Abstract
The effect of post-weld heat treatment(PWHT) of SCM440 steel was investigated with parameters such as micro-Vickers hardness, corrosion potential, polarization behaviors, galvanic current, Al anode generating current and Al anode weight loss, etc. Each hardness of three parts(HAZ, BM, WM) by PWHT is lower than each of as-welded parts. However, hardness of WM area was the highest among those three parts in case of both PWHT and as-welded. Corrosion potential of WM part was the highest among those three parts and WM area was also acted as cathode without regard to PWHT. The magnitude of corrosion potential difference among three parts by PWHT was larger than that of three parts of as-welded, and corrosion current by galvanic cell of these three parts by PWHT was also larger compared to as-welded. Therefore, it is suggested that corrosion resistance property of SCM440 steel is decreased by PWHT than as-welded. However, both Al anode generating current and anode weight loss were also increased by PWHT compared to as-welded when SCM400 steel is cathodically protected by Al anode.
