0.012 0 016
O
CC
0
Stee 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 - °oN <
UJ

Fig. 12 — The small-scale CTOD results from the simulated weld thermal Fig. 14 — The peak temperature range (A Tp) of the coarse-grained zone
specimens with Tp= 1350°C and Atg/s = 12 s. BXB specimens: with low Charpy V-notch toughness plotted as a function of the total
a/W = 0.3 nitrogen content
Q.
o
—I
UJ
2) A partially transformed zone, thermal simulation cycle had only a limit- Coarse-Grained Zone
>
where only microstructures with a high- ed improvement in the temperature UJ
Important variables to be taken into Q
carbon content (pearlite, banding) are range of 800° to 1100°C-Fig. 10. Post- -^
account with steels are processing, chem- I
transformed. weld heat treatment had no beneficial
All steels, except for Steel 10, exhibit effect on the low toughness in the
istry and HAZ microstructure. O
CC
low Charpy toughness values in a part of coarse-grained zone —Fig. 9. <
5fee/ Processing
the coarse-grained zone. The part of the All steels had low Charpy toughness in UJ
zone showing low toughness varies with the partially transformed zone (Fig. 8), but v>
All steels are delivered in the normal- UJ
the steel quality (Fig. 8) and the cooling very high toughness values were ized condition, but there is no informa- cc
rate —Fig. 5. A subsequent second weld obtained after P W H T - F i g . 9. tion regarding the detailed processing.

WELDING RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT 1273-s

 improving the toughness (Ref. 3). Addi-
tions of trace amounts of Ti, in the range
(x Number of specimens in the population for the minimum CTOD value. of 0.004-0.01%, are intended to inhibit
4 1 the formation of free N in the heating
stage of the weld thermal cycle. During
Steel 9
6
cooling, it is suggested that Al may play
-C
an important role in fixing free nitrogen to
5
6.0 l o form AIN (Ref. 3).
a Pop-in/Ductila cr g(
| O) In addition, niobium carbonitrides may
mm • Pop-in/Due III a Cf.gr ./Buttle lr. o form at lower temperatures; hence, it is
co difficult first to estimate the amount of
o Brittle it.
I o free N, and second, the proportion of the
1 e Ductile cr.Qf /Brillle lr.
5.0 6
CD HAZ where nitrides have been dissolved
w ' -t- Ductile cr.flr.
o
3
during heating, leaving free N after the
Q subsequent cooling. The total amount of
\ I\ N should, however, give an indication of
\ \ \ the potential for free N. In Fig. 14, the
\ temperature range of the coarse-grained
4.0
VW # (8>. \
\
\\
zone with low toughness is plotted as a
function of the total content of N. There
CTO[ \\ is a trend towards decreasing the width
\ <D
of the coarse-grained zone that exhibits
\ O
3
low toughness with a reduction in the
\ OJ total N content. Steels 2 and 10 have very
3.0 \\ \ \ \ low total N content after the steel pro-
\ ' a «^M \\ _g> cessing, probably because of the applied
\\ a_ BOF refining process and the suitable
^NN\X ,„ \
\
CQ
sealing during the casting operation so
that air is not absorbed (Ref. 1). In addi-
2.0
tion, these two steels have some
\\ amounts of Ti. The importance of N
\ control is highlighted with the strict
\ A requirements on steel for offshore struc-
/ tures, where both rigorous deoxidation
and sulfur removal will enhance the ten-
1.0 c dency for N pickup in the steel (Ref. 4).
'l
//
In Fig. 15, the minimum CTOD value
a
o
/
a \y / /\
//
0.
y ti6) obtained from the groove welds is plot-
/
ted as a function of the nitrogen content.
C/Mn-steel '>> V ) fa)
/ > / The data points are arranged in accor-
0 I I I (1 I
v« f! , /
I
/ I dance with the mode of fracture (pop-in,
1

C 0.004
Fig. 15— The minimum CTOD values of the groove-welded specimens plotted as a function of
the total nitrogen content and related to the different fracture types
New methods of advanced process con-
trol, with online information regarding
elements such as H and N, may play an
important role in the steel quality. Segre-
gation and microstructural banding will
be influenced by the casting method and
the subsequent rolling and heat treat-
ment method (Ref. 1). Banding was
observed in all steels, but no attempt has
been made in order to quantify this
phenomenon.
Steel Chemistry
All steels are microalloyed with Nb.
Additionally, Steel 10 has a higher Ni
content and some V, and Steel 2 contains
a certain amount of Ti. Steel 8 is a C-Mn
steel with high S content.
Nitrogen. Of special interest are the
nitrogen content and the microalloying
0.008 0.012 0.01 3
• M°;'
^^ l^i /O
elements. The microalloying elements
may play an important role in fixing free
nitrogen and restricting grain growth in
the coarse-grained zone. The dissolution
of the common microalloying carboni-
trides in steel occurs in the range of
1000°-1100°C. An exception is found
for TiN, in which dissolution starts at
temperatures above 1450°C (2642°F)
(Ref. 2). In Fig. 6B, the austenite grain size low-carbon steels are dominated by
in the coarse-grained region is plotted as
a function of the cooling rate. No restric-
tion of grain growth was observed for
Steel 2; hence, the somewhat better
toughness recorded for this steel (Figs. 8
and 11) cannot be explained by reduced
grain coarsening.
Recent investigations have shown that
a reduction of the free nitrogen content
in the coarse-grained upper bainitic
microstructure will be very effective in
brittle fracture, etc.), and the lowest val-
ue for each mode is plotted, with brack-
ets indicating the number of specimens
exhibiting the same mode of fracture.
Again there is a tendency for steels
with the highest N content to have the
lowest CTOD value, indicating that N
affects both the width and the fracture
toughness of the brittle part of the
coarse-grained zone.
An indication of the CTOD value of
the low toughness coarse-grained zone is
obtained from the weld thermal speci-
mens—Fig. 16. The lower bound shows
low CTOD values for all the steels,
except for Steel 10. Steel 10 is dominated
by lower bainite, while all the other
upper bainite, at this specific rate of
cooling (At8/s = 12 s). The C-Mn refer-
ence steel, with almost 70% martensite,
forms another extreme with low CTOD
values. The results show that upper bain-
ite can be brittle, independent of the
content of nitrogen.
The increased CTOD values for
groove welds with decreasing nitrogen
content (Fig. 15) can therefore be
explained by the role played by nitrogen

274-s I SEPTEMBER 1987


Weld thermal simulation test
Steel 2 10
1.0
mm Stoel 10
CTOD o |
-10 C
/ o \
0.5 + /
I
A X
fi
0 i
_— - -"
i
0.004
/%. 76 - /Tie CTOD v/a/c/es of the simulated weld thermal specimens (Tp 1350°
and Ats/s = 12 s) plotted as a function of the total nitrogen content
on the width of the low toughness part
of the coarse-grained zone. Hence, in
CTOD testing of real weldments, a distri-
bution of narrow low toughness zones
will favor higher CTOD values —Fig. 15.
Phosphorus. The ten steels investigat-
ed are commercial steels, and their com-
positions are listed in Table 1. The low-
carbon steels are all very clean and low in
S; hence other impurity elements, such as
P, may play an important role. As pointed
out by McKeown, et al. (Ref. 4), P segre-
gation to grain boundaries may be pro-
nounced in steels with a high P to S ratio.
After a PWHT of 600°C (1112°F) for 4 h,
CTOD testing at the weld interface of
microalloyed steels resulted in a sharp
reduction in fracture toughness when the
P content was higher than about 0.010%
(Ref. 1).
The effect of phosphorus on the width
of the low toughness region of the
coarse-grained zone, the minimum
CTOD values obtained from the groove
weld tests, and the CTOD weld thermal
simulated specimens are plotted in Figs.
17, 18 and 19, respectively.
For the steels with a P content larger
than 0.01%, the minimum CTOD value is
low, i.e., for Steels 1, 6 and 9 and the
C-Mn steels —Fig. 18. For steels with a P
content below 0.01%, an improvement is
obvious, confirming the reported critical
P content of about 0.01% (Ref. 1).
Both Figs. 19 and 20 independently
CVN o
-22X
Steel
500
o„
Lower Bainite Ductile CTack growth C
400
O
300
ATp
\ . <*
o \ ^——"
v "
V \ 200
0
cy
Upper Bainite
100
__ 0
-•Si *
-O-
• i 1 1
,\ C/Mn-sleel : 70% Martensite 0
0.008 0.012 0.016
- %N
< C Fig. 17 - The peak temperature range (A Tp) of the coarse-
grained zone with low Charpy V-notch toughness plotted as
a function of the phosphorus content
reflect a sharp increase in fracture tough-
ness at low P contents, while the corre-
sponding plots with nitrogen indicated a
linear relationship.
Again, the CTOD simulated weld ther-
mal testing shows a low CTOD value for
microstructures dominated by lower
bainite, with a tendency for increased
toughness in Steel 4 —Fig. 19.
Hence, the results indicate that P acts in
the same way as N: it influences the
width of the low toughness, coarse-
grained zone.
PWHT of the coarse-grained zone in
Steels 1, 2, 4 and 8 (only these steels
were tested) did not influence the Char-
py toughness or the temperature range
with low toughness (Fig. 9), but the frac-
ture mode for Steels 1, 4 and 8 changed
from quasicleavage to a large amount of
intercrystalline fracture after PWHT,
while Steel 2 exhibited transcrystalline
fracture. For Steel 1, it was found that
heat treatments at 600° and 650°C both
revealed low notch toughness (Ref. 5).
However, the fracture surface changed
from intercrystalline at 600°C to trans-
crystalline at 650°C. The test results sug-
gest that P may contribute to the tenden-
cy to intercrystalline fracture, but more
detailed analysis is necessary.
Niobium. All the steels are alloyed with
Nb, and the content of Nb vs. the tough-
ness was plotted in the same way as for
N and P in Figs. 20, 21 and 22. Unfortu-
WELDINC RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT | 275-s
ATp
\ i i
la-iot
Weld thermal simulation test
2
4 10 3 9 6 18
C/Mn-steel
/ 0 v., """
• / . /
4 /
- / ./
/
0 0.01 0.02
nately, the steels low in P and N, Steels 2,
4 and 10, also have the lowest content of
Nb, and it is difficult to point out the
effect of Nb. The minimum CTOD values
from the groove welds (Fig. 21) do not
show the same straightforward relation-
ship as in the case of N and P.
The effect of Nb might have been
better understood if a steel with high Nb
and low P and N had been included in the
examination, but none of the ten com-
mercial steels examined had such a com-
position.
C-Mn Reference Steel. Finally, the
extensive embrittlement in Steel 8 should
be noted because of the higher hardena-
bility and higher P content. In such a steel,
the problems around the brittle zones
would be expected to exist in a way
equivalent to Steel 1. It is, therefore,
remarkable that no low-HAZ CTOD val-
ues were recorded during the compre-
hensive fracture toughness testing of this
steel for use in offshore structures about
10 years ago (Ref. 8). A critical point in the
through thickness CTOD testing is the
positioning of the notch tip with respect
to the brittle zones, and since brittleness
in the weld metal was a problem, restric-
tions were put upon the positioning pro-
cedure in order not to hit the weld metal.
With a somewhat curved weld interface,
the result may have been that the major
part of the fatigue crack front was posi-
tioned in a tough region of the HAZ. But
 even with the problems of notch posi-
(x) Number of specimens in the population for the minimum C T O D value. tioning, it is strange that no low CTOD
values were recorded.
4 2
St eel 5 1073 9 6 18 HAZ Microstructure
a. sz
o *J Most of the steels exhibited the same
_i 6.0 rl behavior of Charpy notch toughness as
UJ

> mm
a Pop-in/DuCitla cr gt. O) related to the cooling time —Fig. 5. A
UJ • Pop-in/Oucnie ct g, /Brittle It.
CJ
sharp reduction in toughness was
o Brittle It ra
ka
observed in the cooling time interval
""a.
a Ductile cr gr /Briltie lr. o from 5 to 12 s, followed by a low notch
6)
I 5.0 ^ _0>
toughness level at 24 s.
o o
CC Steels 10 and 4 deviate from this trend,
Q
< with a higher Charpy notch toughness.
UJ
IS) \ \ \\ Examination by optical microscope identi-
fied a shift in microstructure with a
4.0 \ \ change in cooling time —Fig. 6A. The
Q. \ general trend is for a structure to be
O CTOD \\ dominated by martensite at the shortest
0 CD

-10 C cooling time, Ats/s = 5 s, and then for a

>
|\^l \
\
13
CO
gradual increase in the fraction of upper
bainite with longer cooling times. Steel 10
I
, 3.0 Ks \\ l
1
<2>.<5. \
\N _0) contains a microstructure consisting
O
k \ largely of lower bainite at 12 s. At 24 s,
CC
<
UJ
tf)
\\l
i\\i
\
\
m the microstructure of this steel is proba-
bly still lower bainite. Steel 2 contains an
UJ upper bainitic microstructure over the
cc \ whole cooling range.
2.0 a 0 (4), \ \
The low-carbon martensite has a high
\ W3> \\
7\
/
toughness because autotempering can
take place from a high M s temperature.
a.
o
—i
UJ 1.0
r
//A
/
f>
/
/ /
_c
The hardness gives no indication of the
toughness, because this kind of marten-
site has a high toughness and hardness,
> \A / A
/ Q. while the brittle upper bainite has a lower
UJ
Q
o'/A o
DL toughness —Fig. 5. The upper bainite is
"aa. /
o dominated by a side plate structure with
cc /
the plates separated by austenite/mar-
< "tl)" X
C/Mn-steel / tensite/carbides, giving favorable condi-
UJ 0
tf) () 0.01 0.02 0.03 tions for initiation and propagation of
UJ
oc cleavage fracture. Both Steels 2 and 4
exhibit a high notch toughness in a large
» %P
part of the coarse-grained zone with
upper bainite (Fig. 8), indicating that some
a. Fig. 18— The minimum CTOD values of the groove-welded specimens plotted as a function of additional embrittling effect is necessary
O the phosphorus content and related to the different fracture types in order to obtain a brittle low-carbon
_i
UJ upper bainite structure.
>
UJ
Q Partially Transformed Zone
\ Fig. 19-The CTOD
I Recognizing brittleness in the partially
O results of the Weld thermal simulation test
or simulated weld transformed zone is not a new discovery.
< thermal specimens Stee 4 10 3 9 6 18 In a paper published in 1947, the exis-
UJ (Tp = 1350°C and 2 tence of this low-toughness region was
cn Ata/s = 12 s) plotted examined with notched bend specimens
1.0
UJ as a function of the and heat-treated Charpy bars to simulate
Z phosphorus content mm Steel 10 . Lower Bainite - Ductile crack growth the thermal effect of welding (Ref. 6).
UJ
2 Two temperatures were found to be
o
CTOD o
-10 C ] highly deleterious —a coarse-grained
structure formed at 1150°C (2102°F) and
o.s the lowest values of all, observed at
>
UJ
o
O

O
i\ /
»

\ /
/

Upper Bainite
-\
»

\
760°C (1400°F). Postheating at 450°C
(842 °F) and above restored a large
degree of the toughness drop at 760°C.
X Ov & ^ \ C/Mn- steei . Microscopic examinations revealed that
o Martensite
oc 0 upon heating to 760°C, pearlite islands
< transformed to austenite with a nearly
UJ c) 0.01 0.02
V) eutectoid composition. Upon cooling,
UJ
cr these high-carbon islands were partially
transformed to martensite. Postheating

276-s | SEPTEMBER 1987

served to temper and partially spheroid-
ize the martensite. ATp
The observations from 1947 corre-
spond very well to the present results.
r i
°c
\r\ i
C V N
-,-a
Low toughness is observed in the partially -22
transformed zone after single cycle ther- Q.

mal simulation (Fig. 8), and also in the

1540"C
o
temperature range which corresponds to - Tp UJ
the partially transformed zone after dou- >
UJ
ble simulation of the coarse-grained Weld t h e r m a l simulation t e s t
Q
zone —Fig. 10. \
6 I
The optical microscopic examination St e e l 4 10 289 1 3 O
CC
and work in progress on similar low-
carbon microalloyed steels (Ref. 7) have 500
C/Mn-Steel / <
identified high-carbon twinned marten- °c UJ
400
* /o tf)
site as the main embrittling factor. After / / UJ
single cycle transformation, the banding cc
ATp 300 / UJ
with high-carbon areas (pearlite) is aus- a
tenized and subsequently transformed to 2
CL
twinned martensite upon cooling. The 200 Fig. 20-Thepeak o
—I
martensite will reduce the toughness temperature range UJ
partly because of the residual stresses in A o / (ATp) of the >
100
the surrounding matrix and partly coarse-grained zone UJ
with low Charpy Q
because of the preferred distribution of / N
the martensite islands along the ferrite 0 V-notch toughness I
grain boundaries within the banding area.
() 0.02 0.04 0.06 plotted as a function o
—-** %Nb of the niobium cc
The work in progress (Ref. 7) has indi- <
content UJ
cated that the brittleness can be avoided
If)
if the pearlite is finely dispersed. UJ
oc
After double simulation of the coarse- ~~~
(x) N u m b e r of s p e c i m e n s in t h e p o p u l a t i o n f o r t h e minimum C T O D v a l u e . \-
grained upper bainite, the existence of
separate phases (islands) along the prior 4 6 3 z
UJ
austenite grain boundaries is even visible Steel 5 10 289 1 7
at low magnification in the optical micro- JZ o
scope—Fig. 23. The embrittling effect of 6.0
5
o
>
twinned martensite in a less ductile matrix Pop-ni/Ouciila cr.gr UJ
" DJ
(upper bainite) is obvious. mm • Pop-in,DuCllla cr gr. /Brntla lr.
O
o
° Mil/ CO I
PWHT has a remarkable effect on the
o
o
toughness of the partially transformed • Ouciila c<.U'./Br,IU« If. 1 \ \ 1
J) cc
5.0 . <
zone —Fig. 9. The increased toughness - UJ
1 if Q
o
3 tf)
may partly be due to a decomposition of I / UJ
ll cc
martensite and partly to a relaxation of
the residual stresses.
CTOD Results 4.0
l/l \
z
UJ

Groove Weld Tests \ 0.

CTOD o
/*') \ o
Since the brittle zones can extend to -10 C
the surface of a weld and the cap layer is \ s
not refined, CTOD testing with shallow 3.0
/VV "'" \ CO
. r v
surface notches was performed in order \ \ \ _0J X
••a
to examine whether brittle fracture could (2,.<5>./ ^ o
initiate from small surface defects. Fatigue W \ m cc
<
\
precrack positioning with respect to the
coarse-grained zones can be difficult, and
the required fatigue precrack in the
2.0 AV/
a. \< '4
•';
/ •
\
UJ
Crt
UJ
cc
L j ."> ."> V3' \
CTOD standard was substituted with an \
electro-discharge machined notch. Both
the shallow cracks and the EDM notch /
A .(?> / OL.
result in higher fracture toughness than if 1.0 / / _c
measured in accordance with the CTOD
o' ' 1
/ ' /
Q.
O
o
_J
standard (Ref. 5). 0. UJ
// .«) / >
Most specimens were characterized ' r t . MW» / n (3 » /- / LU
with a pop-in or a final brittle fracture — C/Mn-steel^iB." / . &
' / a
0 « • * • > " . I
Table 2. Only for Steel 2 was ductile () 0.02 0.04 o
crack growth, resulting in a maximum oc
<
load recording, observed for several •a CV U L
UJ
V)
specimens. For all the other steels, the •^ rolND
UJ
CTOD values (Fig. 11) represent a brittle or
fracture or a pop-in. The large scatter in Fig. 21- The minimum CTOD values of the groove-welded specimens plotted as a function of the
the test results is partly caused by the niobium content and related to the different fracture types

WELDING RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT 1277-s

 • ; , . ! . .
Weld thermal simulation t e s t
6
Steel 4 10 2 8 9 1 3

1.0

mm
Steel 10 Lower Bainite - Ductile crack growth

CTOD o
'&•,
-10 C t -tlSSE^
O
0.5 """"^-c-
O
\ • X
o "Upper X
Bainite \ v ^
Fig. 22-The CTOD rv o At^-iy-: ^
results of the 0 Wch>ii a'**',X
simulated weld
thermal specimens
—1
C/Mn-steel . 70% Martensite £ -;;; ~>.Ap, * •V •"'. A
0.02 0.04 0.06 :
(Tp = 1350°C and $• * ••• •' S •
Ats/s = 12 s) plotted
as a function of the °oNb
b%}~-' -.-•-••-A*#&.%*
niobium content

:< /mm
Ay-". - "Ct,: • j
'<i.^^.i~i&-

y •• H& ., ' ••'' a

> i -. * •• t. • w * .-t !*< $
Fracture surface HAZ
'5s "'-
',
' . \\ - - v, * tyU '• ,V . , -• ) \5i

Fig. 23 — Double weld thermal simulation tests:

the microstructure of the simulated weld ther-
mal specimens of Steel 4 and Steel 8 with a
peak temperature (Tp)2 = 720"C; (Atg/sji =
Weld metal (At3/s)2 = 12 s and (Tp)~ = 1350°C

EDM notch Coarse grained zone f r o m a local brittle z o n e . T h e C - M n steel

Ductile zone
Brittle zone
Ductile zone
Final brittle fracture
Fig. 24 —A macrosection of a groove weld CTOD specimen at the centerline of the
surface. (Magnification 15X)
inaccuracy in E D M n o t c h positioning, giv-
ing varying ductile crack g r o w t h in the
w e l d m e t a l , b u t also the steels t h e m -
selves exhibit an intrinsic variation in
properties.
The microstructure of the g r o o v e w e l d
H A Z w a s c o m p a r e d w i t h the microstruc-
t u r e of t h e simulated t h e r m a l cycles
(At 8 /5 = 24 s), a n d v e r y g o o d a g r e e m e n t
w a s f o u n d . Also, the f r a c t u r e a p p e a r a n c e
o f the C T O D specimens (Fig. 24) c o r r e -
sponds w i t h t h e C h a r p y w e l d thermal
simulation tests.
The fracture p a t h o b s e r v e d in Table 2
is based u p o n sectioning the specimens
along t h e centerline. A b e t t e r a p p r o a c h is
t o examine the f r a c t u r e d surface in SEM
and section the specimens in the area of
crack initiation.
A final brittle f r a c t u r e , p r o p a g a t i n g
Fine grained zone
Partially
^ ^ t r a n s f o r m e d zone
Tempered zone
fracture
t h r o u g h the v e r y ductile base metal
(Charpy toughness in the range o f 2 0 0 -
300 J at -40°C) was frequently
o b s e r v e d . T h e brittle f r a c t u r e c o u l d be
initiated in the coarse-grained region
(Steels 2, 3, 4 , 5, 7 a n d 10) or f r o m the
partially t r a n s f o r m e d z o n e (Steels 1, 3, 6
and 7). Steels 8 and 9 had pop-ins in the
coarse-grained z o n e , but n o final brittle
fracture. Steel 2 had six parallels w h e r e
only ductile crack g r o w t h c o u l d b e
o b s e r v e d —Table 2.
W h y d o the very tough low-carbon
steels exhibit a c o m p l e t e brittle fracture?
O n e s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d hypothesis is that
the crack initiation resistance is high in
these clean steels; h e n c e m u c h e n e r g y
can b e s t o r e d d u r i n g loading of the
specimens a n d can b e subsequently
released w h e n a brittle fracture is initiated
(Steel 8) has a m u c h l o w e r crack initiation
value, a n d t h e r e f o r e , only a limited
a m o u n t o f e n e r g y will be s t o r e d —Fig.
25.
T h e crack arrest p r o p e r t i e s o f l o w -
c a r b o n m i c r o a l l o y e d steels will be e x a m -
ined and c o m p a r e d w i t h C - M n steels in
f u t u r e w o r k (Ref. 7).
Small-Scale CTOD Tests
Fatigue p r e c r a c k e d C T O D small-scale
w e l d t h e r m a l simulation tests, w i t h peak
temperatures corresponding to the
coarse-grained region (T p = 1 3 5 0 ° C ) ,
have b e e n c o m p a r e d w i t h the C h a r p y
toughness —Fig. 26.
A g a i n , Steels 10 a n d 4 represent t h e
highest C T O D values (Fig. 26) as in t h e
g r o o v e w e l d test (Fig. 11); h o w e v e r , f o r
Steel 10, t h e f r a c t u r e m o d e has c h a n g e d
f r o m pop-in ( C T O D J to maximum load
( C T O D m ) . This m a y be explained b y t h e
change in cooling rate. T h e g r o o v e w e l d
tests had Ats/s = 24 s, w h i l e t h e w e l d
t h e r m a l simulation tests (Fig. 26) h a d
Atg/s = 12 s. The s l o w e r c o o l i n g rate will
f a v o r the f o r m a t i o n o f a coarse l o w e r
bainitic m i c r o s t r u c t u r e , w h i l e t h e finer
l o w e r bainite at Ats/s = 12 s has p r o v e n
t o h a v e g o o d toughness —Fig. 5.
For Steel 2, brittle fracture w a s re-
c o r d e d , w h i c h is in a g r e e m e n t w i t h the
l o w C h a r p y toughness b u t in contrast t o
the g r o o v e w e l d results w h e r e C T O D m
values f r e q u e n t l y w e r e r e c o r d e d —Fig.
11. This m a y b e explained o n t h e basis o f
t h e toughness gradient existing in t h e

2 7 8 - s | SEPTEMBER 1 9 8 7
 Tp = 1 3 5 0 C /At 8 / 5 = 12 s

1.0

CTOD ou
-10 C
, 0.5

Steel 4 Steel 8

Brittle fracture
i
Steel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
p
/ Pop-in

J i
P fi'-\ 300
J At 8 / 5 :12 s
^ j Unloaded 200
CVN o„
-22 C
i
I I f 100 .
\ 1
50k fa' 50kN[
1 1mm
1mm
Vg
! - Vg
0 =7J^t>--:
Specimen 4B3 Specimen 8C3 Steel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Fig. 25 — Examples of load/clip gauge records from the groove weld Fig. 26 — The small-scale CTOD results and the Charpy V-notch tough-
CTOD specimens of Steel 4 and Steel 8 ness at —22 "C for the simulated weld thermal specimens with a peak
temperature of 1350°C and a cooling time of Ats/s = 12 s

coarse-grained z o n e of a real H A Z c o m - 1) W e l d t h e r m a l simulation testing References

p a r e d w i t h the single t e m p e r a t u r e simula-
t i o n . For Steel 2, the C h a r p y toughness is
still high at a peak t e m p e r a t u r e o f 1 2 5 0 ° C
(2282 °F), indicating that t h e high C T O D
values f r o m t h e g r o o v e w e l d testing may
reflect that the size o f the brittle z o n e is
o f i m p o r t a n c e ; i.e., the small brittle z o n e
in t h e coarse-grained H A Z at t h e w e l d
interface m a y b e of limited c o n s e q u e n c e .
H o w e v e r , the significance of local brittle
zones w i t h respect t o the risk of failure of
w e l d e d structures should b e f u r t h e r eval-
uated.
Conclusions
Nine m o d e r n l o w - c a r b o n m i c r o a l l o y e d
steels, d e l i v e r e d f o r recent applications in
o f f s h o r e structures, and o n e C - M n steel,
used in the 1970's f o r o f f s h o r e p u r p o s e s ,
have b e e n e v a l u a t e d w i t h respect t o t h e
f r a c t u r e toughness level in the heat-
affected zone of weldments. The tough-
ness w a s investigated by means o f w e l d
t h e r m a l simulation testing and surface
fracture toughness testing. T h e results are
as f o l l o w s :
identified t w o l o w toughness zones — t h e
coarse-grained z o n e a n d the partially
transformed zone.
2) Shallow surface n o t c h e d C T O D
testing revealed high C T O D values, b u t
m o s t specimens w e r e characterized w i t h
a p o p - i n o r final brittle f r a c t u r e initiating
f r o m the l o w toughness zones.
3) The influence of elements, such as
Ti, N, P, N b a n d Ni is discussed, a n d it is
suggested that N a n d P m a y b e of m a j o r
importance.
4) T h e r e f e r e n c e C - M n steel w a s at
least as brittle as the l o w - c a r b o n steel,
a n d it is q u e s t i o n e d w h y n o l o w H A Z
C T O D values w e r e r e c o r d e d in the c o m -
p r e h e n s i v e testing of this steel 10 years
ago.
A ckno wledgments
T h e authors a c k n o w l e d g e the s u p p o r t
f r o m the N o r w e g i a n Petroleum D i r e c t o r -
ate and f r o m M r . O . ). Naess.
1. Nippon Steel Corporation Technical
Symposium. Low Carbon Heavy Section Steel
for Offshore Applications. Stavanger, May 30,
1983.
2. Loberg, B., Nordgren, A., Strid, I., and
Easterling, K. E. 1984. The role of alloy compo-
sition on the stability of nitrides in Ti-microal-
loyed steels during weld thermal cycles. Metal-
lurgical Trans. A 15A(1):33-41.
3. Watanabe, I., Suzuki M., Tsukada, K.,
Yamazaki, Y., and Tokunaga, T. 1983. Devel-
opment of NK-HIWEL Steels Suitable for High
Heat Input Welding. Nippon Kokan Technical
Report, Overseas No. 38.
4. McKeown, D., )udson, P., Apps, R. L.,
Dumphrey, W . I. 1983. The weldability of low
sulphur steels. Metal Construction (11):667-
673.
5. Thaulow, C , Paauw, A. )., Cunleiksrud,
A., Naess, O. |. 1985. Heat affected zone
toughness of a low-carbon microalloyed steel.
Metal Construction (2):94R-99R.
6. Stout, R. D., McCeady, L. ). 1947.
Metallurgical factors in the embrittlement of
welded plate. Welding journal'26(11):683-s to
692-5.
7. Work in progress at SINTEF, Trondheim,
Norway.
8. Private communication with The Weld-
ing Institute and Det Norske Veritas.

W E L D I N G RESEARCH S U P P L E M E N T 1279-s