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A discussion is provided on demands that must be met in order to apply fracture mechanics to the determination of overall fatigue lifetime and strength, i.e., S-N curves and fatigue limits. These comprise the determination of the cyclic crack driving force for all stages of fatigue crack propagation, in particular for the short crack stage where the crack driving force has to be determined for elastic-plastic deformation and the gradual build-up of the crack closure phenomenon. Special emphasis is put on a fatigue damage relevant specification of the initial crack size. Different approaches in the literature are discussed. Another important aspect is the adequate treatment of multiple crack propagation. Finally, the discussion is illustrated by an example of a butt weld made of a medium strength steel.
This third part of the review on defects as root cause of fatigue failure addresses cavities (pores, micro-shrinkages, unmelted regions), defective microstructures and microcracks as material defects and defects due to local damage during manufacturing, service and maintenance such as dents, scratches and localized corrosion. In addition, damage due to contact fatigue and the effect of surface roughness are discussed in the context of fatigue failure. Also addressed is the competition between different kinds of defects in controlling the initiation and early growth of fatigue cracks.
According to the definition of the ASM handbook [1,3], a defect is "an imperfection. that can be shown to cause failure by a quantitative analysis and that would not have occurred in the absence of the imperfection". The topic of the present three-part review is a discussion of defects which can cause failure in cyclically loaded structures. The features discussed comprise material defects such as non-metallic inclusions, pores or micro-shrinkages, etc. and geometric defects such as surface roughness and secondary notches which have their origin in manufacturing, and defects such as surface damage due to scratches, impact events or contact fatigue as well as corrosion pits which arise in service. In this first part, the discussion is prefaced by an introduction to basic aspects which are essential for a deeper understanding of the characteristics and mechanisms how the defects influence fatigue crack initiation and propagation. These include the life cycle of a fatigue crack from initiation up to fracture, crack arrest, multiple crack initiation and coalescence, and the material and geometrical properties affecting these.
Defects as a root cause of fatigue failure of metallic components. II: Non-metallic inclusions
(2019)
This second part of the review on defects as root cause of fatigue failure comprises the origin, the nature and the effects of non-metallic inclusions. Topics addressed are the different kinds of inclusions formed during the manufacturing process, various types of mis-match causing local stresses and, as a consequence, fatigue crack initiation, and effects of characteristics such as size, morphology, localization, spatial distribution and orientation of the defects on the fatigue behavior. Methods for inclusion counting and sizing are discussed along with statistical aspects necessary to be considered when evaluating structural components.
Ein Defekt ist „eine Imperfektion …, für die in einer quantitativen Analyse gezeigt werden kann, dass sie Versagen verursacht hat, welches ohne die Imperfektion nicht aufgetreten wäre“. Defekte in diesem Sinn können einerseits Werkstoffimperfektionen wie nichtmetallische Einschlüsse, Poren und Porennester, Nichtdurchschweißungen oder Bereiche defekter Mikrostruktur, andererseits unbeabsichtige geometrische Imperfektionen wie Kratzer, Eindrücke, Korrosionsgrübchen, Einbrandkerben, zu große Oberflächenrauheit u.a. sein. Sie können in der Fertigung, im Betrieb oder auch bei der Wartung entstehen. Nicht jede Imperfektion ist ein Defekt im oben genannten Sinn. Entscheidend ist zumeist nicht, dass an ihr ein oder mehrere Risse initiiert werden, sondern dass wenigstens ein Riss wachstumsfähig bleibt und so innerhalb der projektierten Lebensdauer zum Bruch oder anderweitigem Versagen führt. Aufgrund des begrenzten Umfangs bleibt die vorliegen-de Übersicht beschränkt.
The Topic of the presentationis a discussion on defects which can cause failure in cyclically loaded metallic components. Although also touching Features such as material defects such as pores or micro-shrinkages, etc. and geometric defects such as surface roughness and secondary notches (which are not considered in the design process) which origin in manufacturing, and others the presentation concentrates on non-metallic inclusions. It is prefaced by an introduction to the life cycle of a fatigue crack from initiation up to fracture. Special emphasis is put on the fact that only cracks which are not arrested during one of their distinct Propagation stages can grow to a critical size.
Offshore wind turbines (OWT) are a major goal of the energy strategy of Germany encompassing the increase of the installed wind power. OWT components are manufactured from welded steel plates with thicknesses up to 200 mm. The underlying standards and technical recommendations for construction of OWTs encompass specifications of so-called minimum waiting time (MWT) before non-destructive testing of the weld joints is allowed. Reason is the increased risk of time-delayed hydrogen assisted cold cracking as hydrogen diffusion is very slow due to the very thick plates. The strict consideration of those long MWT up to 48 h during the construction of OWTs leads to significant financial burden (like disproportionately high costs for installer ships as well as storage problems (onshore)). In this study, weld joints made of S355 ML were examined in comparison with the offshore steel grade S460 G2+M. The aim was to optimize, i.e., reduce, the MWT before NDT considering varied heat input, hydrogen concentration and using self-restraint weld tests. This would significantly reduce the manufacturing time and costs of OWT construction. To quantify the necessary delay time until hydrogen-assisted cold cracks appear, acoustic emission analysis was applied directly after welding for at least 48 h.
High and medium entropy alloys gained increasing academic and industrial interest as novel materials for engineering applications. This project is aiming to clarify and compare the general and local corrosion properties of high entropy alloy CrMnFeCoNi and medium entropy alloy CrCoNi in different aqueous environments. The focus lies on the local corrosion processes that result either from microstructural imperfections (inclusions, defects at grain boundaries etc.) in the base material or processing related changes in the microstructure and/or local composition.
The corrosion behavior of the alloys was monitored via potentiodynamic polarization experiments and the local corrosion characteristics were further investigated by means of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Their passivation behavior was analyzed in three different electrolyte systems (NaCl, H2SO4 and NaClO4; c = 0.1M). The characterization of the surface morphology and composition of the passive film was performed by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively.
Considering long term corrosion effects, electrochemical work was supported with immersion tests and the analysis of corrosion products by SEM/EDX and XPS depth-profiling. Our results indicate that the medium entropy alloy CrCoNi has a significantly higher corrosion resistance in comparison to the high entropy alloy CrMnFeCoNi. The presentation will summarize some of our results on the mechanistical aspects of the observed high corrosion resistance.
High and medium entropy alloys gained increasing academic and industrial interest as novel materials for engineering applications. This project is aiming to clarify and compare the general and local corrosion properties of high entropy alloy CrMnFeCoNi and medium entropy alloy CrCoNi in different aqueous environments. The focus lies on the local corrosion processes that result either from microstructural imperfections (inclusions, defects at grain boundaries etc.) in the base material or processing related changes in the microstructure and/or local composition.
The corrosion behavior of the alloys was monitored via potentiodynamic polarization experiments and the local corrosion characteristics were further investigated by means of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Their passivation behavior was analyzed in two different electrolyte systems (NaCl and H2SO4 c = 0.1M). The characterization of the surface morphology and composition of the passive film was performed by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. To analyze the semiconducting properties of the passive film Mott-Schottky analysis was conducted.
Considering long term corrosion effects, electrochemical work was supported with immersion tests and the analysis of corrosion products by SEM/EDX, ICP-MS and XPS depth-profiling. Our results indicate that the medium entropy alloy CrCoNi has a significantly higher corrosion resistance due to the higher concentration of chromium in comparison to the high entropy alloy CrMnFeCoNi. The presentation will summarize our results on the mechanistical aspects of the observed high corrosion resistance.
High and medium entropy alloys gained increasing academic and industrial interest as novel materials for engineering applications. This project is aiming to clarify and compare the general and local corrosion properties of high entropy alloy CrMnFeCoNi and medium entropy alloy CrCoNi in different aqueous environments. The focus lies on the local corrosion processes that result either from microstructural imperfections (inclusions, defects at grain boundaries etc.) in the base material or processing related changes in the microstructure and/or local composition.
The corrosion behavior of the alloys was monitored via potentiodynamic polarization experiments and the local corrosion characteristics were further investigated by means of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Their passivation behavior was analyzed in three different electrolyte systems (NaCl, H2SO4 and NaClO4; c = 0.1M). The characterization of the surface morphology and composition of the passive film was performed by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively.
Considering long term corrosion effects, electrochemical work was supported with immersion tests and the analysis of corrosion products by SEM/EDX and XPS depth-profiling. Our results indicate that the medium entropy alloy CrCoNi has a significantly higher corrosion resistance due to the higher concentration of Chromium in comparison to the high entropy alloy CrMnFeCoNi. The presentation will summarize our results on the mechanistical aspects of the observed high corrosion resistance.
High and medium entropy alloys gained increasing academic and industrial interest as novel materials for engineering applications. This project is aiming to clarify and compare the general and local corrosion properties of high entropy alloy CrMnFeCoNi and medium entropy alloy CrCoNi in different aqueous environments. The focus lies on the local corrosion processes that result either from microstructural imperfections (inclusions, defects at grain boundaries etc.) in the base material or processing related changes in the microstructure and/or local composition.
The corrosion behavior of the alloys was monitored via potentiodynamic polarization experiments and the local corrosion characteristics were further investigated by means of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). Their passivation behavior was analyzed in three different electrolyte systems (NaCl, H2SO4 and NaClO4; c = 0.1M). The characterization of the surface morphology and composition of the passive film was performed by means of atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively.
Considering long term corrosion effects, electrochemical work was supported with immersion tests and the analysis of corrosion products by SEM/EDX and XPS depth-profiling. Our results indicate that the medium entropy alloy CrCoNi has a significantly higher corrosion resistance due to the higher concentration of Chromium in comparison to the high entropy alloy CrMnFeCoNi. The presentation will summarize our results on the mechanistical aspects of the observed high corrosion resistance.
A seamless pipe made of AISI 321 stainless steel represented a part of a transportation Pipeline system for hydrogen-containing hot gas in a hydrocarbon cracking unit. After a service period of approximately 21 months, a segment of such pipe demonstrated the cracks, causing leakage and respective fire. For clarification of a failure root cause, various metallurgical investigations combined with numerical simulations have been applied. The results revealed that the rupture of seamless pipe was evidently influenced by hydrogen assisted cracking (HAC). An increased susceptibility of the alloy to HAC had to be attributed to its sensitive microstructure which was related to the occurrence of slip bands with a high quantity in austenite grains, particularly in the specific region underneath the outer wall surface. In addition, the intensity of restraint resulting from the T-joint weld configuration caused respectively higher triaxial stresses in the confined area on the outer wall surface where the crack started. The numerical simulations of hydrogen diffusion revealed that a uniform hydrogen concentration profile over the pipe wall thickness was reached when the service period was more than 20 months. This duration agreed well to the timeto-failure of the actual component. Considering additionally that the final stage of rupture by overload was preceded by severe HAC, as confirmed by the respective intergranular fracture topography.
Ein Umlaufkühler ist im Betrieb explodiert. Splitter des zerborstenen Gehäuses aus Kunststoff wurden mit dem Kühlwasser in die Umgebung geschleudert, am Betriebsort entstand Personenschaden. Bei Funktionsprüfungen am beschädigten Gerät traten unerwartet - aber reproduzierbar - Knalleffekte bei Berührung der Außenoberfläche der Kupfer-Kühlschlange auf. Ein möglicher Mechanismus konnte im Labor durch Synthese von Kupferazid auf Kupferproben und Auslösung vergleichbarer Knalleffekte nachgestellt werden. Damit ist die Plausibilität des beschriebenen Schadensereignisses mit diesem oder einem ähnlich reagierenden Stoff belegt. Ein eindeutiger Nachweis darüber, dass bei dem aufgetretenen Schadensfall dieselbe chemische Reaktion stattgefunden hat, war nicht möglich, da die Belag-Überreste aus dem explodierten Kühlgerät für eine Analyse nicht mehr in ausreichender Menge verfügbar gewesen sind.
Ein Durchlaufkühler ist im Betrieb explodiert. Die zerborstenen Gehäuseteile aus Kunststoff führten zu einem Austreten der Kühlflüssigkeit am Betriebsort sowie zu einem Personenschaden mit Knalltrauma. Bei Funktionsprüfungen am beschädigten Gerät traten unerwartet, aber reproduzierbar Knalleffekte auf der Kupfer-Kühlschlange auf. Ein möglicher Mechanismus konnte im Labor durch Synthese von Kupferazid auf Kupferproben und Auslösung vergleichbarer Knalleffekte nachgestellt werden. Damit ist die Plausibilität des beschriebenen Schadensereignisses mit diesem oder einem ähnlich reagierenden Stoff belegt. Ein eindeutiger Nachweis darüber, dass beim aufgetretenen Schadensfall dieselbe chemische Reaktion stattgefunden hat ist nicht möglich, da die Belag-Überreste aus dem explodierten Kühlgerät für eine Analyse nicht mehr in ausreichender Menge verfügbar waren.
Ein Umlaufkühler ist im Betrieb explodiert. Splitter des zerborstenen Gehäuses aus Kunststoff wurden mit dem Kühlwasser in die Umgebung geschleudert, am Betriebsort entstand Personenschaden. Bei Funktionsprüfungen am beschädigten Gerät traten unerwartet - aber reproduzierbar - Knalleffekte bei Berührung der Außenoberfläche der Kupfer-Kühlschlange auf. Ein möglicher Mechanismus konnte im Labor durch Synthese von Kupferazid auf Kupferproben und Auslösung vergleichbarer Knalleffekte nachgestellt werden. Damit ist die Plausibilität des beschriebenen Schadensereignisses mit diesem oder einem ähnlich reagierenden Stoff belegt. Ein eindeutiger Nachweis darüber, dass bei dem aufgetretenen Schadensfall dieselbe chemische Reaktion stattgefunden hat, war nicht möglich, da die Belag-Überreste aus dem explodierten Kühlgerät für eine Analyse nicht mehr in ausreichender Menge verfügbar gewesen sind.
Ferritic-austenitic chromia-forming alloys are frequently used as boiler tubes and heat exchanger materials for fossil-,biomass, and co-fired power plants. In all applied environments several strongly corrosive gaseous species such as CO2, SO2, SO3, H2O, O2 exist, causing materials degradation by high-temperature corrosion. The elucidation of degradation mechanisms introduced by multiple gases is challenging due to the presence of different oxidizing agents contributing to the competing reactions for oxidation, sulfurization or carburization. The degradation processes can be divided into initial stages, a transitional stage and the further proceeding steady-state oxidation reaction. Especially the long-term steady-state oxidation and further materials’ life-time are strongly dependent on the initial stages. The adsorption and absorption of the reactive species at the alloy surface and the growing oxide in the initial reaction is further influenced by dissociation and re-reactions of the gas phase molecules. To understand these mechanisms from a fundamental point of view in more detail, dedicated experiments and advanced characterization techniques on various length scale need to be applied. Real-time approaches using highly energetic synchrotron X-ray diffraction showed a high potential to enlighten competitively mechanisms by following the corrosion reactions in-situ in the environment they occur. Despite various other thin film characterization techniques, time of flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) is a powerful tool to visualize light atoms or labeled isotopes enabling the Differentiation between different oxidizing species. It was especially shown to be applicable in challenging atmospheres containing KCl deposits or in CO/CO2/O2 environments. The present study analyses the competing oxidation/sulfidation process in a humid atmosphere on two ferritic alloys with 2 and 9 % in weight chromium by in situ energy dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) and comparative tube furnace exposure using S16O2 and H2 18O atmosphere.
Influence of oxygen vacancies on core-shell formation in solid solutions of (Na,Bi)TiO3 and SrTiO3
(2021)
Solid solutions of (Na,Bi)TiO3 (NBT) and SrTiO3 (ST) are materials of interest for high-strain or high-energy density capacitor applications. Often, they exhibit chemical heterogeneity and develop core-shell structures during regular solid-state synthesis with an NBT-rich core. In this case, the NBT forms first so that the strontium needs to diffuse into the material to reach chemical homogeneity. Depending on the presence of core-shell structures, the electrical properties can vary drastically. In this work, we rationalize the effect of variations in oxygen vacancy concentration by Fe-acceptor and Nb-donor doping. It can be shown that a diffusion couple of strontium and oxygen is responsible for chemical homogenization and that the oxygen vacancy content can control the formation of a core-shell structure.
Influence of Hydrogen Uptake and Diffusion in Structural Components in the Field of Renewable Energy
(2021)
Great efforts are invested worldwide in the development of efficient electrolysis processes, fuel cells technologies and hydrogen transport and storage infrastructures. This includes the exploitation of existing gas-grid infrastructure for the injection of hydrogen. Considering transport and storage facilities, the utilization of gaseous hydrogen can be divided into two main groups which are differentiating in the pressure regime. Fueling stations are operating in high pressure (>800 bar) and high purity and therefore use austenitic stainless steels in their compression systems. On the other hand, existing gas infrastructure where the natural gas is transported across long distances is usually operating with up to 300 bar. In this case the pipe-systems consist of several steel classes, mainly low alloyed steels in which the surface quality and the gas mixture are strongly varying.
Even though ingress of hydrogen can lead to catastrophic failures in all steels, its exact impact on the mechanical properties, as well as its interaction with the surface, microstructure and lattice and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, research on the impact of gaseous hydrogen in pressure vessels and pipes has clearly an integral part on the path to safe and sustainable use of the different components along the different chains. This becomes even more relevant considering the influence of impurities in the gas, e.g. sulfur and with the introduction of new production technologies, such as additive manufacturing, into the market.
Determination of these interactions and impact that might lead to the degradation of the properties can allow a safe use of steels in present and future hydrogen-based energy applications.
The following contribution gives an overview of the problem and introduction to the conventional and innovative tools used and developed nowadays to analyze it. For this purpose, materials were loaded with hydrogen by electrochemical means and under high pressure and elevated temperatures. The results presented provide an invaluable insight into the impact of hydrogen on the integrity of selected steels used in the two mentioned above applications. This work is part of an ongoing research in which mechanical, chemical, structural, and microstructural analyses tools are combined in-situ and ex-situ.
Um die Absorption von Wasserstoff und dessen Verhalten in den Werkstoffen beim Einsatz unter Druck-H2 sowie die H- abhängigen Materialeigenschaften zu definieren, entwickelt die BAM mit ihrer langjährigen Erfahrung adäquate Prüfkonzepte, die einsatzrelevante Bedingungen und reale Beanspruchungen (Temperatur, Wasserstoff und mech. Beanspruchung) hierarchisch berücksichtigen. Der Vortrag gibt eine Einführung in das Thema von wasserstoffunterstützen Materialschäden durch die Problematik der Einspeisung von Wasserstoff in bestehende Erdgasnetze. Ferner wird auf die Hochdruck-Infrastruktur (sowie H2-Tankstellen) und die Entwicklung von Prüfkonzepten für die Gasinfrastruktur unter Druckwasserstoffbeaufschlagung eingegangen.
Increasing environmental problems with conventional energy technology are stimulating the demand for alternative energy solutions. With air quality reaching catastrophic levels in large cities worldwide, Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles offer the ideal combination of clean power with the amenities of electric drives. Hydrogen use on vehicles, nevertheless, also raises some issues about safe handling. As fuel cells and hydrogen applications, including vehicles, approach technological maturity, developing their business cases becomes crucial in introducing them to the consumer markets.
The Joint European Summer School JESS 2021 addresses these issues by offering high quality graduate level courses on selected topics of vehicle technology, innovation & business development, safe handling of hydrogen, and modelling. This series of summer schools has been ongoing since 2004 and targets an audience of university students (MSc and PhD levels) and post-doctoral researchers. We also welcome more experienced researchers and engineers wishing to expand their general knowledge, for instance, to suit a newly acquired position or collect credits for Continuous Professional Development (CPD). The course content is tailored to the needs of a diverse audience: newcomers to the field, experienced students, and young professionals working at the forefront of fuel cell and hydrogen applications.
For almost 150 years it is known that hydrogen has a deleterious effect on the mechanical properties of metallic components. Nowadays, the problem of hydrogen assisted degradation is highly relevant in energy related fields due to the massive use of steel as a structural component in these applications and its sensitivity to hydrogen. Since the discovery of hydrogen assisted cracking (HAC), researchers studied intensively and suggested possible explanations and mechanisms in order to define how hydrogen is affecting the material. In general, it is considered that hydrogen changes the mechanical properties more in terms of ductility (deformation capacities) than in strength (load capacities). Hydrogen concentration is one of three crucial factors in the degradation process, together with the microstructure of the material and the internal/external mechanical load. The relatively high concentration of hydrogen resulting in this loss of ductility can originate during production or before service (e.g. welding processes) and during service (i.e. catholically protected systems to eliminate corrosion processes in sour environments).
In parallel to the theoretical work, tremendous efforts were, and are still, invested in searching for a proper method to elucidate, map and quantify the hydrogen in the microstructure, which is the basis for this work. For steels, the focus is mainly on the observations of diffusion processes and the interaction of hydrogen with the microstructure
in regions with high local stresses/strains (for example around evolving cracks). The challenge for reaching this goal arises from the fact that accurate indication of hydrogen by means of position, unlike heavier atoms, can be made only by mass spectrometry or by interaction with another element (e.g. silver decoration, special coating and resonant nuclear reaction by nitrogen). In addition to this, the difficulty recording the hydrogen behavior while it rapidly diffuses through the material, leaving only the unpredicted failure, should be taken into account.
Although using powerful characterization methods, models and computational simulations, the key to defining the mechanisms behind HAC is still under debate and not fully understood. The relationship between material and hydrogen is determined by three factors, i.e., the material structure and microstructure – determining the physical properties, the mechanical load applied on the material and the hydrogen concentration. It is well known that in order to have a complete definition of HAC these three factors must be examined locally with the minimal scale and the maximal resolution reachable. The major gap is the lack in such a characterization method or a technique by which one has the ability to detect and observe the hydrogen in the metallic microstructure. The commonly used techniques nowadays are capable of characterization of the microstructure without the ability to observe the hydrogen distribution. Global hydrogen concentration and localized hydrogen observation are possible by some techniques which are incapable of indicating a change in the structure or microstructure therefore a comprehensive overview can be gained only by combining several methods.
In the presented research, secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) was adopted as the main tool to detect and locally map the hydrogen distribution in two types of duplex stainless steel grades: EN 1.4462 (standard 2205 duplex stainless steel) and EN 1.4162 (2101 lean duplex stainless steel). The term duplex stainless steel (DSS) refers to the austenitic-ferritic microstructure of the steel where the combination of physical and mechanical properties of the two phases is achieved. The DSS was selected as a case study for this work due to the wide use of this grade in many energy and the lack of knowledge on hydrogen behavior in two-phase containing microstructures. ToFSIMS was exploited in-situ and ex-situ in three experimental approaches during or following
an electrochemical charging procedure. This type of hydrogen charging was selected as it simulated a procedure of cathodic protection of most sub-water oil and gas extraction and delivery systems. The experimental procedures were:
1. Ex-situ charging followed by ToF-SIMS imaging for basic understanding of hydrogen distribution.
2. Ex-situ charging followed by in-situ mechanical loading to obtain information on hydrogen behavior around a propagating crack.
3. In-situ permeation of hydrogen through a steel membrane inside the ToF-SIMS to obtain information on diffusion behavior of hydrogen in a two-phase microstructure.
The comprehensive view of the effect of hydrogen on steel was gained by using supplementary methods, such as high resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM), focused ion beam (FIB) and electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD). The state of the art in this work lies in applying both: in-situ experimental approaches and data treatment of the ToF-SIMS raw data. The data treatment includes the combination of data from several sources (data fusion).
The results for the ex-situ charging followed by static sample imaging and data fusion showed that when the analyzed surface is directly exposed to the electrolyte the degradation is pronounced differently in the ferrite, austenite and interface. The degradation mechanisms in the ferrite and austenite were reflected by the formation of cracks on the surface of both, where a high concentration of hydrogen was obtained. This result supports the assumption that hydrogen is attracted to highly deformed regions. The advantage of using in-situ charging/permeation in comparison to ex-situ charging is that the effect of hydrogen on the ferrite and austenite phases when the hydrogen is evolving from within the microstructure is realized, in comparison to when the analyzed surface is initially exposed directly to the electrolyte. In both experiments the ferrite was observed as a fast diffusion path for the hydrogen. The faster diffusion of hydrogen through the ferrite is expected due to the higher diffusion coefficient, however, a direct proof for the diffusion sequence in this scale was never shown. Most significant results were achieved by the ‘core’ experiments of this research. These experiments included the design of a novel dynamic mechanical loading device to apply an external load during SIMS imaging of a hydrogen precharged-notched sample. For the first time it was shown that plastic deformation induced by applying a mechanical load is resulting in a redistribution of hydrogen locally around the notch.
Duplex (DSS) and austenitic stainless steels (ASS) are frequently used in many energy related applications. The duplex grade is considered to have outstanding mechanical properties as well as good corrosion resistance. The austenitic phase combines high ductility, even at low temperatures, with sufficient strength, and therefore such materials are applied in storage and transport of high-pressure hydrogen. During service in acidic environments large amounts of hydrogen can ingress into the microstructure and induce many changes in the mechanical properties of the steel. Embrittlement of steels by hydrogen remains unclear even though this topic has been intensively studied for several decades. The reason for that lies in the inability to validate the proposed theoretical models in the sub-micron scale. Among the very few available methods nowadays, Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) enables a highly accurate mapping of hydrogen in the microstructure in a spatial resolution below 100 nm. In the present work ToF-SIMS was used as a main tool in order to investigate the effect of deuterium on a duplex microstructure of lean and standard DSSs during and after the electrochemical charging process. Electrochemical charging simulates the service of a component in acidic environments under conditions of cathodic protection that are commonly applied to prevent corrosion reactions. ToF-SIMS after multivariate data analysis (MVA) was combined with high resolution topographic images and electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) data to characterize the structural changes. It was observed that the ferritic phase was affected almost identical in all steels whereas in the austenitic phase significant differences were obtained in the lean duplex in comparison to the standard DSS. The obtained results have been compared to similar investigations on a AISI 304L austenitic stainless steel. The advantage of the combined techniques is reflected by the ability to correlate the hydrogen distribution in the microstructure and the resulted phase transformation.
In the presented research, the high potential and abilities of secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) to detect and locally map the hydrogen distribution in two types of duplex stainless steels are shown. The research validates certain proposed mechanisms by combining ToF-SIMS with high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and electron-backscattered diffraction. The combination of data from several techniques on the same region was conducted in this field for the first time by applying data treatment of the ToF-SIMS raw data and data fusion approach. This powerful combination of methods allows reviewing of the occurring processes related to hydrogen assisted cracking. The step beyond the state of the art in this field was gained here by developing permeation and mechanical loading experiments within the ToF-SIMS during chemometric imaging of the hydrogen distribution in the microstructure. The research presents the necessary correlation between the hydrogen distribution and the resulted structural changes, the diffusion behavior in a duplex microstructure and stress induced diffusion of hydrogen by applying external load at the microscale.
Due to its low mass and high diffusivity in presence of compositional, thermal and mechanical gradients, hydrogen within a metallic microstructure can result in severe loss in ductility even at low concentrations and might lead eventually to a catastrophic and unpredictable failure of structural components during service. In this context, hydrogen mapping at the microscale is still considered among the most important challenges on the pathway towards a better understanding of the hydrogen transport and assisted cracking phenomena in metals, specifically in structural components, e.g. steels.
Among the very few available techniques to localize hydrogen at the microscale, Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) was proven to be a reliable tool. Based on the assumption that deuterium influence the microstructure similarly to hydrogen, in the following contribution ToF-SIMS was applied as the main technique to detect and locally map the deuterium distribution in several alloys: lean 2101 and standard 2205 duplex stainless steel (DSS), AISI 304L austenitic stainless steel and titanium 6Al-4V alloy. These alloys were selected as case studies in this work due to the wide use of them in many applications and environments which frequently provide critical conditions for hydrogen absorption and assisted degradation.
The innovative design of in-situ and ex-situ experiments enabled us to elucidate the permeation, transport and trapping of deuterium in the microstructure in sub-micron resolution for the first time. In addition to the novel experimental setups, further progress was gained by applying computational multivariate data analysis (MVA) on the raw data and data fusion with high resolution structural characterization methods (scanning electron microscopy and electron back-scattered diffraction – SEM/EBSD). This combination allowed us to correlate the deuterium distribution and the influence on the microstructure.
The following presentation provides an overview on some of the challenges with metallic materials used as structural materials in the energy sector for the transport and storage of hydrogen. The presentation contains explanations about the methodologies utilized to characterize the susceptibility of these materials for hydrogen.
Among the very few techniques to localize hydrogen (H) at the microscale in steels, Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) was proven to be a reliable tool. The necessity to detect hydrogen stems from its deleterious effects in metals, that are often used as structural components and to obtain better understanding of the underlying metallurgical mechanisms of hydrogen embrittlement (HE) which are still unclear.
Austenitic stainless steels are nowadays commonly used in a wide variety of application, from hydrogen transport and storage facilities to petrochemical and offshore applications where they are exposed to aggressive environments and therefore prone to HE. One of the greater risks in the austenitic class is the embrittlement of the material due to the instability of the γ austenite and its transformation into a brittle α martensitic phase. This transformation takes place due to the local stresses that are induced by the uptake of hydrogen during service. Nonetheless, it was shown that this transformation can occur as an artefact during SIMS analysis itself where Cs-sputtering is necessary not only to remove surface contaminations but mainly to enhance H/D secondary ion yield.
In the following contribution we show the influence of different sputtering conditions on AISI 304L austenitic stainless steel in order to distinguish the artefact from the hydrogen induced transformation. The material was charged electrochemically in a deuterium based electrolyte. Deuterium (D) must be in these experiments as a replacement for hydrogen which cannot be used because adsorbed hydrogen superimposes hydrogen originating from charging the sample in the SIMS images. ToF-SIMS analyses were conducted by ToF SIMS IV (IONTOF GmbH, Münster, Germany). The experiments were carried out on deuterium charged and non-charged samples. The structural characterization was carried out by SEM and EBSD examinations before and after charging, both with a Leo Gemeni 1530VP field-emission scanning electron microscope and a Zeiss Supra 40 instrument (Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH, Oberkochen, Germany). The results showed that the use of 1keV Cs+ beam induces stacking faults while higher sputter beam energies results in γ→α transformation.
The interaction of hydrogen with various tungsten-inert-gas-welded austenitic stainless steels’ (AUSS) microstructure is studied by means of desorption/absorption analysis and microstructure observations. One of the limitations of welding is created by the presence of hydrogen in the weld, which can shorten the steel’s service life. The local hydrogen concentration, trapping, and its distribution along the welded samples were studied by thermal desorption spectrometry and were supported by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and electronic microstructural observations. Hydrogen content demonstrated a dependence on the welding zone. It was found that hydrogen distribution, and accepted microstructure during welding, played a significant role in the trapping mechanism of 316L AUSS. XRD analysis revealed residual stresses which were caused due to the presence of hydrogen in c-phase. It was shown that the austenite microconstituents inside 316L can have a crucial effect in preventing hydrogen-assisted cracking phenomenon. The effects of AUSS microstructure on hydrogen absorption and desorption behavior are discussed in detail.
The high cooling rates (~106 K/s) occurring during Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M) of AlSi10Mg induce to the formation of a fine nanometric silicon network in the as-built condition. Such unprecedented microstructure enhances the mechanical strength when compared to equivalent as-cast materials. Nevertheless, PBF-LB/M also leads to high magnitude residual stress (RS) due to the extreme localized temperature gradients. The presence of RS can be detrimental to the fatigue life of engineering components, and great efforts are focused on understanding their generation and evolution after post-process heat treatments. Typically, T6 heat treatments are used to mitigate RS and improve mechanical performances by Mg2Si precipitation during ageing at 160-180°C. Nevertheless, the solutionizing at 500-540°C vanishes the fine silicon network, leading to the formation of micrometric (average of ~2-5 µm) polygonal Si particles, similar to those observed in T6 heat-treated Al-Si cast materials. Therefore, the aim of this work is to evaluate the ability of two so-called low temperature heat treatments (i.e., at 265°C and 300°C) to mitigate RS while retaining the fine as-built microstructure inherent to PBF-LB/M AlSi10Mg. The fatigue behavior of the as-built material is subsequently compared to the two low temperature conditions.
For higher operational temperatures and pressures required in petrochemical plants, the modified 13CrMoV9-10 steel was developed providing high resistance against creep and compressed hydrogen. Extreme care during the welding procedure is necessary for this steel, attributed to low toughness, high strength in as-welded state, and increased susceptibility to stress relief cracking (SRC) during post-weld heat treatment (PWHT). Previous research of SRC in creep-resistant steels discussed mainly thermal and metallurgical factors. Few previous findings addressed the influences of welding procedure on crack formation during PWHT considering real-life manufacturing conditions. These investigations focus on effects of welding heat control on stresses during welding and subsequent PWHT operations close to realistic restraint and heat dissipation conditions using a special 3D testing facility, which was presented in parts I and II of this contribution. Part III addresses investigations on residual stress evolution affecting crack formation and discusses the transferability of results from large-scale testing to laboratory-scale. Experiments with test set-ups at different scales under diverse rigidity conditions and an assessment of the residual stresses of the weld-specimens using X-ray (surface near) and neutron diffraction analysis (bulk) were performed. This study aims to provide a way of investigating the SRC behaviour considering component-specific residual stresses via small-scale testing concepts instead of expensive weld mock-ups.
Efficiency and flexibility are currently a major concern in the design of modern power plants and chemical processing facilities. The high requirements for economic profitability and in particular climate change neutrality are driving this development. Consequently, plant equipment and chemical reactor components are designed for higher operating pressure and temperature. Creep-resistant CrMo steels had been used as constructional materials for decades but came to operational limitations, for example the resistance against so-called high-temperature hydrogen attack in petrochemical reactors. For that purpose, 20 years ago V-modified CrMo steels had been developed for use in the petrochemical industry due to their very good creep-strength and hydrogen pressure resistance at elevated temperatures enabling long service life of the respective components. For example, the 13CrMoV9-10 steel is applicable for process temperatures of up to 482 °C and hydrogen pressures of up to 34.5 MPa.
Due to the large dimensions and wall thickness of the reactors (wall thickness up to 475 mm) and the special alloy concept, reliable weld manufacturing of the components is extremely challenging. First, low toughness and high strength of the weld joint in the as-welded condition are critical regarding weld cracking. High welding residual stresses are the result of the highly restrained shrinkage of the component welds. For this purpose, the entire component must be subjected to Post-Weld Heat Treatment (PWHT) after completion of the welding operation. The aim is to increase the toughness of the weld joints as well as to reduce the welding induced residual stresses. Before and during PWHT, extreme caution is required to prevent cracking. Unfortunately, V-modified CrMo steels possess an increased susceptibility to cracking during stress relaxation the so-called stress relief cracking (SRC).
Available literature studies have largely focused on thermal and metallurgical factors. However, little attention has been paid on the influence of the welding procedure on crack formation during PWHT considering actual manufacturing conditions. For that reason, we investigated in our previous studies (part I and II), the influence of heat control on the mechanical properties by simulating actual manufacturing conditions prevailing during the construction of petrochemical reactors using a special 3D- acting testing facility. The focus of part I was put on the influence of the welding heat control on mechanical stresses and the effect on cracking during PWHT. Part II was mainly dedicated to the metallurgical causes of SRC during PWHT and the interaction with the occurring mechanical stresses. It could be shown that not only high welding-induced stresses due to increased weld heat input cause higher susceptibility for SRC formation. It was further intensified by an altered precipitation behaviour in presence of mechanical stresses that are caused by the component related restraint. The present part III shows how residual stresses, which are present in such welded components and significantly influence the crack formation, can be transferred to the laboratory scale. As a result, the effect on the residual stresses on the SRC behaviour can be evaluated on simplified small-scale specimens instead of expensive mock-ups. For this purpose, experiments with test set-ups at different scales and under different rigidity conditions were designed and carried out.
Für eine signifikante Festigkeitssteigerung von vergüteten, hochfesten Feinkornbaustählen mit einer Normstreckgrenze > 690 MPa, ist die Zugabe von Mikrolegierungselementen, wie Nb und Ti, unerlässlich. Die Normvorgaben zur chemischen Zusammensetzung dieser Stähle (bspw. in DIN EN 10025-6) geben zur Erzielung der vorgeschriebenen Eigenschaften dabei oft nur Grenzgehalte für die Hersteller vor. Die Wirkung der Legierungselemente bzw. ihrer Karbide und/oder Nitride ist teilweise komplett konträr, insbesondere bei Auflösung und Wiederausscheidung in der WEZ bei identischem Schweißzusatz. Somit wird eine adäquate Vorhersage der Chargenabhängigkeit hinsichtlich der Schweißeignung und des Tragverhaltens der Schweißverbindung erschwert. Zuzüglich können moderne Schweißprozesse, wie MSG mit modifiziertem Sprühlichtbogen (mod. SLB) durch ihre hohe Wärmeeinwirkung die Phasenumwandlung in der Wärmeeinflusszone negativ beeinflussen. Eine unerwünschte Eigenschaft ist dabei die Erweichung (engl.: softening) der WEZ, wie auch u.U. der gegenteilige Effekt der Aufhärtung (engl.: hardening). Vor diesem Hintergrund werden im Rahmen eines DFG-Vorhabens systematisch Mikrolegierungsrouten mit variierenden Ti- und Nb-Gehalten des hochfesten und vergüteten Feinkornbaustahls S690QL untersucht. Dazu wird das MAGSchweißen mit mod. SLB verwendet, welches durch hohe Abschmelzleistung gekennzeichnet ist und schmalere Fugenöffnungswinkel (α = 30°) ermöglicht. An diesen Schweißungen wird der Effekt der metallurgischen Zusammensetzung in Kombination mit hoher Wärmeeinwirkung auf die Ausbildung einer kritischen WEZ-Gefügezone mit Erweichung und/oder exzessiver Aufhärtung untersucht. Ein besonderes Augenmerk wird auf die Phasenumwandlungen und das Ausscheidungsverhalten im Gefüge der Wärmeeinflusszone gelegt. Neben umfangreichen metallographischen Untersuchungen einzelner WEZ-Bereiche wurden, unter Variation der chemischen Zusammensetzung, thermodynamische Phasenberechnungen mittels ThermoCalc durchgeführt. Hierdurch wird ein Verständnis zur Phasentransformation und Ausscheidungswachstum und -auflösung während des Schweißens in Abhängigkeit von Temperatur und Abkühlbedingungen geschaffen. Das Ziel ist es, mittels erster Untersuchungen den Einfluss der Wärmeeinwirkung auf die Gefügeausbildung in der WEZ zu zeigen. Insbesondere wird hier auf die Auswirkung der unterschiedlichen Mikrolegierungskonzepte (Ti oder Nb) geachtet.
For a significant increase in the strength of high-strength fine-grained structural steels with a nominal yield strength ≥690 MPa, the addition of microalloying elements such as Nb and Ti is required. The standard specifications for the chemical composition of these steels (e.g., in EN 10025-6) often only give the manufacturer limit contents to achieve the defined properties. The effect of the alloying elements in the heat affected zone (HAZ) is sometimes completely contrary.
This makes it difficult to adequately predict the batch dependency regarding weldability and the load-bearing behaviour of the welded joint. Three different micro-alloyed steels of the grade S690QL were produced on a laboratory scale, focusing on different Nb and Ti contents. To investigate the tempering effect, these were gas metal arc welded in three layers. In addition to metallographic investigations of individual HAZ areas, thermodynamic phase calculations were carried out using Thermo-Calc, following variations in the chemical composition. This provides an understanding of phase transformation, precipitation growth, and dissolution during welding as a function of temperature and cooling conditions. The results show
a divergent metallurgical behaviour in the HAZ of the three different micro-alloyed steels. Thereby, the Ti micro-alloyed grade showed a strong softening of the HAZ in contrast to the Nb micro-alloyed grade. This can be attributed to a contrary precipitation behaviour during welding.
Mikrolegierungselementen, wie Nb und Ti sind für eine signifikante Festigkeitssteigerung von vergüteten, hochfesten Feinkornbaustählen mit einer Nominalstreckgrenze ≥ 690 MPa unerlässlich. Normvorgaben zur chemischen Zusammensetzung dieser Stähle geben zur Erzielung der vorgeschriebenen Eigenschaften dabei oft nur Grenzgehalte für die Hersteller vor. Die Wirkung der Mikrolegierungselemente bzw. ihrer Karbide und/oder Nitride ist teilweise komplett konträr, insbesondere bei Auflösung und Wiederausscheidung in der WEZ bei identischem Schweißzusatz. Somit wird eine adäquate Vorhersage der Chargenabhängigkeit hinsichtlich der Schweißeignung und des Tragverhaltens der Schweißverbindung erschwert. Eine unerwünschte Eigenschaft ist dabei die Erweichung der WEZ, wie auch u.U. der gegenteilige Effekt der Aufhärtung.
Vor diesem Hintergrund werden im Rahmen eines DFG-Vorhabens systematisch Mikrolegierungs-routen mit variierenden Ti- und Nb-Gehalten des hochfesten und vergüteten Feinkornbaustahls S690QL untersucht. Dazu wird das MAG-Schweißen mit modifizierten Sprühlichtbogen verwendet, welches durch hohe Abschmelzleistung gekennzeichnet ist und schmalere Nahtöffnungswinkel (α = 30°) ermöglicht. An Dreilagen-Schweißungen wird der Effekt der metallurgischen Zusammensetzung in Kombination mit hoher Wärmeeinwirkung auf die Ausbildung einer kritischen WEZ-Gefügezone mit Erweichung und/oder exzessiver Aufhärtung untersucht. Ein besonderes Augenmerk wird auf die Phasenumwandlungen und das Ausscheidungsverhalten im Gefüge der Wärmeeinflusszone gelegt. Neben umfangreichen metallographischen Untersuchungen einzelner WEZ-Bereiche wurden, unter Variation der chemischen Zusammensetzung,
thermodynamische Phasenberechnungen mittels Thermo-Calc durchgeführt. Hierdurch wird ein Verständnis zur Phasentransformation und Ausscheidungswachstum und -auflösung während des Schweißens in Abhängigkeit von Temperatur und Abkühlbedingungen geschaffen. Das Ziel ist es, den Einfluss der Wärmeeinwirkung auf die Gefügeausbildung in der WEZ und dessen mechanischer Eigenschaften zu analysieren. Insbesondere wird hier auf die Auswirkung der unterschiedlichen Mikrolegierungskonzepte (Ti oder Nb) geachtet.
Mikrolegierungselemente, wie Nb und Ti, sind für die signifikante Festigkeitssteigerung von vergüteten, hochfesten Feinkornbaustählen mit einer Nominalstreckgrenze ≥ 690 MPa unerlässlich. Normvorgaben zur chemischen Zusammensetzung geben dabei nur obere Grenzwerte für die Hersteller vor. Weiterhin wirken sich bereits kleine Abweichungen in der Legierungsroute teilweise drastisch auf die mechanischen Eigenschaften aus. Somit wird eine adäquate Vorhersage der Schweißeignung und der Integrität der Schweißverbindung aufgrund der variierenden Mikrogefüge erschwert bis unmöglich. Unerwünschte Nebeneffekte sind die mögliche Erweichung der Wärmeeinflusszone (WEZ) als auch der gegenteilige Effekt der Aufhärtung. Vor diesem Hintergrund werden erstmals systematisch die unterschiedlichen Mikrolegierungsrouten mit variierenden Ti und Nb-Gehalten an Versuchsschmelzen untersucht. Die Stahlgüte S690QL bildet dabei die Grundlage der chemischen Zusammensetzung sowie der entsprechenden Wärmebehandlung. Zur Untersuchung der jeweiligen Schweißeignung wurden Dreilagen-Schweißungen mittels moderner MAG-Hochleistungsschweißprozesse durchgeführt und kritische Gefügebereiche mit hoher Erweichung/Aufhärtung identifiziert. Der Fokus der analytischen Betrachtungen lag hier auf der Identifikation der Phasenumwandlungen beim Abkühlen und auf dem metallurgischen Ausscheidungsverhalten. Zusätzlich wurden isotherme und nicht-isotherme Phasenberechnungen mit der Software Thermo-Calc durchgeführt. Mechanisch-technologische Untersuchungen zur Kerbschlagzähigkeit mittels Kerbschlagbiegeversuchen durchgeführt wurden, bestätigen dabei die Ergebnisse der thermodynamischen Simulation bezüglich des Ausscheidungsverhaltens während der Temperatur-Zeit Schweißzyklen. Daraus lässt sich der Einfluss der Wärmeeinwirkung beim Schweißen auf die Gefügeausbildung in der WEZ und der korrespondierenden mechanischen Eigenschaften qualitativ beschreiben.
Der Einsatz von hochfesten niedriglegierten Stählen (HSLA) ist in vielen Industriesektoren, wie dem allgemeinen Bauwesen, Offshore Strukturen, Mobilkranbau usw. unumgänglich geworden. Die steigende Nachfrage an Stählen mit einer hohen Festigkeit und gleichzeitig hervorragenden Zähigkeit stellt ein ökonomisches und ökologisches Potential dieser Stähle in Vordergrund. Aktuell gültige Normvorgaben (EN ISO 10025-6) geben den Stahlherstellern Vorgaben bezüglich der chemischen Zusammensetzung, um die geforderten mechanischen Eigenschaften erreichen zu können. Die Legierungsrouten variieren jedoch von Hersteller zu Hersteller. In Betracht der Schweißeignung dieser Stähle zeigt sich das Problem, dass diese bereits bei geringen Nb- und Ti-Mikrolegierungsunterschieden im Grundwerkstoff ein divergentes metallurgisches Verhalten in der Wärmeeinflusszone (WEZ) aufweisen.
In diesem Vortrag werden die schweiß-metallurgischen Unterschiede zwischen verschieden mikrolegiertem hochfestem Feinkornbaustahl S690QL thematisiert. Zur Prüfung der Schweißnahtfestigkeit wurden mittels eines instrumentierten DIC (ARAMIS) Systems Querzugversuche an Schweiß-Querflachzugproben durchgeführt.
In many industrial steel construction branches, like mobile cranes and the offshore sector, high-strength fine-grained structural steels with a yield strength of over 690 MPa have long been used. To guarantee the necessary load-bearing capacity, the welding processing of these steels requires reliable knowledge of the complex interaction between the welding process, its underlying heat input and corresponding cooling conditions, chemical composition of base and filler materials, and resulting metallurgical phenomena in the weld seam and HAZ. Microalloying elements such as Ti and Nb make an indispensable contribution to increasing the strength by precipitation hardening. Previous investigation has shown that significant influence of the microalloying elements on the phase transformation can be assumed regarding the hardening and/or softening of the heat-affected zone. The standard specs for the chemical composition according to DIN EN 10025-6 often just specify chemical limitations for the manufacturer to achieve the desired mechanical properties. The effect of the alloying elements and the corresponding precipitates (carbides and/or nitrides) is sometimes entirely contrary, especially in case of dissolution and re-precipitation in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) with identical filler metal. This makes an adequate prediction of the batch dependency with regard to weldability and the load-bearing capacity of the welded joint difficult. The joining of these steels is mainly carried out by gas metal arc welding (GMAW). Modern inverter welding sources and micro-electronics control technology enabled the use of controlled arc variants, such as the modified spray arc (Mod. SA). Several characteristics from this arc variant e.g. reduced weld seam opening angles and increased deposition rates. Whereby this high heat exposure can have a negative effect on the phase transformation in the HAZ. An undesirable property is the softening of the HAZ, as well as the opposite effect of hardening.
In vielen Bereichen des industriellen Stahlbaus, wie z. B. bei Mobilkränen und im Offshore-Bereich, werden seit langem hochfeste Feinkornbaustähle mit einer Streckgrenze von über 690 MPa eingesetzt. Um die notwendige Tragfähigkeit zu gewährleisten, erfordert die schweißtechnische Verarbeitung dieser Stähle eine zuverlässige Kenntnis des komplexen Zusammenspiels zwischen dem Schweißprozess, der zugrundeliegenden Wärmeeinbringung und den entsprechenden Abkühlungsbedingungen, der chemischen Zusammensetzung von Grund- und Zusatzwerkstoff und den daraus resultierenden metallurgischen Phänomenen in der Schweißnaht und der WEZ. Mikrolegierungselemente wie Ti und Nb leisten einen unverzichtbaren Beitrag zur Erhöhung der Festigkeit durch Ausscheidungshärtung. Frühere Untersuchungen haben gezeigt, dass ein signifikanter Einfluss der Mikrolegierungselemente auf die Phasenumwandlung hinsichtlich der Aufhärtung und/oder Erweichung der Wärmeeinflusszone angenommen werden kann. Die Normvorgaben für die chemische Zusammensetzung nach DIN EN 10025-6 geben dem Hersteller oft nur Grenzen vor, um die gewünschten mechanischen Eigenschaften zu erreichen. Die Wirkung der Legierungselemente und der entsprechenden Ausscheidungen (Karbide und/oder Nitride) ist manchmal völlig konträr, insbesondere bei Auflösung und Wiederausscheidung in der WEZ bei identischem Zusatzwerkstoff. Dies erschwert eine adäquate Vorhersage der Chargenabhängigkeit im Hinblick auf die Schweißbarkeit und die Belastbarkeit der Schweißnaht. Das Fügen dieser Stähle erfolgt hauptsächlich durch das Metall-Schutzgasschweißen (MSG). Moderne Inverterschweißquellen und mikroelektronische Steuerungstechnik ermöglichten den Einsatz von gesteuerten Lichtbogenvarianten, wie dem modifizierten Sprühlichtbogen. Diese Lichtbogenvariante zeichnet sich durch mehrere Eigenschaften aus, wie z.B. reduzierte Nahtöffnungswinkel und erhöhte Abschmelzleistungen. Wobei sich diese hohe Wärmeeinwirkung negativ auf die Phasenumwandlung in der WEZ auswirken kann. Eine unerwünschte Eigenschaft ist die Erweichung der WEZ, ebenso wie der gegenteilige Effekt der Aufhärtung.
Der konstruktive Leichtbau erfordert den zunehmenden Einsatz hochfester Feinkornbaustähle mit Streckgrenzen bis zu 1300 MPa. Um darüber hinaus Schweißzeit, Schweißnahtvolumina und Schweißkosten zu minimieren, kam es zur Entwicklung moderner Lichtbogenprozesse mit erhöhter Abschmelzleistung, wie bspw. dem modifizierten Sprühlichtbogen. Das Schweißen mit modifiziertem Sprühlichtbogen bietet die Möglichkeit, schmalere Nahtfugen bzw. kleinere Nahtöffnungswinkel zu schweißen. Mit zunehmender Festigkeit der Baustähle steigen allerdings die Anforderungen an die schweißtechnische Verarbeitung. Hochfeste Feinkornbaustähle weisen ein erhöhtes Risiko gegenüber der wasserstoffunterstützten Kaltrissbildung auf. Diese Werkstofftrennungen entstehen unter gemeinsamer Wechselwirkung von lokalem risskritischem Gefüge, lokal erhöhter Wasserstoffkonzentration und lokal erhöhter Beanspruchung bzw. Dehnung. Untersuchungen haben gezeigt, dass der Einsatz des modifizierten Sprühlichtbogens in Verbindung mit schmalen Nahtfugen zu erhöhten Wasserstoffkonzentrationen im Schweißgut führt. Die vorliegende Arbeit gibt einen Aufschluss hinsichtlich der Kaltrissempfindlichkeit des vergüteten, hochfesten Feinkornbaustahls S960QL anhand der durchgeführten Kaltrissprüfung mittels selbstbeanspruchenden TEKKEN-Tests. Dazu wurden die Nahtöffnungswinkel der Prüfnähte zwischen 30° (Einsatz des modifizierten Sprühlichtbogens) und 60° (Einsatz des konventionellen Übergangslichtbogens) variiert. Ferner wurde die Wirksamkeit einer Nachwärmprozedur aus der Schweißwärme heraus zur Vermeidung der wasserstoffunterstützte Kaltrissbildung untersucht. Die Ergebnisse weisen in allen Proben (ohne Nachwärmung) Kerbrisse auf, welche als Kaltrisse identifiziert werden konnten. Durch eine Nachwärmung unmittelbar nach dem Schweißen können diese gänzlich vermieden werden. Das Schweißgut mit modifizierten Sprühlichtbogen weist die höchsten mittleren Wasserstoffkonzentrationen auf. Ferner zeigt das Schweißgut unter reduziertem Nahtöffnungswinkel eine vermehrte Mikrorissbildung auf.
Für eine signifikante Festigkeitssteigerung von vergüteten, hochfesten Feinkornbaustählen mit einer Normstreckgrenze > 690 MPa, ist die Zugabe von Mikrolegierungselementen, wie Nb und Ti, unerlässlich. Die Normvorgaben zur chemischen Zusammensetzung dieser Stähle (bspw. in DIN EN 10025-6) geben zur Erzielung der vorgeschriebenen Eigenschaften dabei oft nur Grenzgehalte für die Hersteller vor. Die Wirkung der Legierungselemente bzw. ihrer Karbide und/oder Nitride ist teilweise komplett konträr, insbesondere bei Auflösung und Wiederausscheidung in der WEZ bei identischem Schweißzusatz. Somit wird eine adäquate Vorhersage der Chargenabhängigkeit hinsichtlich der Schweißeignung und des Tragverhaltens der Schweißverbindung erschwert. Zuzüglich können moderne Schweißprozesse, wie MSG mit modifiziertem Sprühlichtbogen (mod. SLB) durch ihre hohe Wärmeeinwirkung die Phasenumwandlung in der Wärmeeinflusszone negativ beeinflussen. Eine unerwünschte Eigenschaft ist dabei die Erweichung (engl.: softening) der WEZ, wie auch u.U. der gegenteilige Effekt der Aufhärtung (engl.: hardening). Vor diesem Hintergrund werden im Rahmen eines DFG-Vorhabens systematisch Mikrolegierungsrouten mit variierenden Ti- und Nb-Gehalten des hochfesten und vergüteten Feinkornbaustahls S690QL untersucht. Dazu wird das MAGSchweißen mit mod. SLB verwendet, welches durch hohe Abschmelzleistung gekennzeichnet ist und schmalere Fugenöffnungswinkel (α = 30°) ermöglicht. An diesen Schweißungen wird der Effekt der metallurgischen Zusammensetzung in Kombination mit hoher Wärmeeinwirkung auf dDie Ausbildung einer kritischen WEZ-Gefügezone mit Erweichung und/oder exzessiver Aufhärtung untersucht. Ein besonderes Augenmerk wird auf die Phasenumwandlungen und das Ausscheidungsverhalten im Gefüge der Wärmeeinflusszone gelegt. Neben umfangreichen metallographischen Untersuchungen einzelner WEZ-Bereiche wurden, unter Variation der chemischen Zusammensetzung, thermodynamische Phasenberechnungen mittels ThermoCalc durchgeführt. Hierdurch wird ein Verständnis zur Phasentransformation und Ausscheidungswachstum und -auflösung während des Schweißens in Abhängigkeit von Temperatur und Abkühlbedingungen geschaffen. Das Ziel ist es, mittels erster Untersuchungen den Einfluss der Wärmeeinwirkung auf die Gefügeausbildung in der WEZ zu zeigen. Insbesondere wird hier auf die Auswirkung der unterschiedlichen Mikrolegierungskonzepte (Ti oder Nb) geachtet.
Mikrolegierungselemente, wie Nb und Ti, sind für die signifikante Festigkeitssteigerung von vergüteten, hochfesten Feinkornbaustählen mit einer Nominalstreckgrenze ≥ 690 MPa unerlässlich. Normvorgaben zur chemischen Zusammensetzung geben dabei nur obere Grenzwerte für die Hersteller vor. Weiterhin wirken sich bereits kleine Abweichungen in der Legierungsroute teilweise drastisch auf die mechanischen Eigenschaften aus. Somit wird eine adäquate Vorhersage der Schweißeignung und der Integrität der Schweißverbindung aufgrund der variierenden Mikrogefüge erschwert bis unmöglich. Unerwünschte Nebeneffekte sind die mögliche Erweichung der Wärmeeinflusszone (WEZ) als auch der gegenteilige Effekt der Aufhärtung. Vor diesem Hintergrund werden erstmals systematisch die unterschiedlichen Mikrolegierungsrouten mit variierenden Ti- und Nb-Gehalten an Versuchsschmelzen untersucht. Die Stahlgüte S690QL bildet dabei die Grundlage der chemischen Zusammensetzung sowie der entsprechenden Wärmebehandlung. Zur Untersuchung der jeweiligen Schweißeignung wurden Dreilagen-Schweißungen mittels moderner MAG-Hochleistungsschweißprozesse durchgeführt und kritische Gefügebereiche mit hoher Erweichung/Aufhärtung identifiziert. Mechanisch-technologische Untersuchungen zur Kerbschlagzähigkeit mittels Kerbschlagbiegeversuchen durchgeführt wurden, bestätigen dabei die Ergebnisse der thermodynamischen Simulation bezüglich des Ausscheidungsverhaltens während der Temperatur-Zeit Schweißzyklen. Daraus lässt sich der Einfluss der Wärmeeinwirkung beim Schweißen auf die Gefügeausbildung in der WEZ und der korrespondierenden mechanischen Eigenschaften qualitativ beschreiben.
Das Schweißen von hochfesten Feinkornbaustählen erfordert aufgrund der Sicherstellung der Gütewerte des Grundwerkstoffes (Zähigkeit, Festigkeit) auch in der Schweißverbindung, die Einhaltung von engen Grenzen bei der Auswahl von Schweißparametern. Die Reproduzierbarkeit von beanspruchungsgerechten hochfesten Schweißverbindungen hängt vom Schweißverfahren und der damit einhergehenden komplexen Gefügeausbildung ab. Hierbei müssen hochfeste Schweißverbindungen mindestens die gleichen Festigkeitsanforderungen erfüllen wie der eingesetzte Grundwerkstoff. In diesem Vortrag werden speziell die Herausforderungen wie der Empfindlichkeit gegenüber der wasserstoffunterstützen Kaltrissbildung beim Schweißen von hochfesten Feinkornbaustählen und dem Mikrolegierungseinfluss auf die divergente Ausbildung der Wärmeeinflusszone thematisiert.
Mikrolegierungselemente, wie Nb und Ti, sind für die signifikante Festigkeitssteigerung von vergüteten, hochfesten Feinkornbaustählen mit einer Nominalstreckgrenze ≥ 690 MPa unerlässlich. Normvorgaben zur chemischen Zusam-mensetzung geben dabei nur obere Grenzwerte für die Hersteller vor. Weiterhin wirken sich bereits kleine Abwei-chungen in der Legierungsroute teilweise drastisch auf die mechanischen Eigenschaften aus. Somit wird eine adä-quate Vorhersage der Schweißeignung und der Integrität der Schweißverbindung aufgrund der variierenden Mikro-gefüge erschwert bis unmöglich. Unerwünschte Nebeneffekte sind die mögliche Erweichung der Wärmeeinflusszone (WEZ) als auch der gegenteilige Effekt der Aufhärtung.
Microalloying elements, such as Nb and Ti, are essential for significantly increasing the strength of quenched and tempered, high-strength structural steels with a nominal yield strength ≥ 690 MPa and their welded joints. The standard specifications (e.g., EN 10025-6) for the chemical composition are only tolerated limit contents within which the steel manufacturers operate. The standard composition, however, says nothing per se about the properties of the material. Even small deviations in the alloy route can have a drastic effect on the mechanical properties. This makes it difficult or even impossible to adequately predict the weldability and integrity of the welded joint. An undesirable side effect is the possible softening of the heat-affected zone (HAZ), as well as the opposite hardening.Mechanical-technological investigations of the notched impact strength confirm the results of the simulation regarding the development of different microalloy routes in the welded state. From this, the influence of the heat effect of welding on the microstructure formation in the HAZ and the corresponding mechanical properties can be described qualitatively.
Mikrolegierungselementen, wie Nb und Ti sind für eine signifikante Festigkeitssteigerung von vergüteten, hochfesten Feinkornbaustählen mit einer Nominalstreckgren-ze ≥ 690 MPa unerlässlich. Normvorgaben zur chemischen Zusammensetzung dieser Stähle geben zur Erzielung der vorgeschriebenen Eigenschaften dabei oft nur Grenzgehalte für die Hersteller vor. Die Wirkung der Mikrolegierungselemente bzw. ihrer Karbide und/oder Nitride ist teilweise komplett konträr, insbesondere bei Auflösung und Wiederausscheidung in der WEZ bei identischem Schweißzusatz. Somit wird eine adäquate Vorhersage der Chargenabhängigkeit hinsichtlich der Schweißeignung und des Tragverhaltens der Schweißverbindung erschwert. Eine unerwünschte Eigenschaft ist dabei die Erweichung der WEZ, wie auch u.U. der gegenteilige Effekt der Aufhärtung.
Mikrolegierungselemente, wie Nb und Ti, sind für die signifikante Festigkeitssteigerung von vergüteten, hochfesten Feinkornbaustählen mit einer Nominalstreckgrenze ≥ 690 MPa unerlässlich. Normvorgaben zur chemischen Zu-sammensetzung geben dabei nur obere Grenzwerte für die Hersteller vor. Weiterhin wirken sich bereits kleine Abweichungen in der Legierungsroute teilweise drastisch auf die mechanischen Eigenschaften aus. Somit wird eine adäquate Vorhersage der Schweißeignung und der Integrität der Schweißverbindung aufgrund der variierenden Mikrogefüge erschwert bis unmöglich.
Die Nb-mikrolegierte Güte weist im Vergleich zur Ti-mikrolegierten Güte eine bessere Anlassbeständigkeit auf. Eine divergente Phasenverteilung in den äußeren Zonen der WEZ der Fülllagen erklärt die unterschiedliche Härteverteilung in der WEZ der drei untersuchten Legierungen und die markanten Unterschiede der Kerbschlagzähigkeit. Die quasistatischen Querzugversuche mittels DIC zeigten ein divergentes lokales Dehnungsverhalten auf. Die Ti-mikrolegierte Stahlsorte zeigt ein signifikanten lokales Dehnungsverhalten in der WEZ, wobei hier sich aufgrund der hohen metallurgischen Kerbwirkung Makrostützeffekte während des plastischen Fließens in der WEZ auftreten.
Mikrolegierungselemente wie Nb und Ti sind entscheidend für die erwünschte mechanische Festigkeit von vergüteten Feinkornbaustählen mit einer Nennstreckgrenze von ≥ 690 MPa. Aktuelle Spezifikationen geben lediglich Obergrenzen für die chemische Zusammensetzung vor, allerdings können geringfügige Abweichungen erhebliche Auswirkungen auf die mechanischen Eigenschaften haben. Die Vorhersage der Schweißbarkeit und Integrität von Schweißverbindungen stellt aufgrund der variierenden Zusammensetzung und Mikrostrukturen Herausforderungen dar. Unerwünschte Effekte wie Erweichung der Wärmeeinflusszone (WEZ) oder Verfestigung können auftreten. Um dies zu untersuchen, wurden verschiedene Mikrolegierungsrouten mit variierenden Ti- und Nb-Gehalten an Laborschmelzen erforscht. Die Basis jeder Route entsprach der üblichen S690QL in Zusammensetzung und Wärmebehandlung. Dreilagenschweißungen wurden mittels Metallaktivgasschweißens (MAG) durchgeführt, um kritische Gefügebereiche zu identifizieren. Die Analyse konzentrierte sich auf Phasenumwandlungen während der Abkühlung und metallurgisches Ausscheidungsverhalten. Die mechanischen Eigenschaften der Schweißnähte wurden durch Zugversuche ermittelt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen einen bedeutenden Einfluss der Mikrolegierungsroute und Schweißwärmezufuhr auf die Ausscheidungskinetik, trotz insgesamt guter Schweißbarkeit der Werkstoffe.
Multiple principal element alloys (MPEA) encompass the well-known high entropy alloys (HEAs). MPEA/HEA represent a new class of materials consisting of at least three alloying elements, each containing 5 to 35 at.-%. This alloying concept thus differs fundamentally from conventional materials such as steel or nickel alloys. For this purpose, the alloying elements are specifically selected, and the microstructures are adjusted in a single-phase and, in some cases, multi-phase manner. In particular, conflicting goals, such as the trade-off between strength and ductility in conventional steels, are overcome. In the last 20 years, however, the focus has been on material synthesis. With the increase in available material quantities, the focus is now on pro-cessing issues such as joining and welding processes. The weldability of MPEA has received very little atten-tion so far. Experience with dissimilar metal welds (DMWs) is completely lacking but is essential for the appli-cation of these materials in combination with conventional materials. The present study presents, comprehen-sive experimental results on the weldability of MPEA-DMWs. For that purpose, a Co20Cr20Fe20Mn20Ni20 HEA in cold-rolled and heat-treated condition was joined by means of tungsten inert gas welding (TIG) with the austenitic Cr-Ni steel AISI 304. The DMWs resulted in interesting mechanical properties. They were obtained by instrumented tensile tests as well as the local deformation in the weld area by using digital image correlation (DIC) technique. A significant softening in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of the MPEAs as well as a slightly reduced tensile strength with a significant decrease of the elongation at fracture were found. The experiments provided proof in principle of the weldability of the MPEAs for DMWs with conventional materials that ensure a corresponding capability for mechanical loading. This allows further considerations on the application of these innovative materials.
Multiple principal element alloys (MPEA) represent a class of materials consisting of at least three alloying elements, each with 5 to 35 atomic %. The MPEAs encompass the so-called high-entropy (HEA) and medium-entropy alloys (MEAs) and are fundamentally different from conventional materials like the Fe-based steel. Within the last 20 years, highly innovative MPEA with individually adjustable properties for industrial applications were identified. However, the focus has been on pure material synthesis. With the increase in available material quantities, the focus is now on processing issues such as joining and welding. In that connection, the weldability of MPEAs has received very little attention so far and experience in dissimilar metal welds (DMWs) is lacking so far but. The present study summarizes comprehensive experimental results on the weldability of MPEA-DMWs and their resulting microstructure. For this purpose, two equiatomic MPEAs, CoCrFeMnNi (HEA) and CoCrNi (MEA) in cold-rolled and annealed conditions were joined by solid-state friction stir welding (FSW) to an austenitic stainless steel 316L. The DMWs showed very interesting microstructure features. In addition, the mechanical-technological properties were obtained by instrumented tensile tests, and the local straining was determined in-situ by digital image correlation (DIC). A significant influence of the FSW processing on the mechanical performance was identified,in terms of the formation of FSW-specific defects like whitebands or tunnel defects. The experiments proofed the general (but currently limited) FS weldability of the MPEAs to conventional austenitic steel grade AISI 304. This enables targeted further considerations of these highly innovative MPEAs.
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.