Stainless Steel

High Ni & Cr Content

Low (Controlled) Interstitials
Austenitic

Nitrogen Strengthened
Austenitic

Martensitic
Precipitation Hardened
Super Ferritic

Ferritic
Super Austenitic
Duplex

AOD Furnace

Argon & Oxygen

Today, more than 1/2 of the high chromium steels
are produced in the AOD Furnace

Linnert, Welding Metallurgy

AWS, 1994

A=Martensitic Alloys
B=Semi-Ferritic
C=Ferritic

Castro & Cadenet, Welding Metallurgy of

Stainless and Heat-resisting Steels
Cambridge University Press, 1974

We will look at these properties in next slide!

AWS Welding Handbook

General Properties of Stainless Steels

Electrical Resistivity
Surface & bulk resistance
is higher than that for plaincarbon steels

Thermal Conductivity
About 40 to 50 percent that
of plain-carbon steel

Melting Temperature
Plain-carbon:1480-1540 C
Martensitic: 1400-1530 C
Ferritic: 1400-1530 C
Austenitic: 1370-1450 C

Coefficient of Thermal
Expansion
Greater coefficient than plaincarbon steels

High Strength
Exhibit high strength at room
and elevated temperatures

Surface Preparation
Surface films must be
removed prior to welding

Spot Spacing
Less shunting is observed
than plain-carbon steels

Static Resistance Comparison

Electrode

Plain-carbon Steel
Stainless Steel
Higher Bulk Resistance
Alloy Effect

Workpieces

Electrode

Higher Surface Resistance

Chromium Oxide
Class 3 Electrode
Higher Resistance
Resistance

Higher Resistances = Lower Currents Required

General Properties of Stainless Steels

Electrical Resistivity
Surface & bulk resistance
is higher than that for plaincarbon steels

Thermal Conductivity
About 40 to 50 percent that
of plain-carbon steel

Melting Temperature
Plain-carbon:1480-1540 C
Martensitic: 1400-1530 C
Ferritic: 1400-1530 C
Austenitic: 1370-1450 C

Coefficient of Thermal
Expansion
Greater coefficient than plaincarbon steels

High Strength
Exhibit high strength at room
and elevated temperatures

Surface Preparation
Surface films must be
removed prior to welding

Spot Spacing
Less shunting is observed
than plain-carbon steels

Conduction in Plain Carbon

Conduction in SS
Base Metal
Weld Nugget

Base Metal

Only 40 - 50% Heat conduction in SS

Less Heat Conducted Away
Therefore
Lower Current Required
Less Time Required (in some cases less than 1/3)

General Properties of Stainless Steels

Electrical Resistivity
Surface & bulk resistance
is higher than that for plaincarbon steels

Thermal Conductivity
About 40 to 50 percent that
of plain-carbon steel

Melting Temperature
Plain-carbon:1480-1540 C
Martensitic: 1400-1530 C
Ferritic: 1400-1530 C
Austenitic: 1370-1450 C

Coefficient of Thermal
Expansion
Greater coefficient than plaincarbon steels

High Strength
Exhibit high strength at room
and elevated temperatures

Surface Preparation
Surface films must be
removed prior to welding

Spot Spacing
Less shunting is observed
than plain-carbon steels

Melting Temp of Plain Carbon

Base Metal
Weld Nugget
Base Metal

Melting Temp of SS

Melting Temp of SS is lower

Nugget Penetrates More
Therefore
Less Current and Shorter Time Required

General Properties of Stainless Steels

Electrical Resistivity
Surface & bulk resistance
is higher than that for plaincarbon steels

Thermal Conductivity
About 40 to 50 percent that
of plain-carbon steel

Melting Temperature
Plain-carbon:1480-1540 C
Martensitic: 1400-1530 C
Ferritic: 1400-1530 C
Austenitic: 1370-1450 C

Coefficient of Thermal
Expansion
Greater coefficient than plaincarbon steels

High Strength
Exhibit high strength at room
and elevated temperatures

Surface Preparation
Surface films must be
removed prior to welding

Spot Spacing
Less shunting is observed
than plain-carbon steels

Ferritic, Martensitic, Ppt. = 6 - 11% greater expansion

Austenitic = 15% greater expansion than Plain Carbon Steel
Therefore
Warpage occurs especially in Seam Welding Dong et al, Finite Element Modeling of
Electrode Wear Mechanisms,
Hot Cracking can Occur
Auto Steel Partnership, April 10, 1995

General Properties of Stainless Steels

Electrical Resistivity
Surface & bulk resistance
is higher than that for plaincarbon steels

Thermal Conductivity
About 40 to 50 percent that
of plain-carbon steel

Melting Temperature
Plain-carbon:1480-1540 C
Martensitic: 1400-1530 C
Ferritic: 1400-1530 C
Austenitic: 1370-1450 C

Coefficient of Thermal
Expansion
Greater coefficient than plaincarbon steels

High Strength
Exhibit high strength at room
and elevated temperatures

Surface Preparation
Surface films must be
removed prior to welding

Spot Spacing
Less shunting is observed
than plain-carbon steels

Force

High Strength
High Hot Strength

Need Higher Electrode Forces

Need Stronger Electrodes (Class 3, 10 & 14 Sometimes Used)

General Properties of Stainless Steels

Electrical Resistivity
Surface & bulk resistance
is higher than that for plaincarbon steels

Thermal Conductivity
About 40 to 50 percent that
of plain-carbon steel

Melting Temperature
Plain-carbon:1480-1540 C
Martensitic: 1400-1530 C
Ferritic: 1400-1530 C
Austenitic: 1370-1450 C

Coefficient of Thermal
Expansion
Greater coefficient than plaincarbon steels

High Strength
Exhibit high strength at room
and elevated temperatures

Surface Preparation
Surface films must be
removed prior to welding

Spot Spacing
Less shunting is observed
than plain-carbon steels

Oxide from Hot Rolling

Oxide Protective Film

Chromium Oxide from Hot Rolling must be removed by Pickle

Ordinary Oxide Protective Film is not a Problem

General Properties of Stainless Steels

Electrical Resistivity
Surface & bulk resistance
is higher than that for plaincarbon steels

Thermal Conductivity
About 40 to 50 percent that
of plain-carbon steel

Melting Temperature
Plain-carbon:1480-1540 C
Martensitic: 1400-1530 C
Ferritic: 1400-1530 C
Austenitic: 1370-1450 C

Coefficient of Thermal
Expansion
Greater coefficient than plaincarbon steels

High Strength
Exhibit high strength at room
and elevated temperatures

Surface Preparation
Surface films must be
removed prior to welding

Spot Spacing
Less shunting is observed
than plain-carbon steels

Look at Each Grade & Its Weldability

Austenitic
Super Austenitic
Nitrogen Strengthened Austenitic
Martensitic
Ferritic
Super Ferritic
Precipitation Hardened
Duplex

Austenitic
Contain between 16 and 25 percent
chromium, plus sufficient amount of nickel,
manganese and/or nitrogen
Have a face-centered-cubic (fcc) structure
Nonmagnetic
Good toughness
Spot weldable
Strengthening can be accomplished by cold
work or by solid-solution strengthening
Applications:
Fire Extinguishers, pots & pans, etc.

AWS Welding Handbook

AWS Welding Handbook

Pseudobinary
Phase Diagram
@ 70% Iron

AWS Welding Handbook