SA Weldability of steels

 C < 0.3% and S <0.05%

 Mn up to 1.10 % Si 0.15 %
 Mn up to 1.40 % Si 0.35 % C
0.30% special welding
procedures
 High S, Mn to be increased

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 AWS A5.17
 Steels up to 90 ksi- flux-electrode
combinations

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 AWS A5.23
 AWS A5.23/A5.23M:2007, Specification for Low- Alloy Steel
Electrodes and Fluxes for Submerged Arc Welding

 Preheating, PWHT

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 Metallurgical Factors
 BM composition- markedly
affects WM composition
(microstructure, toughness,
cracking susceptibility) because
of high dilution

 high Oxygen potential (Acidic )

fluxes (SiO2)-low toughness

 Low Oxygen potential (basic )

fluxes (Cao)-High toughness
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 Easy to play with flux-wire compositions
SiO2, MnO – pick up of Si, Mn counteracted with
low Si, low Mn wires
 B, Ti additions- effect nullified by SiO2 fluxes
 Use basic fluxes

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 Widmanstätten or
Side plate ferrite Grain boundary

polygonal

acicular ferrite

Upper bainite

Lower bainite

Upper and lower bainites can

be identified by using TEM
Weld microstructure of low carbon steels 6
grain boundary (α)
Widmanstätten ferrite (αW)
coexisting with acicular ferrite

nucleation of primary acicular ferrite plate

(marked as P) on an oxide inclusion

secondary acicular ferrite plate (marked as

S) on pre-existing ferrite plate

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 SAW WM microstructure
Blocky or
polygonal
acicular ferrite
ferrite

grain boundary ferrite

Side plate ferrite

Decrease in heat input and increase in Mn increases acicular ferrite 8

 High O2 flux (acidic)- pro-eutectoid ferrite/
side plate ferrite- low toughness
 Low O2- acicular ferrite- high toughness

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Effect of alloying
additions,
cooling time from 800 to
500C, weld oxygen
content, and austenite
grain size

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Acicular ferrite desirable -improves toughness of the weld metal fine grain size

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Not at high levels 12
Ellingham diagram
Indicates relative oxide stabilities
Stable oxides will not increase oxygen of WM
(therefore, known as low Oxygen potential
fluxes): Al2O3- very stable- low O2
Non-Stable oxides increase oxygen of WM
(therefore, known as high oxygen potential
fluxes) FeO, MnO -not stable -high O2
Intermediate-stable oxides intermediate between
FeO and Al2O3 intermediate O2 levels
CO2 generating fluxes (carbonates) - reduce H2
(decreases H2 partial pressure in arc cavity )

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Mn increase with Voltage decreases with
Current

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 Viscosity and conductivity
 Viscosity high- will not permit atmosphere to
enter , but will not allow gases to go up (therefore
increase porosity) , will not allow slag to float
 Viscosity low (fluidity high) flows in front of
Puddle (molten metal on slag)
 Correct Viscosity - fluid enough to permit gases, Slag
and act as a shield
 MP of flux (generally below 1200C) should be lower
than BM
 Density of flux should be lower than molten metal
 Slag conductivity to be high at high temperatures

15
 Solidification cracking
Cracking is a WM problem
Because of dilution, BM problem too
Use DCEN to reduce %dilution
Increase Mn Thru electrode

16
 HAZ microstructure
 C-Mn steels:
PF;side
plate;pearlite;
upper bainite;
lower bainite;
martensite
 Ti and B
containing
steels – no
hard
structures
 Ti nitrides
pinning effect

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 SAW-Maraging Steels
limited use for maraging steels

Filler composition same as BM (with relatively

higher Ti content)
Basic fluxes without Silica

(37%alumina+28%calcium
carbonate+15%calcium
flouride+14%magnesium oxide+6%ferro
titanium)

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Lower strength grades OK
Higher strength-low toughness
Slag inclusions, multipass weld cracking (exact
cause not clear)

Therefore, SAW limited use for maraging steels

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 Stainless steels
Ferritic, martensitic- limited use of SAW

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 SS
austenitic SS- No AWS specification for SAW flux- wire for SS
Neutral, acidic and basic fluxes
ER 308, ER 316
Heat input control
Dilution control for dissimilar welds
PH SS: >12 mm; ER 308, ER 316 basic fluxes
No AWS specification for SAW flux- wire for SS
Duplex SS- No AWS specification for SAW flux-wire for SS Neutral and
basic fluxes

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Ti alloys- SAW not preferred
Al alloys- SAW not preferred
Cu alloys –only Cu-Ni may be SAW welded
(though not preferred), not rest of alloys;
Commercial fluxes

22
 Ni based alloys
Few Solid solution alloys
400 (70Ni-30Cu), 600 (75Ni-16Cr-8Fe)
Fillers (same as in GTAW,GMAW) , fluxes (proprietary) available
Ni-Mo based alloys- SAW not preferred (low ductility and
chemical comp change due to flux reactions- corrosion degradation)

PH Ni based alloys- SAW not preferred

Co based alloys- SAW not preferred

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SAW cladding

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25
26
Scan Fig 17 19 of SAW ASM old notes

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