CHAPTER -6

DESCRIPTION

 Heat‑treatable low alloy (HTLA) steels have high

hardenability and are susceptible to hydrogen cracking
in the weld metal and heat‑affected zone (HAZ).

 Low‑hydrogen welding procedures must be used with

sufficient preheat and interpass temperature to
prevent hydrogen cracking.
 DESCRIPTION

 HTLA steels frequently are welded in the annealed

condition.

 The entire weldment is then heat treated to the desired

strength or hardness.

 The high hardness of HTLA steels prohibits welding

them in the hardened condition.
 COMPOSITION AND PROPERTIES

 The compositions of several HTLA steels that have

been welded, then quenched and tempered, are
given in Table.

 The carbon contents of these steels generally range

from about 0.25 to 0.45%, versus 0.10 to 0.25 % for the
quenched and tempered low‑alloy steels.
 Compositions of Typical
Heat‑Treatable Low‑Alloy
Common Steels Composition

Designation C Mn Si Ni Cr Mo V

4027 0.25‑0.30 0.70‑0.90 0.15‑0.35 ‑ ‑ 0.20‑0.30 ‑

4037 0.35‑0.40 0.70‑0.90 0.15‑0.35 ‑ ‑ 0.20‑0.30 ‑
4130 0.28‑0.33 0.40‑0.60 0.15‑0.35 ‑ 0.80‑1.10 0.15‑0.25 ‑
4135 0.33‑0.38 0.70‑0.90 0.15‑0.35 ‑ 0.80‑1.10 0.15‑0.25 ‑
4140 0.38‑0.43 0.75‑1.00 0.15‑0.35 ‑ 0.80‑1.10 0.15‑0.25 ‑
4320 0.17‑0.22 0.45‑0.65 0.15‑0.35 1.65‑2.00 0.40‑0.60 0.20‑0.30 ‑
4340 0.38‑0.43 0.60‑0.80 0.15‑0.35 1.65‑2.00 0.70‑0.90 0.20‑0.30 ‑
5130 0.28‑0.33 0.70‑0.90 0.15‑0.35 ‑ 0.80‑1.10 ‑ ‑
5140 0.38‑0.43 0.70‑0.90 0.15‑0.35 ‑ 0.70‑0.90 ‑ ‑
8630 0.28‑0.33 0.70‑0.90 0.15‑0.35 0.40‑0.70 0.40‑0.60 0.15‑0.25 ‑
8640 0.38‑0.43 0.75‑1.00 0.15‑0.35 0.40‑0.70 0.40‑0.60 0.15‑0.25 ‑
8470 0.38‑0.43 0.75‑1.00 0.15‑0.35 0.40‑0.70 0.40‑0.60 0.20‑0.30 ‑
AMS6434 0.31‑0.38 0.60‑0.80 0.20‑0.35 1.65‑2.00 0.65‑0.90 0.30‑0.40 0.17‑0.23
300M 0.40‑0.46 0.65‑0.90 1.45‑1.80 1.65‑2.00 0.70‑0.95 0.30‑0.45 0.05 min
D‑6a 0.42‑0.48 0.60‑0.80 0.15‑0.30 0.40‑0.70 0.90‑1.20 0.90‑1.10 0.05‑0.10
 COMPOSITION AND PROPERTIES

 HTLA steels have sufficient carbon and alloy content

to give them high hardenability, and they can be heat
treated to high strength and hardness.

 Because of their high hardenability, it is necessary

to preheat these steels properly for welding in order
to avoid hydrogen cracking and to obtain a sound
weld.
Approximate Heat-Treating Conditions
for Several Low-Alloy Steels
 COMPOSITION AND PROPERTIES
The specific tempering temp required in any
given case varies depending on the following 04
factors:
(1) Thickness of the weldment
(2) Composition of the particular heat of steel
(3) Prior processing of the steel
(4) Method of tempering
 COMPOSITION AND PROPERTIES
 Proper control of sulfur and phosphorus is very
important because:
 their presence in excess of about 0.020% increases
the crack sensitivity of steel.
 Sulfur increases the sensitivity of the weld metal to
hot cracking.
 Phosphorus reduces ductility and toughness, and it
increases the sensitivity to cold cracking in both the
base metal and the weld metal.
 Welding HTLA Steels
Preheating
 Min preheat & interpass temp required to prevent
cracking with a given steel depends on:
 Its carbon and alloy content
 Condition of heat treatment
 Section thickness or amount of joint restraint
 Available hydrogen during welding
 Table 6.12: Recommended minimum Preheat and Interpass Temperatures for several
AISI Low-Alloy Steels
Minimum Preheat and Interpass
Thickness Range
Temperature*
AISI In. mm ºF ºC
4027 Upto 0.5 Upto 13 50 10
0.6-1.0 156-26 150 66
1.1-2.0 27-51 250 121
4037 Upto 0.5 Upto 13 100 38
0.6-1.0 15-26 200 93
1.1-2.0 27-51 300 149
4130, 5140 Upto 0.5 Upto 13 300 149
0.6-1.0 15-26 400 204
1.1-2.0 27-51 450 232
4135, 4140 Upto 0.5 Upto 13 350 177
0.6-1.0 15-26 450 232
1.1-2.0 27-51 500 260
4320, 5130 Upto 0.5 Upto 13 200 93
0.6-1.0 15-26 300 149
1.1-2.0 27-51 400 204
4340 Upto 0.5 Upto 51 550 288
8630 Upto 0.5 Upto 13 200 93
0.6-1.0 15-26 250 121
1.1-2.0 27-51 300 149
8640 Upto 0.5 Upto 13 200 93
0.6-1.0 15-26 300 149
1.1-2.0 27-51 350 177
8740 Upto 1.0 Upto 26 300 149
1.1-2.0 27-51 400 204
*Low-hydrogen welding processes only.
 Filler Metals

 Covered electrodes, bare electrodes and flux cored

electrodes that deposit matching weld metal are

available for welding some heat‑treatable low‑alloy

(HTLA) steels that are quenched and tempered after

welding.

 These include AISI 4130 and 4340 steels.

 Filler Metals

 The electrode manufacturers should be consulted

regarding their recommendations for specific

applications, particularly for multiple‑pass

operations in which high joint strength is required

and dilution is limited.

 Filler Metals

 Filler metals matching the composition and

properties of HTLA steels are available commercially,

and they are covered by AMS specifications 6457A

(4130), 6452 (4140), and 6456 (4340).

 Typical mechanical properties in various

heat‑treatment conditions are listed in Table

 Postweld Heat Treatment
 The heat treatment required immediately after arc welding of these
steels depends on the preheat and interpass temperature.
 When the preheat and interpass temperature is the Ms temperature
of the steel (the tempera, the weld must not be cooled to room
temperature until after it is given a thermal treatment to avoid
cracking.
 When immediate stress relief after welding is not practical, the
welded joint should be heated from the preheat temperature to 50
to 100 ºF (28 to 56 ºC) above the Ms temperature of the steel.
 The remaining austenite will transform to a reasonably ductile
bainitic structure after about one hour at temperature.
 Then, the weldment can be cooled to room temperature without
danger of cracking.
 Postweld Heat Treatment
 If the weldment is to be stress relieved in the 1100 to 1250 ºF (593 to
677 ºC) range immediately after welding, it should first be cooled
from the preheat temperature to a lower temperature where
transformation of austenite to martensite will be essentially
complete, as determined from the isothermal transformation
diagram for the steel.
 Then the weldment should be immediately heated to the stress-
relieving temperature where the martensite in the welded joint will
be tempered and softened.
 After holding it at temperature for the specified time, the weldment
can be cooled to room temperature without danger of cracking.