0.

3C-CrMoV (ESR) Ultrahigh Strength Steel

By
Chidanand Magadum,
Resident Engineer, MWC

Rocket Motor Fabrication Activities

EFA/MME/VSSC
August, 2011
 Contents of Presentation

• Aerospace Structural Steel materials

• 0.3C-CrMoV steel (ESR)

• GTAW welding of ESR

• PAW welding of ESR

 Aerospace Structural Steel Materials
• Ultra high strength steel (>900 Mpa)

• Advantage of UHS steel-

Strength to weight ratio
To increase the payload

• Presently UHS used in Indian space program

Maraging steel
AFNOR 15CDV6

UHS- becoming imp in Aerospace, defence, power

generation
Aerospace Structural Steel Materials

• Maraging Steels
M250, M200, M300, M350
• Cobalt free maraging steel (CF-250)
Ni partially replaced by Cr

• AFNOR 15CDV6 Steel

• D6AC- 0.45%C, Poor weldability

 Aerospace Structural Steel Materials
• Maraging steel
UHS strengthened by precipitation of intermetallic
compounds.
Does not involve Carbon
Low temperature Ageing at 485° C
Better Mechanical properties
Good fabricability, mach inability

Costly - expensive alloying elements like Co, Ni

 Aerospace Structural Steel Materials

• AFNOR 15CDV6

High strength low carbon low alloy steel

Microstructure- Lower Bainitic with lath martensite
Fairly high strength (980-1175 Mpa)
Good strength-ductility combination

Strength of Steel is inadequate to Large Rocket motor

 Aerospace Structural Steel Materials
• Search of new cost effective material

Cost of maraging steel is steadily increasing

Strength of 15CDV6 steel is inadequate

15CDV6 is modified/strengthened to get new

material as 0.3C-CrMoV

Initial development by VSSC & IITB ( lab scale)

Scale up studies on the material at MIDHANI
 0.3C-CrMoV (ESR) Steel
What is 0.3C-CrMoV (ESR) ?

Carbon Content is increased to 0.3%

Steel is processed through Electro slag refining

Microstructure
Annealed- polygonal ferritic matrix with islands of
pearlite (identical to 15CDV6)
Hardened & Tempered- fine lath martensite
 0.3C-CrMoV (ESR) Steel
Advantages of Steel processed through Electro
slag refining
-Inoculation by Niobium during ESR
-Eliminates inclusions
-Near cellular (non-dendritic) type and
directional solidification –reduces the micro
segregation
-Nb results in refining the grain growth
 0.3C-CrMoV (ESR) Steel

• Alloyed pearlite consists of M7C3 & M6C type of carbides

• Nb is strong carbide forming element results in additional
dispersion of carbides
• Fine dispersion of carbides influence grain boundary pinning

Nb results into fine grain size of 5-6 microns

 INTRODUCTION
What is modified 15CDV6 or 0.3C-CrMoV (ESR) ?
Nominal Chemical composition of 15CDV6

YS:830-980 MPa, %Elongation: 8-12%,

Nominal Chemical composition of 0.3C-CrMoV (ESR)

YS:1300-1500 MPa, %Elongation: 9-12.5%

 Various steps in processing
0.3C-CrMoV (ESR) Steel

• Primary melting & electrode casting

• Electrode conditioning
• Inoculant preparation
• Slag Preparation
• Electro Slag Refining
Various steps in processing
 Machinability Study
0.3C-CrMoV (ESR) Steel
Machinabilty studies were carried out at IIT Chennai
Conclusions
• Uncoated Cemented carbides P-20 tool
• To get optimum surface finish and chip formation
cutting speed- 25m/min
Depth of cut- 1.3 mm max
Feed - 0.13 mm/rev
• For a flank wear of 0.4 mm, effective tool life -40
minute
 Welding Studies
0.3C-CrMoV (ESR) Steel

Major welding parameters that affect the quality

• Specific heat input
• Composition of the parent metal & weld metal
• Impurity levels in the metal
• Plate thickness
• Pre-heating and post-heat treatment
• Number of passes & amount of restraint
 Welding-0.3C-CrMoV (ESR)
Harden ability - Carbon Equivalent
• For alloys containing C > 0.18% Empirical formula IIW
CE = (Mn + Si) / 6 + ( Ni + Cu ) / 15 + ( Cr + Mo + V ) / 5
For this steel CE ~ 1.0 classifies as difficult to weld
CE > 0.4%, shows tendency to formation of
martensite on welding
 GTAW Welding-0.3C-CrMoV (ESR)
MR Suresh et. al successfully studied the welding
of 0.3C-CrMoV (ESR) by GTAW.
• 7.8 thick Steel welded in four passes
• No preheat was used
• Filler wire- same chemical composition as parent
• Weld edge preparation is shown in Fig.

Fig:1 Weld edge preparation used for 0.3C–CrMoV(ESR) [1]

 GTAW Welding-0.3C-CrMoV (ESR)
Welding parameters employed during welding

Tensile properties - austenitized at 925 ºC/oil quenched

 Welding-0.3C-CrMoV (ESR)
Microstructure of weld metal

As welded condition- As quenched condition-

fine martensite lath fully martensite
 Welding-0.3C-CrMoV (ESR)
Fabrication of actual hardware
Observations:
- Transverse cracks on Cirseams
- Lower fracture toughness

Possible Reasons
-Multi pass welding
-Quenching media water
- Non cleanliness Process
 Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
0.3C-CrMoV (ESR)
PAW- Best suits for these type of steels
Carbon Equivalent is very high
It is a clean process
Moisture free to avoid hydrogen assisted cold
cracking
Control of weld cooling rate is very important
Cooling rate inversely Net heat input
Thickness proportional to faster cooling
Use of suitable backing material
 Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
0.3C-CrMoV (ESR)

Welding processes ordered - heat Sources intensity[1]

 Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
0.3C-CrMoV (ESR)
PAW - Process
PAW is an extension of
TIG
Arc between Tungsten &
Nozzle
Arc transforms inert gas
to plasma
Passes through very
narrow passage of high
temp arc
Plasma used to melt work
piece and filler metal
 Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
 Higher arc energy density
& high plasma gas velocity
- Arc plasma forced
through constricted nozzle

 Argon gas ionized in arc to

form plasma- plasma jet

 Auxiliary shielding gas

provided through outer gas
cup, similar to TIG Process diagram for PAW [2]

Typical Arc temperatures in the range 16,650º - 27,770ºC

 Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
Advantages of PAW
• Higher Energy concentration
• Deeper penetration with narrow weld i.e. depth to width ratio is
more
• Reduction in the number of passes due to high weld penetration
• Narrow heat affected zone
• Higher production rate due to faster travel speed and less
number of passes
• Torch to work distance from the plasma arc is less critical
• Greater variation in joint alignment is possible
• Better mechanical properties
 Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
PAW- Modes of Operation
Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
Comparison of PAW and GTAW

GTAW PAW
 Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
Comparison of PAW and GTAW

Arc is Cylindrical Arc is Conical

10,000-16000K temp zone Highest temp is close to
is transferred to work piece cathode
 Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
Arc length comparison[3]

TIG

PAW

PAW is much less sensitive to torch height

 Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
Measurement of width of keyhole
YM Znag et. al.-Width of keyhole as measure of
stable state of key hole process

 Width of key hole –

Independent of welding current welding speed
Depends on flow rate of plasma gas, orifice dia

 Stable state of key hole process and penetration –

Welding current
welding speed
flow rate of the plasma gas
 Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
Geometrical parameters of weld pool and key hole [3]

Width of keyhole is not a critical parameter for

control of keyhole process or joint penetration
 Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
Key hole Stability by monitoring efflux plasma

Metcalfe and Quigly studied the key hole stability by

monitoring efflux plasma under weld
 Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
Key hole Stability by monitoring efflux plasma
 Observations made by Metcalfe and Quigly by bead on

weld trials

 Once the keyhole formed- maintained by balance of

forces between arc & liquid metal

 Efflux plasma provides the indication of keyhole

 Fluctuations in efflux plasma- un stability in keyhole

Large amount of efflux - excessive keyhole tends to cut

 Plasma Arc Welding
Effect of shielding gas flow rate on weld size and HAZ
(PAW)
 R. HOU et.al- studied the effect of shielding gas
flow rate on the size of the weld and HAZ
 Size of fusion zone & HAZ decreases –increasing

shielding gas flow rate due to convective heat

transfer
 Under cutting observed due excessive increase in
convective heat transfer between impinging shielding gas
shielding
and gaspiece-
solid work flow decreases
rate the size of weld & HAZ
Plasma Arc Welding
(PAW)
Experimental Work completed
• Welding of coupon plates by using
frozen weld parameters.
• NDT of weld
• Post Weld Heat Treatment of welds
• NDT of PWHT
• Specimen preparation & Testing
Plasma Arc Welding
(PAW)
Chemical composition of the parent metal and
filler used during PAW
C Mn Mo Cr V Si S P Cb Fe
Paren
0.27- 0.8- 0.8- 1.25- 0.2- 0.2 <0.01
t <0.02 0.10 Bal
0.31 1.0 0.9 1.5 0.3 max 5
metal

Filler
0.15 1.00 0.82 1.4 0.26 0.2 0.02 0.018 - Bal
wire
Plasma Arc Welding
Welding Procedure
(PAW)
Specification
Current (A) 290

Voltage (V) 23

Speed (mm/min) 135

Plasma gas flow (lpm) 4

Shielding gas flow (lpm) 20

Trailing gas flow (lpm) 10

Filler wire dia (mm) 1.6

Filler wire speed (mm/min) 570

Joint details Square butt single pass

Backing Copper
Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)

Face

Root
Face side & root side
of welded coupon
Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
Heat treatment Cycle

Hardening 920 +/- 10 deg C / 1 hr

soaking / Oil quench
Quench delay-45 seconds
Temperin 450 +/- 10 deg C / 2 hr
g soaking / Oil quench
Quench delay-45 seconds
Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)

Specimen Preparation-weld
Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
Specimen Preparation
Plasma Arc Welding (PAW)
Specimen Preparation-weld
 Results & Discussions
Tensile & FTT results of parent metal
after Heat Treatment
Id. Transverse Fracture
Tensile Toughness
0.2% YS UTS Mpa √m
( MPa) ( Mpa)

1 1295 1418 82.16

2 1309 1428 80.88
3 1308 1437 77.86
4 1326 1446 75.17
5 1324 1441 85.27
 Results & Discussions
Tensile & FTT results of Weld metal after Heat Treatment
Table 10: Mechanical properties for ESR [MOD15CDV6]
Tensile FTT
Yield
Identifi strengt Remar Identifi FTT[M
cation h UTS % Ra % E k cation Pa√m]
HN 1-1 1319 1432 48.12 12.24   HN 1-1 54.95
HN 1-2 1322 1436 49.12 12.02   HN 1-2 53.27
HN 1-3 1303 1425 48.26 12.76   HN 1-3 55.21
HN 1-4 1297 1414 53.8 11.26   HN 1-4 54.2
HN 1-5 1317 1427 47.43 12.02   HN 1-5 57.37
HN 1-6 1313 1429 4439 11.28   HN 1-6 58.37
HN 1-7 1311 1420 46.9 12.74   HN 1-7 56.72
HN 1-8 1312 1420 48.41 12.42    
HN 2-1 1305 1411 48.09 13.3   HN 2-1 59.64
HN 2-2 1300 1413 48.59 13.72   HN 2-2 57.69
HN 2-3 1305 1409 47.93 13.2   HN 2-3 55.16
  

Results & Discussions

Macro Examination of welds produced by
 

TIG (4 passes) & PAW (1 pass) processes

Macro-TIG

Macro-
PAW
  

Results & Discussions

 

Micro Examination of welds produced by PAW

 Conclusion & Future Plan
of Work
Conclusion
• It looks to be successful in developing welding
process- alternative to TIG for this type of steel

Future Plan of Work

• Mechanical testing (30TT & 30FTT) of welded &
PWHT specimen
• Relevant Microstructural studies
 References
1.Proceedings of the conference “New Trends for the Manufacturing in the Aeronautic
Industry”, Hegan/Inasmet, San Sebastián, Spain, May 24-25, 2000, pp. 21-38.

2.The plasma arc process – A review, Welding journal February 1998, E Craig.

3.Observation of the Keyhole during Plasma Arc Welding, Supplement to the Welding Journal,
Feb 1999, Y. M. ZHANG and S. B. ZHANG.

4.Key hole stability in plasma arc welding, Supplement to the Welding Journal, November 1975,
JC Metcalfe, BC Quigley

5.Heat transfer in Plasma Arc Welding, Supplement to the Welding Journal, March 1975, JC
Metcalfe, BC Quigley

6.Shielding Gas and Heat Transfer Efficiency in Plasma Arc Welding, Welding Supplement to
the Welding Journal, October 1996. R Hou, DM Evans, JC McClure, AC Nunes, G Garcia

7.Investigation of the effect of welding parameters on weld quality of plasma arc key hole
welding of structural steels, Supplement to the Welding Journal, July 1993, JK Martikainen and
TJI Moiso
THANK YOU