• Journal of the Korean institute of surface engineering
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.102-111
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• 2021

The corrosion behaviors of laser-welded super duplex stainless steel tubes with post-weld heat treatment(PWHT) conditions(950, 1000, 1050, 1100 ℃ for 5 and 30 min) were evaluated by electrochemical potentiodynamic polarization and critical pitting temperature measurements. This study showed that the critical metallurgical factors affecting the degradation of corrosion resistance of a steel tube in as-welded condition were the unbalanced phase fraction(ferrite:austenite = 94:4), Cr₂N precipitation, and phase transformation from the austenite phase to ɛ-martensite(via stress-induced phase transformation). The improvement in the corrosion resistance of the welded specimen depends greatly on the PWHT conditions. The specimens after PWHT conducted below 1000 ℃ showed inferior corrosion resistance, caused by precipitation of the sigma phase enriched with Cr and Mo. At 1100 ℃ for a longer duration in PWHT, the ferrite phase grows, and its fraction increases, leading to an unbalanced phase fraction in the microstructure. As a result, pitting can be initiated primarily at the interface between the ferrite/austenite phase, particularly in base metal.