TY - JOUR A1 - Richter, Tim A1 - Giese, Marcel A1 - Rhode, Michael A1 - Schröpfer, Dirk A1 - Michael, Thomas A1 - Fritsch, Tobias T1 - Influence of Surface Preparation on Cracking Phenomena in TIG-Welded High and Medium Entropy Alloys N2 - Multi-element systems with defined entropy (HEA—high entropy alloy or MEA—medium entropy alloy) are rather new material concepts that are becoming increasingly important in materials research and development. Some HEA systems show significantly improved properties or combinations of properties, e.g., the overcoming of the trade-off between high strength and ductility. Thus, the synthesis, the resulting microstructures, and properties of HEA have been primarily investigated so far. In addition, processing is crucial to achieve a transfer of potential HEA/MEA materials to real applications, e.g., highly stressed components. Since fusion welding is the most important joining process for metals, it is of vital importance to investigate the weldability of these materials. However, this has rarely been the subject of research to date. For that reason, in this work, the weldability depending on the surface preparation of a CoCrFeMnNi HEA and a CoCrNi MEA for TIG welding is investigated. The fusion welding of longer plates is described here for the first time for the CoCrNi alloy. The welds of both materials showed distinct formation of cracks in the heat affected Zone (HAZ). Optical and scanning electron microscopy analysis clearly confirmed an intergranular fracture topography. However, based on the results, the crack mechanism cannot be conclusively identified as either a liquid metal embrittlement (LME) or hot cracking-like liquid film separation. T2 - 2nd International Conference on Advanced Joining Processes CY - Sintra, Portugal DA - 21.10.2021 KW - TIG welding KW - Cracking KW - High entropy alloy KW - Medium entropy alloy KW - Surface preparation PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-541697 DO - https://doi.org/10.3390/jmmp6010005 SN - 2504-4494 VL - 6 IS - 5 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - MDPI CY - Basel (CH) AN - OPUS4-54169 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Erxleben, Kjell A1 - Kaiser, Sebastian A1 - Rhode, Michael A1 - Kannengiesser, Thomas A1 - Kromm, Arne T1 - In-service and repair welding of pressurized hydrogen pipelines–a review on current challenges and strategies N2 - Hydrogen is the energy carrier for a sustainable future without fossil fuels. As this requires a reliable transportation infrastructure, the conversion of existing natural gas (NG) grids is an essential part of the worldwide individual national hydrogen strategies, in addition to newly erected pipelines. In view of the known effect of hydrogen embrittlement, the compatibility of the materials already in use (typically low-alloy steels in a wide range of strengths and thicknesses) must be investigated. Initial comprehensive studies on the hydrogen compatibility of pipeline materials indicate that these materials can be used to a certain extent. Nevertheless, the material compatibility for hydrogen service is currently of great importance. However, pipelines require frequent maintenance and repair work. In some cases, it is necessary to carry out welding work on pipelines while they are under pressure, e.g., the well-known tapping of NG grids. This in-service welding brings additional challenges for hydrogen operations in terms of additional hydrogen absorption during welding and material compatibility. The challenge can be roughly divided into two parts: (1) the possible austenitization of the inner piping material exposed to hydrogen, which can lead to additional hydrogen absorption, and (2) the welding itself causes an increased temperature range. Both lead to a significantly increased hydrogen solubility in the respective materials compared to room temperature. In that connection, the knowledge on hot tapping on hydrogen pipelines is rare so far due to the missing service experiences. Fundamental experimental investigations are required to investigate the possible transferability of the state-of-the-art concepts from NG to hydrogen pipeline grids. This is necessary to ensure that no critical material degradation occurs due to the potentially increased hydrogen uptake. For this reason, the paper introduces the state of the art in pipeline hot tapping, encompassing current research projects and their individual solution strategies for the problems that may arise for future hydrogen service. Methods of material testing, their limitations, and possible solutions will be presented and discussed. KW - In-service KW - Welding KW - Hydrogen pipeline KW - Review PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-638847 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-025-02127-x SN - 0043-2288 SP - 1 EP - 24 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-63884 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Erxleben, Kjell A1 - Kaiser, Sebastian A1 - Rhode, Michael A1 - Kannengiesser, Thomas A1 - Kromm, Arne T1 - In-service and repair welding of pressurized hydrogen pipelines–a review on current challenges and strategies N2 - Hydrogen is the energy carrier for a sustainable future without fossil fuels. As this requires a reliable transportation infrastructure, the conversion of existing natural gas (NG) grids is an essential part of the worldwide individual national hydrogen strategies, in addition to newly erected pipelines. In view of the known effect of hydrogen embrittlement, the compatibility of the materials already in use (typically low-alloy steels in a wide range of strengths and thicknesses) must be investigated. Initial comprehensive studies on the hydrogen compatibility of pipeline materials indicate that these materials can be used to a certain extent. Nevertheless, the material compatibility for hydrogen service is currently of great importance. However, pipelines require frequent maintenance and repair work. In some cases, it is necessary to carry out welding work on pipelines while they are under pressure, e.g., the well-known tapping of NG grids. This in-service welding brings additional challenges for hydrogen operations in terms of additional hydrogen absorption during welding and material compatibility. The challenge can be roughly divided into two parts: (1) the possible austenitization of the inner piping material exposed to hydrogen, which can lead to additional hydrogen absorption, and (2) the welding itself causes an increased temperature range. Both lead to a significantly increased hydrogen solubility in the respective materials compared to room temperature. In that connection, the knowledge on hot tapping on hydrogen pipelines is rare so far due to the missing service experiences. Fundamental experimental investigations are required to investigate the possible transferability of the state-of-the-art concepts from NG to hydrogen pipeline grids. This is necessary to ensure that no critical material degradation occurs due to the potentially increased hydrogen uptake. For this reason, the paper introduces the state of the art in pipeline hot tapping, encompassing current research projects and their individual solution strategies for the problems that may arise for future hydrogen service. Methods of material testing, their limitations, and possible solutions will be presented and discussed. KW - In-service KW - Hydrogen KW - Repair welding KW - Pipeline PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-638944 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-025-02127-x SN - 0043-2288 SP - 1 EP - 24 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-63894 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schaupp, Thomas A1 - Rhode, Michael A1 - Yahyaoui, Hamza A1 - Kannengießer, Thomas ED - Lippold, J. ED - Böllinghaus, Thomas ED - Norrish, J. ED - Scotti, A. T1 - Hydrogen-assisted cracking in GMA welding of high-strength structural steels using the modified spray arc process N2 - High-strength structural steels are used in machine, steel, and crane construction with yield strength up to 960 MPa. However, welding of these steels requires profound knowledge of three factors in terms of avoidance of hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC): the interaction of microstructure, local stress/strain, and local hydrogen concentration. In addition to the three main factors, the used arc process is also important for the performance of the welded joint. In the past, the conventional transitional arc process (Conv. A) was mainly used for welding of high-strength steel grades. In the past decade, the so-called modified spray arc process (Mod. SA) has been increasingly used for welding production. This modified process enables reduced seam opening angles with increased deposition rates compared with the Conv. A. Economic benefits of using this arc type are a reduction of necessary weld beads and required filler material. In the present study, the susceptibility to HAC in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the high-strength structural steel S960QL was investigated with the externally loaded implant test. For that purpose, both Conv. A and Mod. SA were used with same heat input at different deposition rates. Both conducted test series showed same embrittlement index “EI” of 0.21 at diffusible hydrogen concentrations of 1.3 to 1.6 ml/100 g of arc weld metal. The fracture occurred in the HAZ or in the weld metal (WM). However, the test series withMod. SA showed a significant extension of the time to failure of several hours compared with tests carried out with Conv. A. KW - High-strength steel KW - GMA welding KW - Diffusible hydrogen KW - Implant test KW - Fractography PY - 2020 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-515330 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-020-00978-0 SN - 1878-6669 SN - 0043-2288 VL - 64 IS - 12 SP - 1997 EP - 2009 PB - Springer CY - Berlin Heidelberg AN - OPUS4-51533 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Czeskleba, Denis A1 - Rhode, Michael A1 - Wandtke, Karsten A1 - Irfan, Muhammad Dary A1 - Kannengiesser, Thomas T1 - Hydrogen diffusion in thick-walled S690 SAW joints: part 2 – predictive modeling of heat input and microstructure influence N2 - High-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steels such as S690 are widely employed in thick-walled welded structures, where hydrogen-assisted cold cracking (HACC) remains a persistent concern. While microstructure-specific hydrogen diffusion coefficients (DH) for weld metal (WM), heat-affected zone (HAZ), and base material (BM) were experimentally established in Part 1 of this study, their quantitative influence on hydrogen accumulation and effusion has not yet been fully clarified. This work presents a transient, spatially resolved numerical model for simulating hydrogen transport in multi-pass submerged arc welds. The model integrates experimentally determined DH values with realistic thermal cycles and temperature-dependent boundary conditions. Developed in Python, the simulation tool is purpose-built for hydrogen diffusion in welded joints. It offers a focused, transparent alternative. It offers a focused, transparent alternative to general-purpose finite element platforms. Parametric analyses demonstrate that, although the diffusion coefficients vary by up to 50%, their impact on overall hydrogen retention is minor. In contrast, plate thickness, bead geometry, cooling time (t₈/₅), and interpass temperature exert a dominant influence on hydrogen distribution. Despite clear microstructural differences between the thermomechanically rolled (S690MC) and quenched and tempered (S690Q) variants, including opposite HAZ hardness responses (softening in S690MC, hardening in S690Q) in the (pen)ultimate weld bead, the simulations confirm that their diffusion behavior and hydrogen solubility are closely aligned. Consequently, differences in DH and solubility exert only a minor influence on hydrogen retention compared to thermal exposure and joint geometry. These findings support the interchangeable use of both steel grades in terms of HACC risk due to hydrogen diffusion kinetics under comparable welding conditions. KW - Hydrogen assisted cracking KW - Numerical simulation KW - Diffusion KW - Submerged arc welding PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-655721 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-026-02395-1 SN - 0043-2288 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-65572 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Czeskleba, Denis A1 - Rhode, Michael A1 - Wandtke, Karsten A1 - Irfan, Muhammad Dary A1 - Kannengiesser, Thomas T1 - Hydrogen diffusion in thick-walled S690 saw joints: part 1—experimental determination of microstructure-dependent diffusion coefficients N2 - High-strength low-alloyed steel S690 is widely used in heavy-duty applications, such as structural components, mobile cranes, and industrial plant construction, owing to their high strength and weldability. However, thick-plate submerged arc welding (SAW) can introduce elevated hydrogen levels and residual stresses that promote time-delayed hydrogen-assisted cold cracking (HACC). Accurate, microstructure-specific diffusion data are scarce, limiting predictive HACC assessments. This study presents an experimental determination of hydrogen diffusion coefficients (DH) in two S690 variants: thermomechanically rolled (S690MC) and quenched and tempered (S690Q). Multi-layer SAW welds were produced from 30 mm thick plate material at three heat input levels, and diffusion membranes were extracted from weld metal (WM), heat-affected zone (HAZ), and base material (BM). Hydrogen permeation tests, conducted in accordance with DIN En ISO 17081, yielded flux curves normalized in time from which DH was derived using the inflection-point method. At room temperature, DH values ranged from 6 × 10−5 mm2/s to 9 × 10−5 mm2/s across all regions and heat inputs, with no significant difference between S690MC and S690Q. Weld metal exhibited marginally lower DH, attributed to enhanced hydrogen trapping, while base material measurements showed greater variability. These microstructure-resolved diffusion coefficients add quantitative data for modern S690 SAW welds and provide internally consistent input parameters for the numerical simulations presented in part 2. The results support improved parameterization for subsequent assessments of HACC risk through the optimization of welding parameters. KW - Hydrogen assisted cracking KW - Submerged arc welding KW - Diffusion KW - Electrochemical permeation KW - Microstructure PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-655711 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-026-02400-7 SN - 0043-2288 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-65571 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rhode, Michael A1 - Kromm, Arne A1 - Mente, Tobias A1 - Brackrock, Daniel A1 - Czeskleba, Denis A1 - Kannengießer, Thomas T1 - Component test for the assessment of delayed hydrogen-assisted cracking in thick-walled SAW joints for offshore applications N2 - Offshore wind turbines continuously increase in size and weight and demand adequate offshore foundations concepts like monopiles, tripods, or jackets. These components are typically constructed using submerged arc welding (SAW) with high-strength thick steel plates like the S420ML. During welding, the occurrence of delayed hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) must be anticipated. HAC is a critical combination of the local hydrogen concentration within a susceptible microstructure under certain mechanical load, i.e., the occurring (welding) residual stresses. The welding sequence of the thick-walled plates complicates the residual stress distribution due to the necessary repeated thermal cycling, i.e., welding seam/layer deposition to fill the joint. For that purpose, SAW with two-wire-technique was used to weld a specially designed and prototype-like mock-up of a real component with a thickness of 50 mm, filled with over 20 passes and a seam length of 1000 mm. Additional welded stiffeners simulated the effect of a high restraint, to achieve critical HAC conditions. The necessity of a minimum waiting time (MWT) before the NDT can be conducted (to exclude HAC) was critically verified by the application of ultrasonic testing of the welded joint at different time-steps of the NDT of up to 48 h after the completion welding. The residual stresses were determined by a robot XRD goniometer. Tensile residual stresses up to the yield limit are found both in the weld metal and in the heat-affected zone. Numerical modeling allowed the qualitative estimation of the hydrogen diffusion in the weld. No noticeable HAC occurrence was identified and confirms the high cracking resistance of the investigated material. Finally, the applicability of the MWT concept should be critically discussed. KW - Hydrogen KW - Cold cracking KW - Minimum Waiting Time KW - Offshore steel grade KW - Component test PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-591981 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-023-01658-5 SP - 1 EP - 15 PB - Springer Science and Business Media LLC AN - OPUS4-59198 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rhode, Michael A1 - Czeskleba, Denis A1 - Fleißner-Rieger, H. A1 - Nietzke, Jonathan A1 - Kannengießer, Thomas T1 - Combined heating rate and restraint condition effect on stress relief cracking during PWHT of thick-walled Cr–Mo-V steel SAW joints N2 - Creep-resistant steels such as 13CrMoV9-10 are utilized in the manufacture of thick-walled pressure vessels and are typically joined by submerged arc welding (SAW). However, these materials are susceptible to stress relief cracking (SRC) if the required post weld heat treatment (PWHT) is not applied correctly. Existing PWHT guidelines, encompassing heating rate and dwell (or holding) time at a given temperature, are derived from a synthesis of empirical knowledge and typically free-shrinkage weld experiments to assess the susceptibility to SRC. Therefore, this study discusses the combined effect of the PWHT heating rate under free-shrinkage compared to restrained shrinkage. Welding experiments were conducted (using plates with a thickness of 25 mm) for both shrinkage conditions for a variety of heating rates and maximum temperatures. In-situ acoustic emission analysis was used to locate propagating SRCs during PWHT. Hardness measurements, mechanical property characterization (Charpy impact strength), and microstructure correlation were used to evaluate the SRC susceptibility. The results suggested that the influence of heating rate could not be directly related to SRC formation and that the initial weld microstructure prior to PWHT was more relevant in terms of very high hardness in the coarse grain heat affected zone, especially that of the last beads in the top layer of the welding sequence. This was seen in the form of random, unexpected SRC occurrence in only one specimen at a heating rate commonly used in welding practice (approximately 100 K/h). In this context, the additional effect of an external shrinkage restraint on SRC must be considered in the form of increasing mechanical loads during welding, which are typically not within the scope of welding practice. To mitigate the probability of SRC during PWHT, it is imperative to reduce the welding heat input and to restrict the structural shrinkage restraint of the weld joint. KW - Component test KW - Stress relief cracking KW - PWHT KW - Creep-resistant steel PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-631439 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s40194-025-02062-x SN - 1878-6669 SP - 1 EP - 17 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-63143 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rhode, Michael A1 - Nietzke, Jonathan A1 - Mente, Tobias A1 - Richter, Tim A1 - Kannengießer, Thomas T1 - Characterization of Hydrogen Diffusion in Offshore Steel S420G2+M Multi-layer Submerged Arc Welded Joint N2 - As onshore installation capacity is limited, the increase in the number of offshore wind turbines (OWT) is a major goal. In that connection, the OWTs continuously increase in size and weight and demand adequate foundations concepts like monopiles or tripods. These components are typically manufactured from welded mild steel plates with thickness up to 200 mm. The predominant welding technique is submerged arc welding (SAW). In accordance with the standards, the occurrence of hydrogen-assisted cracking is anticipated by either a minimum waiting time (MWT, before non-destructive testing of the welded joint is allowed) at ambient or a hydrogen removal heat treatment (HRHT) at elevated temperatures. The effectiveness of both can be estimated by calculation of the diffusion time, i.e., diffusion coefficients. In this study, these coefficients are obtained for the first time for a thick-walled S420G2+M offshore steel grade and its multi-layer SAW joint. The electrochemical permeation technique at ambient temperature is used for the determination of diffusion coefficients for both the base material and the weld metal. The coefficients are within a range of 1025 to 1024 mm2/s (whereas the weld metal had the lowest) and are used for an analytical and numerical calculation of the hydrogen diffusion and the related MWT. The results showed that long MWT can occur, which would be necessary to significantly decrease the hydrogen concentration. Weld metal diffusion coefficients at elevated temperatures were calculated from hydrogen desorption experiments by carrier gas hot extraction. They are within a range of 1023 mm2/s and used for the characterization of a HRHT dwell-time. The analytical calculation shows the same tendency of long necessary times also at elevated temperatures. That means the necessary time is strongly influenced by the considered plate thickness and the estimation of any MWT/HRHT via diffusion coefficients should be critically discussed. T2 - European Congress and Exhibition on Advanced Materials and Process - Euromat 2021 CY - Online meeting DA - 13.09.2021 KW - Thick-walled KW - Hydrogen diffusion KW - Offshore KW - Steel KW - Submerged arc welding PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-544127 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s11665-022-06679-7 SN - 1059-9495 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Springer Nature AN - OPUS4-54412 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rhode, Michael A1 - Mente, Tobias A1 - Kannengießer, Thomas A1 - Schaupp, Thomas A1 - Zavdoveev, Anatoly T1 - Challenges for testing hydrogen-assisted cold cracking in weld seams of high-strength steel grades N2 - Hydrogen can cause weld cold cracking even days after fabrication. In this respect, higher strength steels present a challenge to established cold crack testing. In general, the tolerable hydrogen concentration for crack prevention decreases with increasing material strength. In addition, advanced welding processes require changes in weld geometry and heat input. This directly influences the formation of crack-critical microstructures, e.g. in hardened areas of the heat-affected zone. The limits of use and application of modern cold cracking tests are evaluated by (1) the externally loaded Implant-test and (2) the self-restraint Tekken-test. In particular, external mechanical stresses, which cause additional mechanical loads on the components during welding, must be considered due to the component-specific stiffness of high-strength steels. Accompanying test methods for determining hydrogen concentration and diffusion in welds are presented, such as carrier gas hot extraction for determining hydrogen concentration (ISO 3690) or temperature-dependent diffusion coefficients. These values are of great importance for a holistic approach to the evaluation of the cold cracking sensitivity of high strength steels. KW - Hydrogen KW - Welding KW - Cold cracking test KW - High-strength steel PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.37434/tpwj2024.08.01 SN - 0957-798X VL - 2024 IS - 8 SP - 3 EP - 9 PB - International Association "Welding" CY - Kyiv, Ukraine AN - OPUS4-60946 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -