• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.4-17
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• 1984

Overlaid weld metals of austenitic stainless steel in a pressure vessel of power reactor are usually post-weld heated for a long period of time after welding. The PWHT is considered as a kind of sensitizing and it is important to check the soundness of the weld metal after PWHT, especially about the precipitation of carbides. The purpose of this report is to obtain information on the relation between the change of microstructure and Post-Weld Heat Treatment in the overlaid weld metals. Metallurgical aspects of the problem on austenitic stainless steel heated at $625^{\circ}C$, $670^{\circ}C$, $720^{\circ}C$ and $760^{\circ}C$ for 3, 10, 30, 100 and 300 hours have been investigated by means of optical-micrography, micro-hardness measurement, scanning electron microscope and electron-probe micro analysis. From the results obtained, the following conclusions are drawn; 1) The PWHT above $625^{\circ}C$ for a long time causes a diffusion of carbon atoms from low alloy steel into stainless steel, and consequently carbon is highly concentrated at the boundary layer of stainless steel. 2) C in ferritic steel migrated to austenitic steel and carbides precipitated in austenitic steel along fusion line. At higher temperatures, the ferrite grains coarsened in the decarburized zone. 3) In the change of microstructure of stainless steel overlaid weld metal, the width of carbides precipitated zone and decarburized zone increased with increase of PWHT temperature and time. 4) At about $625^{\circ}C$ to $760^{\circ}C$, chromium carbides, mainly $M_{23} C_6$, precipitate very closely in the carburized layer with remarkable hardening. 5) Precipitation of delta ferrite from molten weld metal depends on solidification phenomenon. There was a small of ferrite near the bond in which the local solidification time was short, comparing with after parts of weld metal. Shape and amount of ferrite were not changed by Post-Weld Heat Treatment after solidification.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.372-379
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• 2003

The problems encountered by ultrasonic testing of austenitic stainless steel weld joints are discussed in the paper. Due to low thermal conductivity and the occurrence of single phase between the melting point and the room temperature, coarse and oriented grains are formed in such weld metals more in thick sections. This leads to higher scattering at the grain boundaries and low signal to noise ratio, and extensive beam skewing. Experimental results to understand these problem are explained.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.46-52
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• 1999

Some of the pressurized reactor pressure vessels used in many chemical plants are made of low alloy carbon steel plates internally clad with an austenitic stainless steel for improved anti-corrosion properties. In this study, metallurgic structure of the weld interface of A 387 Grade12Class1 low alloy carbon steel claded with A182-F321 austenitic stainless steel after thermal exposure simulation heat treatment was investigated to display a characteristic behavior of dissimilar metal weld interface with thermal exposure during service at high temperature and pressure. EPMA, STEM, vickers-hardness test were performed and the results were correlated with the microstructure. To estimate the depth of the carburized/decarburized bands quantitatively, a model for carbon diffusion was proposed. The validity of the proposed theoretical relationships was confirmed by the directly measured data from the welded parts failed during service.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.89-96
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• 1999

The base metal and weld metal of alloy designed austenitic stainless steels were electrochemically tested in artificial sea water. Pitting resistance of 14 different stainless steels was evaluated by measuring pitting potential. The effect of alloy element to pitting potential was evaluated by changing chromium, nickel, sulfur content. The site of pitting initiation was observed by optical microscope. As a result of electrochemical test, pitting resistance of weld metal was higher than base metal, and rapidly cooled weld metal has higher pitting potential than slowly cooled weld metal. In case of primary δ-ferrite solidification, pitting potential was increased, but residual δ-ferrite was detrimental to pitting resistance. Chromium was more effective to pitting resistance than nickel, and sulfur was very detrimental element to pitting resistance.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.38-45
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• 1987

An investigation was conducted to find out the factors influencing on the impact toughness of austenitic-and duplex stainless steel weld metal. Various welding process with commerically available consumables was adopted to get weld doposited metal. The oxygen content of each weld metal was very sensitiive to welding process, involving flux composition, shielding gas and structural features. The results of this study show tat the content of oxygen as an oxide inclusion significantly affects impact toughness, and .delta.-ferrite distribution is also correlated with resultant toughness value.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.59-69
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• 2000

The purpose of the present study was to investigate weld metallurgical phenomena such as primary solidification mode, microstructural evolution and hot cracking susceptibility in nitrogen-bearing austenitic stainless steel GTA welds. Eight experimental heats varying nitrogen content from 0.007 to 0.23 wt.% were used in this study. Autogenous GTA welding was performed on weld coupons and the primary solidification mode and their microstructural characteristics were investigated from the fusion welds. Varestraint test was employed to evaluate the solidification cracking susceptibility of the heats and TCL(Total Crack Length) was used as cracking susceptibility index. The solidification mode shifted from primary ferrite to primary austenite with an increase in nitrogen content. Retained delta ferrite exhibited a variety of morphology as nitrogen content varied. The weld fusion zone exhibited duplex structure(austenite+ferrite) at nitrogen contents less than 0.10 wt.% but fully austenitic structure at nitrogen contents more than 0.20 wt.%. The weld fusion zone in alloys with about 0.15 wt.% nitrogen experienced primary austenite + primary ferrite solidification (mode AF) and contained delta ferrite less than 1% at room temperature. Regarding to solidification cracking susceptibility, the welds with fully austenitic structure exhibited high cracking susceptibility while those with duplex structure low susceptibility. The cracking susceptibility increased slowly with an increase in nitrogen content up to 0.20 wt.% but sharply as nitrogen content exceeded 0.20 wt.%, which was attributed to solidification mode shift fro primary ferrite to primary austenite single phase solidification.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.189-194
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• 2003

It is important to evaluate strength of dissimilar weld zone to use dissimilar materials safely. This study examines mechanical characteristics of dissimilar weld zone between low alloy steel and austenitic stainless steel that satisfies welding related requirements of ASME Code, experimentally reviews metallurgical and mechanical properties at and adjacent to weld interface. It is confirmed that hardness singularity occurs at the weld interface, and that optimum buttering thickness is more than 5㎜ from view points of tensile & yield strength. From a macroscopic view, brittle fracture characteristics is observed in buttering weld zone by tensile test.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 1995.04a
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• pp.133-134
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• 1995

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.149-159
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• 1998

The importance of soundness and safety evaluation in weld zone using by the ultrasonic wave has been recently increased rapidly because of the collapses of huge structures and safety accidents. Especially, the ultrasonic method that has been often used for a major non-destructive testing(NDT) technique in many engineering fields plays an important role as a volume test method. Hence, the defecting any defects of weld Bone in austenitic stainless steel type 304 using by ultrasonic wave and neural network is explored in this paper. In order to detect defects, a distance amplitude curve on standard scan sensitivity and preliminary scan sensitivity represented of the relation between ultrasonic probe, instrument, and materials was drawn based on a quantitative standard. Also, a total of 93％ of defect types by testing 30 defect patterns after organizing neural network system, which is learned with an accuracy of 99％, based on ultrasonic evaluation is distinguished in order to classify defects such as holes or notches in experimental results. Thus, the proposed ultrasonic wave and neural network is useful for defect detection and Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Evaluation(UNDE) of weld zone in austenitic stainless steel 304.

• Proceedings of the Korea Committee for Ocean Resources and Engineering Conference
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• 2000.10a
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• pp.236-239
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• 2000

It is important to evaluate austenitic heat resistant stainless steel because of low weldability of austenitic heat resistant stainless steel containing high Si. This study took varestraint test for evaluation of solidification cracking sensitivity and Erichsen test for evaluation of weld metal ductility. As a result of tests, solidification crack sensitivity increased with adding $N_2$ to shielding gas, and W had detrimental effect on crack resistance, but Ce had beneficial effect on crack resistance. Under same heat input, ductility of weld metal increased with welding speed.