Filtern
Dokumenttyp
- Vortrag (18)
- Zeitschriftenartikel (12)
- Beitrag zu einem Tagungsband (8)
- Posterpräsentation (2)
Schlagworte
- MAG-Schweißen (14)
- Wasserstoff (14)
- Hochfester Feinkornbaustahl (9)
- Hydrogen (9)
- Implant-Test (8)
- Wärmeführung (7)
- High-strength steels (6)
- Hochfeste Feinkornbaustähle (6)
- Kaltrisse (6)
- Eigenspannungen (5)
Organisationseinheit der BAM
- 9.4 Integrität von Schweißverbindungen (40) (entfernen)
Eingeladener Vortrag
- nein (18)
High-strength low-alloyed (HSLA) steels with yield strength ≥ 690 MPa are gaining popularity in civil engineering and construction of heavy vehicles. With increasing yield strength, the susceptibility for degradation of the mechanical properties in presence of diffusible hydrogen, i.e. hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) generally increases. HAC is a result of the critical interaction of local microstructure, mechanical load and hydrogen concentration. In existing standards for welding of HSLA steels, recommendations like working temperatures and dehydrogenation heat treatment (DHT) are given to limit the amount of introduced hydrogen during welding. The recommendations are based on investigations with conventional arc welding processes. In the past decade, modern weld technologies were developed to enable welding of narrower weld seams with V-grooves of 30°, e.g. the modified spray arc process. In that connection, a reduced number of weld runs and weld volume are important technical and, hence, economic benefits. In the present study, the hydrogen distribution in S960QL multi-layer welds with thickness of 20 mm was analyzed. The influence of different weld seam opening angles, heat input, working temperature and DHT was investigated. The results show that weldments with narrow groove contained increased diffusible hydrogen amount. Hydrogen concentration has been reduced by decreasing both the heat input and working temperature. Hydrogen free weldments were only achieved via subsequent DHT after welding. Furthermore, hydrogen distribution was experimentally determined across the weld seam thickness in HSLA GMA welded multi-layer welds for the first time.
High-strength low-alloyed (HSLA) steels with yield strength ≥ 690 MPa are gaining popularity in civil engineering and construction of heavy vehicles. With increasing yield strength, the susceptibility for degradation of the mechanical properties in the presence of diffusible hydrogen, i.e., hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC), generally increases. HAC is a result of the critical interaction between local microstructure, mechanical load, and hydrogen concentration. In existing standards for welding of HSLA-steels, recommendations including working temperatures and dehydrogenation heat treatment (DHT) are given to Limit the amount of introduced hydrogen during welding. These recommendations are based on investigations into conventional arc welding processes. In the past decade, modern weld technologies were developed to enable welding of narrower weld seams with V-grooves of 30°, e.g., the modified spray arc process. In that connection, a reduced number of weld runs and weld volume are important technical and, economic benefits. In the present study, the hydrogen distribution in S960QL multi-layer welds with thickness of 20 mm was analyzed. The influence of different weld seam opening angles, heat input, working temperature and DHT were investigated. The results show that weldments with narrow grooves contained an increased amount of diffusible hydrogen. Hydrogen concentration has been reduced by decreasing both the heat input and working temperature. Hydrogen-free weldments were only achieved via subsequent DHT after welding. Furthermore, hydrogen distribution was experimentally determined across the weld seam thickness in HSLA gas metal arc welded multi-layer welds for the first time.
High-strength steels with yield strength of 960 MPa are susceptible to hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) during welding processing. In the present paper, the implant test is used to study HAC in a quenched and tempered steel S960QL and a high-strength steel produced by thermo-mechanical controlled process S960MC. Welding is performed using the gas metal arc welding process. Furthermore, diffusible hydrogen concentration (HD) in arc weld metal is determined. Based on the implant test results, lower critical stress (LCS) for complete fracture, critical implant stress for crack initiation, and embrittlement index (EI) are determined. At HD of 1.66 ml/100 g, LCS is 605 MPa and 817 MPa for S960QL and S960MC, respectively. EI is 0.30 and 0.46 for S960QL and S960MC, respectively. Fracture surfaces of S960QL show higher degradation with reduced deformation. Both, higher EI of S960MC and fractography show better resistance to HAC in the HAZ of S960MC compared to S960QL.
Modern arc processes, such as the modified spray arc (Mod. SA), have been developed for gas metal arc welding of high-strength structural steels with which even narrow weld seams can be welded. High-strength joints are subjected to increasingly stringent requirements in terms of welding processing and the resulting component performance. In the present work, this challenge is to be met by clarifying the influences on hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) in a high-strength structural steel S960QL. Adapted samples analogous to the self-restraint TEKKEN test are used and analyzed with respect to crack formation, microstructure, diffusible hydrogen concentration and residual stresses. The variation of the seam opening angle of the test seams is between 30° and 60°. To prevent HAC, the effectiveness of a dehydrogenation heat treatment (DHT) from the welding heat is investigated.
As a result, the weld metals produced at reduced weld opening angle show slightly higher hydrogen concentrations on average. In addition, increased micro- as well as macro-crack formation can be observed on these weld metal samples. On all samples without DHT, cracks in the root notch occur due to HAC, which can be prevented by DHT immediately after welding.
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.
Neutron cameras allow visualizing hydrogen distributions with radiographic or tomographic imaging methods in iron and steel. The necessary contrast between hydrogen and iron stems from the high difference in the total neutron cross section of both elements. This allows e.g. the in situ measurement of hydrogen mass flow inside cm thick steel samples with a temporal resolution of 20 s using neutron radiography as well as the quantitative measurement of hydrogen accumulations at the crack’s inner surfaces in hydrogen embrittled iron samples with neutron tomography. We could detect directly gaseous hydrogen in the crack cavities and we measured the gas pressure. This new quality of the information on a micrometer scale allows new insights for the analysis of hydrogen-induced damage mechanisms. Further, this method is non-destructive and provides local information in situ and in three dimensions with a spatial resolution of 20-30 µm. In this contribution, we show examples that demonstrate the spatial and temporal resolution of the neutron radiography and tomography methods in order to visualize and quantify hydrogen accumulations at cracks. The measurements were performed at the research reactor BER II of the HZB in Berlin and at the FRM II reactor of the neutron source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz in Garching.
Neutron cameras allow visualizing hydrogen distributions with radiographic or tomographic imaging methods in iron and steel.
The necessary contrast between hydrogen and iron stems from the high difference in the total neutron cross section of both elements. This allows e.g. the in situ measurement of hydrogen mass flow inside cm thick steel samples with a temporal resolution of 20 s using neutron radiography as well as the quantitative measurement of hydrogen accumulations at the crack’s inner surfaces in hydrogen embrittled iron samples with neutron tomography. We could detect directly gaseous hydrogen in the crack cavities and we measured the gas pressure. This new quality of the information on a micrometer scale allows new insights for the analysis of hydrogen-induced damage mechanisms. Further, this method is non-destructive and provides local information in situ and in three dimensions with a spatial resolution of 20-30 μm.
In this contribution, we show examples that demonstrate the spatial and temporal resolution of the neutron radiography and tomography methods in order to visualize and quantify hydrogen accumulations at cracks. The measurements were performed
at the research reactor BER II of the HZB in Berlin and at the FRM II reactor of the neutron source Heinz Maier-Leibnitz in
Garching.
Neutron cameras allow visualizing hydrogen distributions with radiographic or tomographic imaging methods in iron (and steel) and many other metals. The necessary contrast between hydrogen and these metals stems from the high difference in the total neutron cross section of both elements. This allows, e.g., the in situ measurement of hydrogen mass flow inside cm thick metal samples with a temporal resolution of at best 10 s using neutron radiography as well as the quantitative measurement of hydrogen accumulations, e.g., at the crack’s inner surfaces in hydrogen embrittled iron samples with neutron tomography. This new quality of the information on a micrometer scale allows new insights for the analysis of hydrogen-assisted damage mechanisms. Further, this method is non-destructive and provides local information in situ and in three dimensions with a spatial resolution of 20 μm - 30 μm. In this contribution, we give a short historical overview of neutron imaging and show examples that demonstrate the spatial and temporal resolution of the neutron radiography and tomography methods in order to visualize and quantify hydrogen accumulations, absorption processes, and diffusion. The examples are taken from the works of researchers dealing with titanium, palladium, zirconium, and iron or steel. More detailed descriptions of the experimental and analytic procedures are given for hydrogen detection using radiography and tomography on iron and steel samples.
High-strength low-alloyed (HSLA) steels with yield strength ≥ 690 MPa have increasing importance in steel construction and civil engineering. However, weld processing of those steels is a major challenge. The susceptibility for degradation of mechanical properties of weld joints significantly increases in presence of hydrogen and can result in hydrogen assisted cracking (HAC). Generally, risk for HAC increases with increasing yield strength of HSLA steels. To minimize the incidence of HAC, it is essential to gain knowledge about both the (1) absorbed hydrogen amount and its distribution in the weld seam and (2) options to lower
the amount of introduced hydrogen. Existing standards recommend heat treatment procedures (interpass temperature or post weld heat treatment) to reduce the diffusible hydrogen concentration in weldments. In this context, different weld seam geometries should be considered. For HSLA steel fabrication weld processing with seam opening angles of 45° to 60° is typical. Modern weld technologies allow welding with seam opening angles of 30° - reduced welding time and costs. In the present study, the hydrogen distribution in multi-layer welds of a 960 MPa HSLA steel was analysed. Influence of different seam opening angles as well as heat input, interpass temperature and post weld heat treatments were investigated. The welded samples were quenched in ice water immediately after welding and subsequently stored in liquid nitrogen. After defined warming up, small specimens were machined from the weld seam by water jet cutting. The diffusible hydrogen concentration was measured by carrier gas hot extraction with coupled mass spectrometer. The results showed, that low heat input and post weld heat treatment procedures can lower hydrogen concentrations in welds. Furthermore, a gradient of the hydrogen concentration was
identified with increasing weld pool depth. By varying the seam opening angles different hydrogen concentrations were
measured.
High-strength low-alloyed (HSLA) steels with yield strength ≥ 690 MPa have increasing im-portance in steel construction and civil engineering. However, weld processing of those steels is a major challenge. The susceptibility for degradation of mechanical properties of weld joints sig-nificantly increases in presence of hydrogen and can result in hydrogen assisted cracking (HAC). Generally, risk for HAC increases with increasing yield strength of HSLA steels. To min-imize the incidence of HAC, it is essential to gain knowledge about both the (1) absorbed hydro-gen amount and its distribution in the weld seam and (2) options to lower the amount of intro-duced hydrogen. Existing standards recommend heat treatment procedures (interpass tempera-ture or post weld heat treatment) to reduce the diffusible hydrogen concentration in weldments. In this context, different weld seam geometries should be considered. For HSLA steel fabrication weld processing with seam opening angles of 45° to 60° is typical. Modern weld technologies allow welding with seam opening angles of 30° - reduced welding time and costs. In the present study, the hydrogen distribution in multi-layer welds of a 960 MPa HSLA steel was analysed. Influence of different seam opening angles as well as heat input, interpass temperature and post weld heat treatments were investigated. The welded samples were quenched in ice water imme-diately after welding and subsequently stored in liquid nitrogen. After defined warming up, small specimens were machined from the weld seam by water jet cutting. The diffusible hydrogen concentration was measured by carrier gas hot extraction with coupled mass spectrometer. The results showed, that low heat input and post weld heat treatment procedures can lower hydrogen concentrations in welds. Furthermore, a gradient of the hydrogen concentration was identified with increasing weld pool depth. By varying the seam opening angles different hydrogen concen-trations were measured.
Carrier gas hot extraction (CGHE) is a commonly applied technique for determination of hydrogen in weld joints using a thermal conductivity detector (TCD) for hydrogen measurement. The CGHE is based on the accelerated hydrogen effusion due to thermal activation at elevated temperatures. The ISO 3690 standard suggests different specimen geometries as well as necessary minimum extraction time vs. temperature. They have the biggest influence on precise hydrogen determination. The present study summarizes the results and experience of numerous test runs with different specimen temperatures, geometries (ISO 3690 type B and small cylindrical samples), and factors that additionally influence hydrogen determination. They are namely specimen surface (polished/as-welded), limited TCD sensitivity vs. specimen volume, temperature measurement vs. effects of PI-furnace controller, as well as errors due to insufficient data assessment. Summarized, the temperature is the driving force of the CGHE. Two different methods are suggested to increase the heating rate up to the desired extraction temperature without changing the experimental equipment. Suggestions are made to improve the reliability of hydrogen determination depended on the hydrogen signal stability during extraction accompanied by Evaluation of the recorded data. Generally, independent temperature measurement with dummy specimens is useful for further data analysis, especially if this data is used for calculation of trapping kinetics by thermal desorption analysis (TDA).
Die Vermeidung von Heißrissen beim Schweißen ist für die Sicherheit geschweißter Komponenten unerlässlich. Die Entstehung von Heißrissen wird durch die komplexe Interaktion von Schweißprozess, Metallurgie und der konstruktiven Umgebung beschrieben. Bislang wurden mehr als 140 Heißrisstests entwickelt, um die Neigung gegenüber einer Rissbildung festzulegen. Grundsätzlich werden diese in selbstbeanspruchende und fremdbeanspruchte Heißrisstests eingeteilt. Der Vortrag gibt einen Überblick über Forschungsthemen der BAM, welche sich in den letzten Jahren hauptsächlich mit den metallurgischen als auch mit den konstruktiven Einflüssen auf die Rissbildung beschäftigt haben. Von austenitischen und ferritischen Werkstoffen, über neuentwickelte LTT-Legierungen bis hin zur in-situ Radiographie zur Überwachung des Risswachstums während des Schweißens wird ein breites Forschungsspektrum aufgezeigt. Zum Abschluss ist ein Ausblick für zukünftige Forschungsfelder gegeben. Diese Arbeiten konzentrieren sich auf die zwei- und dreidimensionale bildliche Charakterisierung von (Mikro-)Heißrissen in innovativen Werkstoffen zur Erweiterung bestehender Modellvorstellungen zum Rissphänomen.
Einfluss von Konstruktion und Wasserstoff auf die Kaltrissbildung hochfester Feinkornbaustähle
(2020)
Der konstruktive Leichtbau erfordert den zunehmenden Einsatz hochfester Feinkornbaustähle mit Streckgrenzen ≥ 690 MPa. Neben den durch die Wandstärkenreduzierung erreichbaren Einsparungen an Ressourcen und Fertigungszeit lässt sich eine weitere Minimierung der Schweißzeit und -kosten mittels abgesenkter Schweißnahtvolumina erreichen. Hierzu wurden moderne Lichtbogenprozesse, wie bspw. der modifizierte Sprühlichtbogen (Mod.SLB), mit erhöhter Abschmelzleistung entwickelt, mit denen auch enge Nahtspalte bzw. Nahtöffnungswinkel geschweißt werden können. Hochfeste Verbindungen unterliegen zunehmend erhöhten Anforderungen in Bezug auf die schweißtechnische Verarbeitung und der resultierenden Bauteilperformance und sicherheit. Dies gilt insbesondere beim Bauteil-schweißen mittels solcher Hochleistungsverfahren in Verbindung mit engen Nahtspalten. In der vorliegenden Arbeit soll dieser Herausforderung durch Klärung der Einflüsse auf die Kaltrissbildung bei einem hochfesten Feinkornbaustahl S960QL Rechnung getragen werden. Für die Kaltrissprüfung werden entsprechende adaptierte Proben analog dem selbstbeanspruchenden TEKKEN-Test verwendet und hinsichtlich Rissbildung, Gefüge, Gehalt an diffusiblem Wasserstoff und Eigenspannungen analysiert. Die Variation der Nahtöffnungswinkel der Prüfnähte erfolgt zwischen 30° und 60°. Zur Vermeidung wasserstoffunterstützter Kaltrissbildung wird die Wirksamkeit einer Nachwärmprozedur aus der Schweißwärme heraus untersucht. Als Ergebnis zeigen die Schweißgüter, die an reduziertem Nahtöffnungs-winkel erzeugt wurden, im Mittel etwas höhere Wasserstoffkonzentrationen. Zudem ist an diesen Schweißgütern eine vermehrte Mikro- als auch Makrorissbildung festzustellen. An allen Proben, die nicht nachgewärmt wurden, treten Kerbrisse aufgrund von Kaltrissbildung auf, deren Vermeidung sich durch ein Nachwärmen unmittelbar nach dem Schweißen als besonders effektiv darstellte.
Einfluss von Konstruktion und Wasserstoff auf die Kaltrissbildung hochfester Feinkornbaustähle
(2020)
Der konstruktive Leichtbau erfordert den zunehmenden Einsatz hochfester Feinkornbaustähle mit Streckgrenzen ≥ 690 MPa. Neben den durch die Wandstärkenreduzierung erreichbaren Einsparungen an Ressourcen und Fertigungszeit lässt sich eine weitere Minimierung der Schweißzeit und -kosten mittels abgesenkter Schweißnahtvolumina erreichen. Hierzu wurden moderne Lichtbogenprozesse, wie bspw. der modifizierte Sprühlichtbogen (Mod.SLB), mit erhöhter Abschmelzleistung entwickelt, mit denen auch enge Nahtspalte bzw. Nahtöffnungswinkel geschweißt werden können. Hochfeste Verbindungen unterliegen zunehmend erhöhten Anforderungen in Bezug auf die schweißtechnische Verarbeitung und der resultierenden Bauteilperformance und sicherheit. Dies gilt insbesondere beim Bauteilschweißen mittels solcher Hochleistungsverfahren in Verbindung mit engen Nahtspalten. In der vorliegenden Arbeit soll dieser Herausforderung durch Klärung der Einflüsse auf die Kaltrissbildung bei einem hochfesten Feinkornbau-stahl S960QL Rechnung getragen werden. Für die Kaltrissprüfung werden entsprechende adaptierte Proben analog dem selbstbeanspruchenden TEKKEN-Test verwendet und hinsichtlich Rissbildung, Gefüge, Gehalt an diffusiblem Wasserstoff und Eigenspannungen analysiert. Die Variation der Nahtöffnungswinkel der Prüfnähte erfolgt zwischen 30° und 60°. Zur Vermeidung wasserstoffunterstützter Kaltrissbildung wird die Wirksamkeit einer Nachwärmprozedur aus der Schweißwärme heraus untersucht. Als Ergebnis zeigen die Schweißgüter, die an reduziertem Nahtöffnungswinkel erzeugt wurden, im Mittel etwas höhere Wasserstoffkonzentrationen. Zudem ist an diesen Schweißgütern eine vermehrte Mikro- als auch Makrorissbildung festzustellen. An allen Proben, die nicht nachgewärmt wurden, treten Kerbrisse aufgrund von Kaltrissbildung auf, deren Vermeidung sich durch ein Nachwärmen unmittelbar nach dem Schweißen als besonders effektiv darstellte.
In vielen Industriebranchen werden zunehmend hochfeste Feinkornbaustähle mit Streckgrenzen ≥ 690 MPa eingesetzt. Allerdings werden mit zunehmender Festigkeit deutlich höhere Anforderungen an deren schweißtechnische Verarbeitung gestellt, da gerade die Sensibilität gegenüber einer Degradation der mechanischen Eigenschaften, durch den beim Schweißen aufgenommenen Wasserstoff, mit steigender Festigkeit stark zunimmt. In der vorliegenden Präsentation sind Ergebnisse aus vergleichenden Untersuchungen mit konventionellem Übergangslichtbogen und modifiziertem Sprühlichtbogen mit reduziertem Nahtöffnungswinkel hinsichtlich der Wasserstoffaufnahme beim Schweißen unter Variation von Streckenenergie, Arbeitstemperatur und Nachwärmprozedur dargestellt. Grundsätzlich ist den erarbeiteten Ergebnissen zu entnehmen, dass im Schweißgut von Stumpfstoßverbindungen mit reduziertem Nahtöffnungswinkel erhöhte mittlere Wasserstoffkonzentrationen vorliegen. Geeignete Wärmeführungen führten zu einer signifikanten Reduzierung der Wasserstoffkonzentration beim Einsatz der Nahtkonfiguration mit abgesenktem Nahtöffnungswinkel. Dabei erwies sich eine Nachwärmprozedur aus der Schweißwärme heraus als zielführend. Des weiteren sind Gradienten der Wasserstoffkonzentration in Blechdickenrichtung aufgezeigt.
Einfluss der Wärmeführung auf die Wasserstoffverteilung im Schweißgut hochfester Feinkornbaustähle
(2018)
In vielen Industriebranchen werden zunehmend hochfeste Feinkornbaustähle mit Streckgrenzen ≥ 690 MPa eingesetzt. Allerdings werden mit zunehmender Festigkeit deutlich höhere Anforderungen an deren schweißtechnische Verarbeitung gestellt, da gerade die Sensibilität gegenüber einer Degradation der mechanischen Eigenschaften, durch den beim Schweißen aufgenommenen Wasserstoff, mit steigender Festigkeit stark zunimmt. In der vorliegenden Präsentation sind Ergebnisse aus vergleichenden Untersuchungen mit konventionellem Übergangslichtbogen und modifiziertem Sprühlichtbogen mit reduziertem Nahtöffnungswinkel hinsichtlich der Wasserstoffaufnahme beim Schweißen unter Variation von Streckenenergie, Arbeitstemperatur und Nachwärmprozedur dargestellt. Grundsätzlich ist den erarbeiteten Ergebnissen zu entnehmen, dass im Schweißgut von Stumpfstoßverbindungen mit reduziertem Nahtöffnungswinkel erhöhte mittlere Wasserstoffkonzentrationen vorliegen. Geeignete Wärmeführungen führten zu einer signifikanten Reduzierung der Wasserstoffkonzentration beim Einsatz der Nahtkonfiguration mit abgesenktem Nahtöffnungswinkel. Dabei erwies sich eine Nachwärmprozedur aus der Schweißwärme heraus als zielführend. Des weiteren sind Gradienten der Wasserstoffkonzentration in Blechdickenrichtung aufgezeigt.
Um den wachsenden Anforderungen an den stofflichen und konstruktiven Leichtbau sowie den Forderungen nach Ressourceneffizienz Rechnung zu tragen, werden in vielen Industriebranchen zunehmend höherfeste Feinkornbaustähle mit Streckgrenzen über 690 MPa eingesetzt. Allerdings werden mit zunehmender Festigkeit deutlich höhere Anforderungen an deren schweißtechnische Verarbeitung gestellt, da die Sensibilität gegenüber einer Herabsetzung der mechanischen Eigenschaften durch den beim Schweißen aufgenommenen diffusiblen Wasserstoff mit steigender Festigkeit zunehmen kann. In den vergleichenden Untersuchungen von konventionellem Übergangslichtbogen und modifiziertem Sprühlichtbogen bei reduziertem Nahtöffnungswinkel konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Schweißprozessparameter die in das Schweißgut eingebrachte Wasserstoffkonzentration beeinflussen. Grundsätzlich ist den erarbeiteten Ergebnissen zu entnehmen, dass im Schweißgut von Stumpfstoßverbindungen mit reduziertem Nahtöffnungswinkel erhöhte mittlere Wasserstoffkonzentrationen vorliegen. Diese können mit geeigneten Wärmeführungen signifikant reduziert werden. Dabei erwies sich eine Nachwärmprozedur aus der Schweißwärme heraus als zielführend.
The need for steels with highest mechanical properties is a result of the increasing demands for energy and resource efficiency. In this context, high-strength low-alloyed (HSLA) structural steels are used in machine, steel and crane construction with yield strength up to 960 MPa. HSLA steels enable lightweight construction by thinner necessary plate thickness. However, welding of HSLA steels requires profound knowledge of three factors in terms of avoidance of hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC): the interaction of (1) microstructure, (2) local stress/strain and (3) local hydrogen concentration. In addition to the three main factors, the used weld-arc process is also important for the performance of the welded joint, especially when using modern arc variants. In the past, the conventional transitional arc process (Conv. A) was mainly used for welding of HSLA grades. In the past decade, the so-called modified spray arc process (Mod. SA) was increasingly used for welding production. This modified arc enables reduced seam opening angles with increased deposition rates compared to the conventional process. Economic benefits of using this arc type are: a reduced number of necessary weld beads and a lower weld seam volume, which result in decreased total welding time and costs. Nonetheless, investigations on a high-strength S960QL showed significantly higher hydrogen concentrations in the weld metal at a reduced seam opening angle with Mod. SA. This indicates an increased risk for the susceptibility of the welded component to HAC. Hence, existing recommendations on HAC-avoidance cannot be transferred directly to the Mod. SA-process.
In the present study, the susceptibility to HAC of the HSLA steel S960QL with same type of filler material was investigated. For that purpose, both Conv. A and Mod. SA were used with same weld heat input at different deposition rates. For assessment of the HAC susceptibility, the externally loaded Implant-test was used. Both conducted test series with Conv. A and Mod. SA showed similar crack critical stress of about 280 MPa. Below this value, no delayed fracture appeared. The welds with Mod. SA showed higher hydrogen concentrations. The fracture occurred in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) or in the weld metal (WM). But in all specimens, cracks initiated at the notch root of the spiral notch of the implants within the coarse-grained HAZ. However, the test series with Mod. SA showed a significant extension of the time-to-failure of several hours compared to tests carried out with Conv. A. The reason is the deeper weld penetration in case of Mod. SA, which causes longer diffusion path for hydrogen. The fracture topography of the ruptured implant specimens with Conv. A was typical ductile in specimen center and quasi-cleavage like at the edge of the specimens. When using Mod. SA, the topography changed to primarily quasi-cleavage fracture topography with shares of intergranular fracture and secondary crack appearance.
Effect of weld penetration depth on hydrogen-assisted cracking of high-strength structural steels
(2019)
The need for steels with highest mechanical properties is a result of the increasing demands for energy and resource efficiency. In this context, high-strength structural (HSS) steels are used in machine, steel and crane construction with yield strength up to 960 MPa. However, welding of HSS steels requires profound knowledge of three factors in terms of avoidance of hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC): the interaction of (1) microstructure, (2) local stress/strain and (3) local hydrogen concentration. In addition to the three main factors, the used weld-arc process is also important for the performance of the welded joint, especially when using modern arc variants. In the past, the conventional transitional arc process (Conv. A) was mainly used for welding of HSS grades. In the past decade, the so-called modified spray arc process (Mod. SA) has been used increasingly for welding production. This modified process enables reduced seam opening angles with increased deposition rates compared to the conventional process. Economic benefits of using this arc type are: a reduced number of necessary weld beads and a lower weld seam volume, which result in decreased total welding time and costs. Nonetheless, investigations on a high-strength S960QL showed significantly higher hydrogen concentrations in the weld metal at a reduced seam opening angle with Mod. SA. This indicates an increased susceptibility of the welded component to HAC. Hence, existing recommendations on HAC-avoidance cannot be transferred directly to the Mod. SA-process. In the present study, the susceptibility to HAC of the HSS steel S960QL with same type of filler material was investigated. For that purpose, both Conv. A and Mod. SA were used with same heat input at different deposition rates. For assessment of the HAC susceptibility, the externally loaded implant test was used. Both conducted test series with Conv. A and Mod. SA showed similar crack critical stress of about 280 MPa. Below this value, no delayed fracture appeared. The welds with Mod. SA showed higher hydrogen concentrations. The fracture occurred in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) or in the weld metal (WM). However, the test series with Mod. SA showed a significant extension of the time to failure of several hours compared to tests carried out with Conv. A.
Höherfester Feinkornbaustahl mit Streckgrenzen von 960 MPa findet in vielen Industriebranchen zunehmend Einsatz. Allerdings werden mit zunehmender Festigkeit deutlich höhere Anforderungen an deren schweißtechnische Verarbeitung gestellt. Die Sensibilität gegenüber einer Degradation der mechanischen Eigenschaften kann durch den beim Schweißen aufgenommenen diffusiblen Wasserstoff zunehmen. Eine mögliche wasserstoffunterstützte Kaltrissbildung ist die Folge. In dem Vortrag werden vergleichende Untersuchungen von konventionellem Übergangslichtbogen und modifiziertem Sprühlichtbogen mittels Implant-Test vorgestellt. Der Einsatz beider Lichtbögen führt zu ähnlichen kritischen Implantspannungen. Jedoch kommt es beim modifiziertem Sprühlichtbogen zu einer zeitverzögerten Rissbildung. Zudem unterscheidet sich die Bruchtopographie der beiden Fälle.