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The presentation gives an overview of BAM's activities on processing influences and application properties of MPEAs in the form of joined and machined high and medium entropy alloys (CoCrFeMnNi and CoCrNi). In the case of welding, the focus is on defect-free welded joints with sufficient mechanical properties. In the case of machining, the focus is on the possible influence on the surface quality of the materials through adequate milling parameters. In addition, the hydrogen absorption and diffusion properties as well as the electrochemical corrosion behavior are fundamentally examined.
For the hydrogen-based energy economy of tomorrow, the construction of the necessary infrastructure will play a central role. Most materials used to date, such as welded steels, can be prone to hydrogen embrittlement under certain conditions. This includes the classic delayed cold cracking during welding as well as degradation phenomena during service of components in hydrogen-containing environment. For the evaluation of any hydrogen effect, for example, on the mechanical properties of a welded metallic material, the hydrogen content must be precisely determined. In the case of weld seams, the carrier gas hot extraction (CGHE) according to ISO 3690 is meanwhile state-of-the-art. CGHE is based on accelerated hydrogen degassing due to the thermal activation of hydrogen at elevated temperatures. In addition to the quantification of hydrogen, thermal desorption analysis (TDA) with varying heating rates can be used to determine and evaluate the hydrogen trapping at microstructural defects in the material. For both techniques, experimental and metrological influences must be considered, which have a major effect on the result. For example, ISO 3690 suggests different sample geometries and minimum extraction times for CGHE. This study summarizes the results and experiences of numerous investigations at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) with different sample temperatures and geometries (ISO 3690 type B and cylindrical TDA samples) regarding the influence of the sample surface (polished/welded), measurement accuracy depending on the sample volume and the insufficient monitoring of the effect of PI control on the extraction temperature. A deviating extraction temperature from the target temperature can significantly falsify the measurement results. Based on the results, methods are shown which allow the desired extraction temperature to be reached quickly without physically interfering with the measuring equipment. This serves to significantly improve the reliability of the hydrogen measurement through increased signal stability and accelerated hydrogen desorption. In general, an independent temperature measurement with dummy samples is recommended for the heating procedure of choice to exclude possible undesired temperature influences before the measurement. The methods described can be transferred directly to industrial applications
Wasserstoff erfüllt die zentrale Rolle für die Umwandlung der bisherigen fossil-basierten Energieerzeugung und -nutzung auf eine dekarbonisierte, nachhaltige Form. Dazu muss der Wasserstoff erzeugt, gespeichert, transportiert werden, bevor er wieder der Nutzung zugeführt wird. Hierzu sind entlang der gesamtem Prozesskette Wasserstofftechnologien notwendig, die einen sicheren Betrieb erfordern. Hierbei kommt dem schweißtechnischen Anlagen- und Behälterbau wesentliche Bedeutung zu, insbesondere (aber nicht ausschließlich) für Speicherung und Transport des Wasserstoffes. Der vorliegende Beitrag gibt einen kurzen Überblick, wo und wie die konventionelle Schweißtechnik hierzu wichtige Beiträge leistet. Die additive Fertigung, also das „Drucken“ von Bauteilen wird dabei zunehmend wichtiger, entlang der gesamtem Prozesskette der Wasserstofftechnologien. Gleichwohl darf nicht unterschätzt werden, dass auch wesentlicher Bedarf an der Erweiterung und teilweiser Neufassung von bestehenden Regel- und Normenwerken besteht.
Wasserstoff erfüllt die zentrale Rolle für die Umwandlung der bisherigen fossil-basierten Energieerzeugung und -nutzung auf eine dekarbonisierte, nachhaltige Form. Dazu muss der Wasserstoff erzeugt, gespeichert, transportiert werden, bevor er wieder der Nutzung zugeführt wird. Hierzu sind entlang der gesamtem Prozesskette Wasserstofftechnologien notwendig, die einen sicheren Betrieb erfordern. Hierbei kommt dem schweißtechnischen Anlagen- und Behälterbau wesentliche Bedeutung zu, insbesondere (aber nicht ausschließlich) für Speicherung und Transport des Wasserstoffes. Der vorliegende Beitrag gibt einen kurzen Überblick, wo und wie die konventionelle Schweißtechnik hierzu wichtige Beiträge leistet. Die additive Fertigung, also das „Drucken“ von Bauteilen wird dabei zunehmend wichtiger, entlang der gesamtem Prozesskette der Wasserstofftechnologien. Gleichwohl darf nicht unterschätzt werden, dass auch wesentlicher Bedarf an der Erweiterung und teilweiser Neufassung von bestehenden Regel- und Normenwerken besteht.
Der Vortrag gibt einen kurzen Überblick über die Bedeutung der Fügetechnik in Wasserstofftechnologien und über zukünftige FuE-Bereiche. Fügetechnologien haben dabei wesentliche Bedeutung für die Umsetzung von technischen Komponenten der Wasserstofftechnologien. Forschungsschwerpunkte ergeben sich insbesondere für die Erzeugung und den Transport des Wasserstoffs.
Offshore wind turbines (OWT) are a key factor of the sustainable energy generation of tomorrow. The continuously increasing installation depths and weight of the OWTs require suitable foundation concepts like monopiles or tripods. Typically, mild steels like the S420ML are used with plate thicknesses up to several hundreds of mm causing high restraints in the weld joints. Due to the large plate thickness, submerged arc welding (SAW) with multiple wires is the state-of-the-art welding procedure. As a result of the very high stiffness of the construction, a certain susceptibility for time-delayed hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) may occur. The evaluation of crack susceptibility is very complex due to the component size and stiffness of real offshore structures. For this purpose, a near-component test geometry was developed to transfer the real stiffness conditions to laboratory (i.e., workshop) scale. The investigated mock-up, weighing 350 kg, comprised heavy plates (thickness 50 mm, seam length 1,000 m) joined by a 22-pass submerged arc weld. Additional stiffeners simulated the effect of high restraint or shrinkage restraint of the weld. Extreme scenarios of hydrogen absorption during welding were simulated via the use of welding fluxes in dry (HD < 5 ml/100g Fe) and moisture condition (HD > 15 ml/100g Fe). The residual stresses were determined by a robot X-ray diffractometer. Areas of critical tensile residual stress (at the level of the yield strength) were found in the weld metal and heat affected zone. To identify possible delayed cracking, the welds were tested by phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) after 48 h. Summarized, no significant occurrence of HAC was detected, indicating the high crack resistance of the welded joint, i.e., a suitable combination of base material, welding consumable and welding parameters.
The study provides an overview of the aspects of joining and its importance in manufacturing of components for the more and more important field of hydrogen as key factor for the energy transition to a decarburized future. To this end, the fundamentals of the technology fields of hydrogen production, storage, transport, and application are presented and the state of the art of manufacturing of components for hydrogen technologies by joining is summarized. Based on representative examples from practice, research and development, the importance of joining technology in hydrogen technologies is clearly highlighted and perspectives for the future are derived. From a macroeconomic perspective, the focal points, or trends of joining technologies here include: the erection of new infrastructure for hydrogen storage and transport, and the safe conversion of existing natural gas infrastructure and its challenges for welded materials. In addition, we show the problems that are anticipated with in-service repair welding of hydrogen pipelines. In hydrogen applications, the efficient mass production of fuel cells and electrolysers is becoming increasingly important. For that reason, the importance of additive manufacturing is highlighted. Finally, the challenges for technical regulations and standardization by using hydrogen are shown.
Multi-principal element alloys (MPEAs) are innovative materials that have attracted extensive research attention within the last decade. MPEAs are characterized by a solid solution of equiatomic metallic elements. Depending on the number of elements, they are also referred as high entropy alloys (HEAs with n ≥ 4 elements like CoCrFeMnNi) and medium-entropy alloys (MEA with n = 3 elements CoCrNi). Depending on the alloy concept, MPEAs show exceptional properties in terms of mechanical performance or corrosion resistance at extreme environments. In that connection, hydrogen and its challenges for the most metallic materials gets more and more important. MPEAs are candidate materials for the substitution of conventional materials like austenitic stainless steels e.g., at very high-pressure up to 1000 bar. Those pressures are typically reached in valves or compressors for refueling of tanks with operational pressure of 700 bar. So far, the susceptibility of HEA/MEAs to hydrogen assisted cracking (if any) and the especially the underlying hydrogen uptake and diffusion was not within the scientific scope and not investigated in detail yet. For that reason, we focused on the hydrogen absorption the characterization of the hydrogen diffusion and trapping at elevated temperatures in a CoCrFeMnNi-HEA (each element with 20 at.-%) and CoCrNi-MEA, each element with 33.3 at.-%). As reference grade, the commercially available austenitic stainless steel AISI 316L was investigated. High-pressure hydrogen charging was conducted at different pressures in autoclave environment with maximum value of 1,000 bar. Thermal desorption analysis (TDA) via carrier gas hot extraction with coupled mass spectrometry was used with a max. heating rate of 0.5 K/s up to 650 °C. The measured desorption spectra of the different samples were deconvoluted into a defined number of individual peaks. The individually calculated peak temperatures allowed the definition of activation energies for predominant trap sites in the respective materials as well as the percentage share of the totally absorbed hydrogen concentration. The results present for the first time the complex interaction of both MPEAs and high-pressure hydrogen charging. A deconvolution of four peaks was selected and a main desorption peak was identified the dominant hydrogen trap containing the biggest share of the absorbed hydrogen concentration. The chemical composition an austenitic phase of both MPEAs is responsible for delayed hydrogen diffusion and strong, but mostly reversible, trapping. The comparison with the 316L samples showed significantly higher activation energies in the MPEAs, whereas hydrogen was also trapped at very high extraction temperatures. The absorbed maximum hydrogen concentration at 1,000 bar was 130 ppm for the CoCrFeMnNi-HEA, 50 ppm for the CoCrNi-MEA and 80 ppm for the 316L. It is interesting that the CoCrFeMnNi-HEA has obviously a way higher trapping capability compared to the conventional austenitic 316L, which could be a major advantage in terms of resistance to hydrogen assisted cracking.
In the course of tomorrow's hydrogen-based energy transition, the construction of the corresponding infrastructure will play a central role. The majority of materials used to date are typically welded for component fabrication. In that context, steels are widely applied and can be prone to hydrogen embrittlement. This includes the classical delayed cold cracking during welding processing as well as embrittlement phenomena during operation. For the evaluation of any hydrogen effect on, for example, the mechanical properties of a welded metallic material, the hydrogen content must be precisely determined. In the case of welds, for example, according to ISO 3690, this is the isothermal carrier gas hot extraction (CGHE). CGHE is based on accelerated hydrogen degassing due to thermal activation of hydrogen at elevated temperatures. In addition to the pure quantification of hydrogen, thermal desorption analysis (TDA) with varied heating rates can be used to determine and evaluate the bonding state at microstructural defects in the material. For both techniques, experimental and measurement influences have to be considered, which have a great effect on the result. For CGHE, for example, ISO 3690 suggests different sample geometries as well as minimum extraction times. The present study summarizes results and experiences of numerous investigations with different sample temperatures and geometries (ISO 3690 type B and cylindrical TDA samples) regarding: the influence of the sample surface (polished/welded), measurement accuracies depending on the sample volume as well as the insufficient monitoring of the effect of the PI controller on the extraction temperature. In particular, a deviating extraction temperature to the set temperature, can significantly falsify the measurement results. Based on the results, methods are shown to quickly reach the desired extraction temperature without having to physically interfere with the measurement equipment. This serves to substantially improve the reliability of hydrogen measurement through increased signal stability and accelerated hydrogen desorption. In general, an independent temperature measurement with dummy samples for the selected heating procedure is advisable to exclude possible unwanted temperature influences already before the measurement. In addition (and way more important), the methods described can be transferred directly to industrial applications.
Der Vortrag gibt einen tiefen Überblick über die Bedeutung der Füge- und Schweißtechnik in Wasserstofftechnologien. Dazu gliedert sich der Vortrag in die Komplexe H2-Erzeugung, Speicherung, Transport, Anwendung auf und gibt jeweils repräsentative Industriebeispiele für den heutigen Anwendungsstand. Insbesondere werden hier Fertigungstechnologien für Brennstoffzellen vorgestellt, sowie Herausforderungen beim Reparaturschweißen von Wasserstoffpipelines. Zeitgleich wird in einem eigenen Kapitel die Bedeutung der additiven Fertigung ebenso erläutert, wie die aktuellen und umfassenden Tätigkeiten auf dem Gebiet der Normung zu H2-Technologien.
Die vorliegende Präsentation fasst die Ergebnisse von drei laufenden bzw. beendeten AiF/IGF-Projekten zusammen, die über die Forschungsvereinigung Stahlanwendung FOSTA e.V. an der BAM bearbeitet wurden zum Thema: Bewertung und Vermeidung von schweißverarbeitungsbedingten Rissen in hochfesten Baustählen.
Multielement-Legierungen (MPEA - Multiple Principal Element Alloys), gemeinhin und partiell fälschlicherweise auch als Hochentropielegierungen bezeichnet) stellen eine neue Klasse von Werkstoffen dar, die aus mindestens drei Legierungselementen mit jeweils 5 bis 35 Atom-% bestehen. Somit unterscheidet sich dieses Legierungskonzept fundamental von konventionellen Werkstoffen wie Stahl oder Nickellegierungen. Hierzu werden die Legierungselemente gezielt ausgewählt und die Mikrostrukturen ein- und zum Teil auch mehrphasig eingestellt. Das Ziel ist dabei, hochinnovative MPEA mit individuell einstellbaren Eigenschaften für die industrielle Anwendung zu identifizieren. Dabei werden insbesondere Zielkonflikte, wie bspw. der Trade-off zwischen Festigkeit und Duktilität bei konventionellen Stählen, überwunden. Insbesondere die hohe mechanische Festigkeit bei höchster Korrosionsbeständigkeit sind bei bestimmten Legierungssystemen von hohem Interesse. Hier kann u.a. die Substitution klassischer hochlegierter Stähle oder Ni-Basislegierungen perspektivisch erfolgen. In den letzten 20 Jahren lag der Fokus jedoch auf der reinen Materialsynthese. Mit der Zunahme verfügbarer Werkstoffquantitäten, stehen Verarbeitungsfragen, wie werkstoff- und beanspruchungsgerechte Füge- bzw. Schweißverfahren jetzt im Mittelpunkt. Der Schweißeignung von MPEA wurde bisher nur äußert wenig Aufmerksamkeit zuteil. Erfahrungen zu Mischverbindungen
(DMWs - Dissimilar Metal Welds) fehlen dabei vollständig, sind jedoch essenziell für die Anwendung dieser Werkstoffe in Verbindung mit konventionellen Werkstoffen. Die vorliegende Studie präsentiert erstmals im deutschen Sprachraum, die umfassenden experimentellen Ergebnisse zur Schweißeignung von MPEA-Mischverbindungen und der resultierenden Mikrostruktur. Dazu wurden zwei äquiatomare MPEAs in Form einer Co20Cr20Fe20Mn20Ni20 (Hochentropie-) und Co33.3Cr33.3Ni33.3 (Mediumentropielegierung) mittels WIG und Rührreibschweißen mit einem konventionellen, korrosionsbeständigem Cr-Ni-Stahl AISI 304 (1.4301 bzw. X5CrNi18-10) gefügt. Die erstmals untersuchten DMWs resultierten dabei in sehr interessanten Mikrostrukturen, mechanisch-technologische Eigenschaften wurden durch instrumentierte Zugversuche gewonnen, die gleichzeitig der Ermittlung der lokalen Verformung im Schweißnahtbereich dienten (durch Verwendung der berührungslosen DIC-Digital Image Correlation-Technik). Dabei zeigt sich für beide Schweißverfahren eine Erweichung in der Wärmeeinflusszone (WEZ) der MPEAs sowie eine geringfügig verminderte Zugfestigkeit, bei einer deutlichen Abnahme der Bruchdehnung. Durch die Experimente konnte der prinzipielle Nachweis der Schweißeignung der MPEAs für DMWs mit konventionellen Werkstoffen erbracht werden, die auch eine dementsprechende mechanische Beanspruchbarkeit ermöglichen. Dies ermöglicht weitere Betrachtungen zur Anwendung dieser innovativen Werkstoffe.
Im Zuge der wasserstoffbasierten Energiewirtschaft von morgen, kommt der Errichtung der dementsprechenden Infrastruktur die zentrale Rolle zu. Der überwiegende Teil bisher eingesetzter und meist geschweißter Werkstoffe, wie Stähle, kann unter bestimmten Bedingungen zur Wasserstoffversprödung neigen. Dies umfasst die klassische verzögerte Kaltrissbildung während der Schweißverarbeitung als auch Versprödungsphänomene während des Betriebs. Für die Bewertung eines jeden Wasserstoffeffektes auf bspw. die mechanischen Eigenschaften eines geschweißten metallischen Werkstoffes, muss der Wasserstoffgehalt präzise bestimmt werden, Im Fall von Schweißnähten ist die beispielsweise nach der ISO 3690, die klassische isotherme Trägergas-Heißextraktion (TGHE). Die TGHE basiert dabei auf der beschleunigten Wasserstoffentgasung aufgrund der thermischen Aktivierung des Wasserstoffs bei erhöhten Temperaturen. Neben der reinen Quantifizierung des Wasserstoffs, kann über die thermische Desorptionsanalyse (TDA) mit variierten Heizraten, der Bindungszustand an mikrostrukturellen Defekten im Material festgestellt und bewertet werden. Für beide Techniken sind experimentelle und messtechnische Einflüsse zu beachten, die großen Effekt auf das Ergebnis haben. Für die TGHE schlägt die ISO 3690 schlägt beispielswiese verschiedene Probengeometrien sowie Mindestextraktionszeiten vor. Die vorliegende Studie fasst Ergebnisse und Erfahrungen zahlreicher Untersuchungen an der Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) mit unterschiedlichen Probentemperaturen und Geometrien (ISO 3690 Typ B und zylindrische TDA-Proben) zusammen hinsichtlich: Einfluss der Probenoberfläche (poliert/geschweißt), Messgenauigkeiten in Abhängigkeit des Probenvolumens sowie die unzureichende Überwachung des Effektes des PI-Reglers auf die Extraktionstemperatur. Insbesondere eine abweichende Extraktionstemperatur zur eingestellten Temperatur, kann die Messergebnisse wesentlich verfälschen. Basierend auf den Ergebnissen werden Methoden aufgezeigt, um schnell die gewünschte Extraktionstemperatur zu erreichen, ohne physisch in das Messequipment eingreifen zu müssen. Dies dient der wesentlichen Verbesserung der Zuverlässigkeit der Wasserstoffmessung durch erhöhte Signalstabilität und beschleunigte Wasserstoffdesorption. Im Allgemeinen ist eine unabhängige Temperaturmessung mit Dummy-Proben für die gewählte Heizprozedur angeraten, um mögliche unerwünschte Temperatureinflüsse bereits vor der Messung auszuschließen. Die beschriebenen Methoden können ohne großen Aufwand direkt in die industrielle Anwendung überführt werden.
Im Zuge der wasserstoffbasierten Energiewirtschaft von morgen, kommt der Errichtung der dementsprechenden Infrastruktur die zentrale Rolle zu. Der überwiegende Teil bisher eingesetzter und meist geschweißter Werkstoffe, wie Stähle, kann unter bestimmten Bedingungen zur Wasserstoffversprödung neigen. Dies umfasst die klassische verzögerte Kaltrissbildung während der Schweißverarbeitung als auch Versprödungsphänomene während des Betriebs. Für die Bewertung eines jeden Wasserstoffeffektes auf bspw. die mechanischen Eigenschaften eines geschweißten metallischen Werkstoffes, muss der Wasserstoffgehalt präzise bestimmt werden, Im Fall von Schweißnähten ist die beispielsweise nach der ISO 3690, die klassische isotherme Trägergas-Heißextraktion (TGHE). Die TGHE basiert dabei auf der beschleunigten Wasserstoffentgasung aufgrund der thermischen Aktivierung des Wasserstoffs bei erhöhten Temperaturen. Neben der reinen Quantifizierung des Wasserstoffs, kann über die thermische Desorptionsanalyse (TDA) mit variierten Heizraten, der Bindungszustand an mikrostrukturellen Defekten im Material festgestellt und bewertet werden. Für beide Techniken sind experimentelle und messtechnische Einflüsse zu beachten, die großen Effekt auf das Ergebnis haben. Für die TGHE schlägt die ISO 3690 schlägt beispielswiese verschiedene Probengeometrien sowie Mindestextraktionszeiten vor. Die vorliegende Studie fasst Ergebnisse und Erfahrungen zahlreicher Untersuchungen an der Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) mit unterschiedlichen Probentemperaturen und Geometrien (ISO 3690 Typ B und zylindrische TDA-Proben) zusammen hinsichtlich: Einfluss der Probenoberfläche (poliert/geschweißt), Messgenauigkeiten in Abhängigkeit des Probenvolumens sowie die unzureichende Überwachung des Effektes des PI-Reglers auf die Extraktionstemperatur. Insbesondere eine abweichende Extraktionstemperatur zur eingestellten Temperatur, kann die Messergebnisse wesentlich verfälschen. Basierend auf den Ergebnissen werden Methoden aufgezeigt, um schnell die gewünschte Extraktionstemperatur zu erreichen, ohne physisch in das Messequipment eingreifen zu müssen. Dies dient der wesentlichen Verbesserung der Zuverlässigkeit der Wasserstoffmessung durch erhöhte Signalstabilität und beschleunigte Wasserstoffdesorption. Im Allgemeinen ist eine unabhängige Temperaturmessung mit Dummy-Proben für die gewählte Heizprozedur angeraten, um mögliche unerwünschte Temperatureinflüsse bereits vor der Messung auszuschließen. Die beschriebenen Methoden können ohne großen Aufwand direkt in die industrielle Anwendung überführt werden.
Die Wasserstoffinfrastruktur ist eine zentraler Bestandteil der erfolgreichen Umsetzung der wasserstoffbasierten Energiewende. Dabei bilden Ferngasleitungen quasi das "Rückgrat" der Transportinfrastruktur großer Gasmengen. Dabei müssen unter Umständen Reparaturen an den Pipelines durchgeführt werden. Dabei ist in der Erdgasinfrastruktur das Schweißen an in Betrieb befindlichen (d.h. von Gas durchflossenen) Pipelines Stand der Technik. Es ist jedoch vollkommen offen, inwieweit diese Technik auf die reine Wasserstoffpipelines übertragbar sind. Hierzu leistet das Projekt H2SuD wichtige Beiträge zur Aufklärung des Einfluss eines Reparaturschweißprozesses auf die Wasserstoffaufnahme und Degradation im Betrieb befindlicher H2 Gasleitungen.
Der Vortrag gibt einen kurzen Überblick über die Bedeutung der Fügetechnik in Wasserstofftechnologien und über zukünftige Herausforderungen. Fügetechnologien, insbesondere die Schweißtechnik, haben dabei wesentliche Bedeutung für die Umsetzung von technischen Komponenten der Wasserstofftechnologien. Forschungsschwerpunkte ergeben sich insbesondere für die Erzeugung und den Transport des Wasserstoffs.
Large scale hydrogen assisted cracking test for thick walled SAW joints for offshore applications
(2023)
Offshore wind turbines continuously increase in size and weight and demand adequate offshore foundations concepts like monopiles, tripods or jackets. These components are typically submerged arc welded (SAW) high-strength thick steel plates like the S420ML. During welding, the occurrence of delayed hydrogen assisted cracking (HAC) must be anticipated. HAC is a critical combination of the local hydrogen concentration within a susceptible microstructure under certain mechanical load, i.e., the occurring (welding) residual stresses. The welding sequence of the thick-walled plates complicate the residual stress distribution due to the necessary repeated thermal cycling, i.e., welding seam / layer deposition to fill the joint. For that purpose, SAW with two-wire-technique was used to weld a specially designed and prototype-like mock-up of a real component with a thickness of 50 mm, filled with 22 passes and a seam length of 1,000 mm. Additional welded stiffeners simu-lated the effect of a high restraint, to stimulate critical HAC conditions. The necessity of a minimum waiting time (MWT) before the NDT can be conducted (to exclude HAC) was critically verified by the application of ultrasonic testing of the welded joint at different time-steps of the NDT of 48 h after welding. The residual stresses were determined by a robot XRD goniometer. Tensile residual stresses up to the yield limit are found both in the weld metal and in the heat-affected zone. Numerical modelling allowed the qualitative estimation of the hydrogen diffusion in the weld. A remarkable HAC occurrence was not identified and proves both, a certain resistance of the weld joint to HAC and the (questionable) duration of the MWT.
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.
In the course of tomorrow's hydrogen-based energy transition, the construction of the corresponding infrastructure will play a central role. In that context, large diameter long-distance transmission pipelines for hydrogen will be the backbone in the European Union with service pressures from 70 to 90 bar (e.g., de-pending on national regulations). It is a major goal to repurposing the existing natural gas (NG) infrastructure despite the necessity of new pipelines. From that point of view repair welding or further welding of branch pipe etc. can be necessary during in-service, i.e., permanent flow of pressurized hydrogen. The reason is that a shut-down of large diameter pipelines is not easy or sometimes merely impossible. At the moment, it is entirely open if current repair welding procedures for NG pipe-lines can be transferred to pure hydrogen pipelines. For that reason, a collaborative project between BAM, DVGW (German Association for Gas and Water Professions) and a large number of gas grid operators, pipeline manufacturers and construction companies was initiated in 2023 to answer questions on: (1) How many hydrogen is additionally absorbed during the preheating and maintaining at interpass temperature under remaining operational pressures? (2) Is the hydrogen concentration sufficient to reach a critical condition? (3)Which material and weld microstructure are the most susceptible? (4) Is there a difference in the repair welding behavior of NG pipelines with materials in “used” condition? (5) Which welding parameters and joint dimensions must be ensured for safe repair welding? The final aim of this project is the publication of a recommended practice for repair welding of in-service hydrogen pipelines. For that reason, the present study gives an overview on: (A) current practice in repair welding of in-service pipelines and (b) plans for hydrogen pipelines and first results of international research projects.
This contribution briefly summarizes the standardization activities in accordance with the "Nationale Roadmap Wasserstofftechnologien" and presents selected results on the activities in Germany with scope on hydrogen transport in pipelines. The talk was given during a panel discussion to set-up a steering committee for standardization for hydrogen pipelines and welding , coordinated by the International Institute of Welding.
Die Wasserstofftechnologien der näheren Zukunft erfordern sichere Komponenten. Die Füge- und Schweißtechnik ist hier von zentraler Bedeutung, insbesondere für die Transportinfrastruktur (wie Pipelines). Der vorliegende Vortrag gibt hierzu einen umfassenden Überblick, beginnend bei der Erzeugung, Speicherung über Transport und Nutzung. Zusätzlich wird die zunehmende Bedeutung der additiven Fertigung beleuchtet und ein kurzer Ausblick auf die aktuelle Normungsroadmap der Wasserstofftechnologien gegeben.
Offshore-Windenergieanlagen erfordern Gründungskonzepte aus unterpulver-(UP-)geschweißten Dickblechen (bspw. der Güte S420ML). Während der Schweißfertigung kann eine zeitverzögerte wasserstoffunterstützte Kaltrissbildung auftreten, deren Bewertung aufgrund der Bauteilgröße von Offshore-Strukturen sehr komplex ist. Deswegen wurde eine bauteilähnliche Geometrie (Mock-Up) entwickelt, um reale Steifigkeitsverhältnisse auf den Labormaßstab zu übertragen. Zusätzliche Versteifungen simulieren die Wirkung einer Einspannung bzw. Schrumpfbehinderung der Schweißnaht. Über die Verwendung von Schweißpulvern mit definierter Feuchte wurden zudem ein Extremszenario der Wasserstoffaufnahme simuliert. Entsprechend der vorgegebenen Mindestwartezeit für die ZfP von bis zu 48 h wurde die Schweißnaht zerstörungsfrei mit Phased-Array-Ultraschall-Prüfung (PAUT) geprüft und die Eigenspannungen über Röntgendiffraktometrie (XRD) bestimmt. Zusätzlich wurde die Wasserstoffverteilung in der Schweißverbindung numerisch simuliert. Außer zulässigen Defekten (wie Poren), wurde keine verzögerte Kaltrissbildung in den Mock-Ups festgestellt, was auf hohe Rissbeständigkeit hindeutet.
The hydrogen economy requires large-scale storage and transportation options like long-distance transmission pipelines. The applied materials (typically steels) must be carefully tested under different conditions (pressure, temperature, impact of impurities, etc.) for their suitability and service with hydrogen. In combination with mechanical load, as occurs in every gas network, hydrogen can induce degradation of the mechanical properties and promote finally resulting in embrittlement, i.e., the formation of cracks. The conventional testing procedures consist of autoclaves in which samples are strained under pressurized hydrogen. The test apparatus requires large amounts of hydrogen and thus a high level of safety and costs. In very specific cases, these tests might be replaced by simplified electrochemical charging. However, these test alternatives raise several questions regarding the equivalency of both testing scenarios. In the early 1980’s the idea of a so-called hollow tensile sample raised and was reinitiated 2021 in ISO TC 164 by T. Ogata (NIMS, Japan) and further developed (e.g. by Fraunhofer IWM, Germany). The idea was: the sample itself represents the autoclave instead of charging a sample from outside. For that reason, a hole is drilled through the sample and the inner surface is pressurized by hydrogen gas during the mechanical testing. Indeed, this represents the main advantage as no expensive pressure-resistant autoclave equipment for large H-volumes is necessary, which significantly reduces the safety-related issues and thus the high costs. In the following, we show recent activities at BAM Berlin on adaption of the hollow-specimen technique for slow strain rate testing (SSRT). The current research activities are focussed on macroscopic influences like the sample geometry, minimum necessary dimensions, and microscopic influences e.g., on the surface by the processing method (drill hole quality and geometric precision) as well as the gas pressure effect (mechanical deformation of surface in different media).
Microalloying elements, such as Nb and Ti, are essential for the targeted mechanical strength of quenched and tempered, high-strength fine-grained structural steels with a nominal yield strength ≥ 690 MPa. Current specifications for chemical composition only provide upper limits for manufacturers. But even small deviations in the alloying route can have a drastic effect on the mechanical properties. Thus, an adequate prediction of the weldability and the integrity of the welded joint becomes difficult or even impossible due to the varying composition and, hence, the microstructures. Undesirable side effects are the possible softening of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) as well as the opposite effect of hardening. Against this background, different microalloying routes with varying Ti and Nb contents are systematically investigated for the first time on specially designed lab-cast alloys. The basis of each alloy route was the common S690QL in terms of both the chemical composition as well as the heat treatment. To investigate the weldability, three-layer welds were performed using metal active gas welding (MAG) and critical microstructural areas with high softening/hardening were identified. The scope was here on the identification of phase transformations during cooling and on the respective metallurgical precipitation behavior. Isothermal and non-isothermal phase calculations were performed using Thermo-Calc® and showed that the prediction of the non-equilibrium precipitation characteristics during welding is not trivial, especially for this relatively complex chemical composition. The mechanical properties of the welded joints were identified by both Charpy tests (toughness) and tensile tests (strain and strength). During the test, the local straining behavior of the welded joints, was identified using a digital image correlation (DIC) system, see Figure 1. Despite the generally good weldability of the materials, the results show a significant influence of the microalloying route as well as the welding heat input on the different precipitation kinetics.
Dissimilar metal TIG weld joints of multiple principal element alloys (MPEA) to austenitic steel 304
(2023)
Multi-element alloys (MPEA - Multiple Principal Element Alloys) represent a new class of materials consisting of at least three alloying elements, each with 5 to 35 atomic %. This material class includes high-entropy alloys (HEA, with n ≥ 4 elements). The underlying alloying concept differs fundamentally from conventional materials such as the Fe-based steel. 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. The aim is to identify highly innovative MPEA with individually adjustable properties for industrial applications. In the last 20 years, however, the focus has been on pure material synthesis. With the increase in available material quantities, the focus is on processing issues such as joining and welding processes. In that connection, the weldability of MPEAs has received very little attention so far. Experience with dissimilar metal welds (DMWs) is completely lacking but is essential for the application of these materials if joint to conventional materials. This study presents selected experimental results on the weldability of MPEA-DMWs and the resulting microstructures. For this purpose, the equiatomic CoCrFeMnNi (HEA) was investigated in cold-rolled (CR) and heat-treated (HT) condition and joined by tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding to an austenitic stainless steel 304. The DMWs showed defect-free conditions (no lack of fusion, cracks and so on), whereas the cold-rolling increases the microhardness. The global mechanical properties were obtained by instrumented tensile tests of cross-weld samples and showed sufficient yield and tensile strength comparable to that of the individual base materials (BM). The local strain conditions were determined by digital image correlation and showed the highest local strains to occur in the intermixed weld metal. Indeed, the preferred fracture location of the cross-weld tensile samples was in the weld metal. Finally, the experiments proofed the weldability of the MPEAs to conventional 304. This enables targeted further considerations for example as structural materials.
With the introduction of a hydrogen-based energy and national economy, safety-relevant components for hydrogen technologies are becoming increasingly important. Characteristic of hydrogen technologies are, for example, harsh environmental conditions such as cryogenic or high-pressure storage, corrosion issues in fuel cells and electrolyzers, turbines, and many more. Additive manufacturing of components is becoming increasingly important and irreplaceable for the production of complex technical systems. Using the case studies of burners for gas turbines and electrodes and membranes for polymer (PEMFC) and solid oxide (SOFC) fuel cells, this article shows the potential of additive manufacturing of components. At the same time, however, the challenge of considering divergent mechanical properties depending on the direction of assembly in a "hydrogen-compatible" manner is also highlighted. Finally, the challenges posed by additive manufacturing and hydrogen for materials testing are highlighted under scenarios that are as realistic as possible.
Offshore wind turbines are an important goal in national energy strategies worldwide. Foundation structures are manufactured from submerged arc welded (SAW) plates with thicknesses up to 200 mm. In that connection, high-strength steels like the S420G2+M are more and more applied offering the possibility for increased stability and load-bearing capacity of the foundations. These offshore steel grades can show a susceptibility for delayed hydrogen assisted cold cracking of the weld joints. For that purpose, a minimum waiting time (MWT) of up to 48 h (dependent on applied standards) is recommended before non-destructive testing is allowed and conducted. But this concept is based on older steel grades that have been used for three or more decades. Nowadays, the metallurgical improvements (clean steels, proper rolling, and heat treatment) of base materials and well as welding consumables must be anticipated. Hence, the MWT concept should be critically discussed as it is assumed to be very conservative. For that reason, the focus of this study was to investigate the diffusion behavior in S420G2+M steel and its multi-layer SAW joint. Electrochemical permeation experiments were carried at room temperature. Boundary conditions were anticipated in terms of using different sample thicknesses. From the experimental data, hydrogen diffusion coefficients and absorbed diffusible hydrogen concentrations had been calculated. It was shown that hydrogen diffusion in the base material is increased compared to the weld metal. In addition, the sample thickness had a significant on the calculated diffusion coefficients. The minimum and maximum diffusion coefficients had been used for numerical modelling of the hydrogen diffusion in the welding joint. It became clear that a MWT must be always regarded together with a critical initial diffusible hydrogen concentration for the evaluation of a possible delayed cracking as diffusion times were mostly > 48 h due to the thick plates.
High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are innovative high-performance materials that have attracted more and more research attention. HEAs are characterized by a solid solution of typically five equiatomic metallic elements. In addition, medium-entropy alloys (MEA, with three elements) are of interest and become more and more important. Depending on the alloy concept, HEAs and MEAs show exceptional mechanical properties, especially high-strength and ductility combinations at both cryogenic and elevated temperatures combined with excellent corrosion resistance. Future structural HEA/MEA components can be exposed to potential applications with hydrogen containing environments like high-temperature water in pressurized nuclear reactors or aerospace structures. Other potential applications could be in materials for vessel walls in the field of cryogenic and high-pressure hydrogen storage. So far, the susceptibility of HEAs/MEAs to hydrogen assisted cracking (if any) and the hydrogen diffusion is not investigated in detail yet and can limit or extend possible applications of HEA/MEA as structural materials. In our work, we focused on the hydrogen absorption, diffusion, and distribution in a HEA (CoCrFeMnNi the original Cantor-alloy) and a MEA (CoCrNi). Cathodic hydrogen charging was carried out for the hydrogen ingress, and thermal desorption analysis (TDA) revealed complex hydrogen trapping in both alloy types up to 300 °C. The absorbed total hydrogen concentrations were > 100 ppm for the HEA and > 40 ppm for MEA. In addition, the assessment of the peak deconvolution is not trivial and must consider both experimental and microstructure influences.
Multielement-Legierungen (MPEA – multiple pricipal element alloys) stellen eine neue Klasse von Werkstoffen dar, die aus mindestens drei äquiatomaren Legierungselementen mit jeweils einem Gehalt von 5–35 Atom-% bestehen. Somit unterscheidet sich das Legierungskonzept fundamental von konventionellen bspw. Stahl- oder Al-basierten Legierungen. In jüngster Zeit lag der Schwerpunkt auf dem Legierungs-Design der MPEA und der Überprüfung bzw. Erreichung der gewünschten Eigenschaften bzw. -kombinationen. Hierzu werden die egierungselemente gezielt ausgewählt und die Mikrostrukturen ein- und zum Teil auch mehrphasig eingestellt. Ziel sind hochinnovative MPEA mit angepassten Eigenschaften für die industrielle Anwendung. Dabei sollen insbesondere die bei konventionellen Legierungen wesentlichen Zielkonflikte, wie bspw. der Trade-off zwischen Festigkeit und Duktilität, überwunden werden. Darüber hinaus sind mechanische Eigenschaften bei sehr hohen sowie kryogenen Temperaturen bei gleichzeitig höchster Korrosionsbeständigkeit von hohem Interesse. Die Herstellung von Bauteilen erfordert dazu werkstoff- und beanspruchungsgerechte Füge- bzw. Schweißverfahren. Der Schweißeignung von MPEA wurde bis Ende 2021 nur äußert wenig Aufmerksamkeit zuteil. Die Auswirkungen durch Schweißprozesse auf die Metallurgie und die gewünschten Eigenschaften sind bisher kaum bekannt und limitieren die potenzielle Anwendbarkeit als Funktions- oder Konstruktionswerkstoffe.
In einem interdisziplinären BAM-Forschungsprojekt werden aktuell grundlegende Untersuchungen zur Schweißverarbeitung und resultierender Mikrostruktur-Anwendungseigenschafts-Beziehung verschiedener MPEA durchgeführt. Insbesondere Wärmeeinflusszone und Schweißgut sind geprägt durch eine Mikrostruktur, die aus Ungleichgewichtszuständen resultiert. Im Falle von MPEA wurde dies bisher nicht systematisch untersucht. Dazu erfolgte im Rahmen des Projektes eine umfassende Literaturauswertung zum Schweißen von MPEA und Zusammenfassung in einer umfassenden, systematischen Datenbasis. Aus diesem Grund sollen in der vorliegenden Studie die bisher bedeutsamsten Erkenntnisse zur Schweißbarkeit von MPEA systematisch nach MPEA-Typ und Schweißverfahren geordnet und mit eigenen aktuellen Forschungsergebnissen verglichen werden. Durch WIG- und Rührreibschweißversuche an den MPEA-Systemen CoCrNiFeMn bzw. CoCrNi konnten im Projektverlauf bereits wesentliche Fragestellungen beantwortet werden. Dazu zählen Auftreten bzw. Verhinderung intermetallischer Phasen/Seigerungen oder deren Auswirkung auf die Eigenschaften der Schweißverbindung (bspw. Festigkeit oder Korrosionsbeständigkeit).
Dieses Dokument fasst den Projekfortschritt des BAM-Projektes "Entwicklung von Wärmenachbehandlungsstrategien zur Vermeidung von Spannungsrelaxationsrissen" im Rahmen des Fachausschusses 1 "Schweißmetallurgie" des DVS e.V. für das Projektjahr 2021 zusammen und stellt die wichtigsten Ergebnisse in Kurzform vor.
Bewertungsmethode zur Interaktion von Metallurgie und Reaktionskräften beim PWHT warmfester Stähle
(2022)
Die Präsentation fasst die Entwicklung einer Ersatzprüfmethode für sogenannte Stress-Relief-Cracks (SRC) bei dickwandigen und kriechfesten geschweißten Stahlkomponenten zusammen. Über die Kombination von gezielter mechanischer Beanspruchung unter hoher Temperaturbeanspruchung werden die Effekte des Post Weld Heat Treatments auf SRC realistisch erstmal auf Laborskala nachgebildet.
Joining processes for components in hydrogen technologies: Current need and future importance
(2022)
This presentation gives an overview on the importance of joining processes for component fabrication in hydrogen technologies. For that reason, the current need and future research and developement activites are highlighted for the three technological fields: hydrogen storage, transport and use (in terms of the emerging field of additive manufacturing). Finally, some remarks are given for necessary changes in the standardization.
Komponenten aus dickwandigen, hochwarmfesten CrMoV-Stählen erfordern eine anspruchsvolle UP-Schweißverarbeitung. Dabei muss die notwendige Wärmenachbehandlung der Schweißnaht (PWHT) sicher beherrscht werden.
Hier kann u.U. Bauteilversagen infolge von Spannungsrelaxationsrissbildung (SRR) auftreten. Bislang erfolgt die Beurteilung der SRR-Neigung primär über Ersatzgrößen, wie temperaturbedingte Änderung der Härte und Duktilität.
Die Wirkung der konstruktiven Schrumpfbehinderung einer Schweißnaht auf die SRR ist bislang völlig unbekannt.
Hier setzt das Forschungsprojekt an, hinsichtlich der Gewinnung und Optimierung der Parameter für die PWHT unter realitätsnahen Bauteilsteif igkeiten (def inierte Einspannbedingung) mit dem Ziel der SRR-Vermeidung. Am Beispiel des niedriglegierten, hochwarmfesten Stahls 13CrMoV9-10 wurden UP- Schweißungen unter industriepraktischen Bedingungen freischrumpfend bzw. unter definierter Schrumpfbehinderung durchgeführt. Diese wurden mit unterschiedlichen PWHT-Szenarien (Variation der Auf heizrate und Endtemperatur) beaufschlagt. Die Ergebnisse des Projektes DVS 01.2261 / IGF 20171 N werden in diesem Beitrag vorgestellt, wie Aussagen zur SRR-Suszeptibilität in Abhängigkeit von Mikrostruktur und vorliegender mehrachsiger mechanischer Beanspruchung der Schweißnaht vor/während des PWHT. Für einen kritischen Zustand sind hohe Kräfte / Spannungen notwendig, die in freischrumpfenden Schweißversuchen u.U. nicht abbildbar sind. Die Berücksichtigung des mikrostrukturspezifischen Ausscheidungsverhaltens (in Schweißgut und Wärmeeinflusszone) unter realitätsnahen Einspannbedingungen ist für die Bewertung einer SRR-Suszeptibilität notwendig. Instrumentierte Schweißversuche unter definierter Schrumpfbehinderung ermöglichen hier das Monitoring der entstehenden Reaktionskräfte, -momente bzw. -spannungen. Ausgehend von diesem Referenzzustand erfolgte die Applikation der PWHT-Szenarien bzw. deren praktische Überprüfung. Zusätzlich wurde eine Ersatzprüfmethodik entwickelt, die die Betrachtung der mikrostrukturspezifischen SRR-Suszeptibilität unter Beibehaltung der äußeren Schrumpfbehinderung der Schweißnaht während des PWHT ermöglicht. Hierdurch wird die Bauteilübertragbarkeit ermöglicht und eine Transfergröße geschaffen, welche die Bauteilbewertung hinsichtlich der SRR-Neigung umfasst.
Druckbehälter mit großen Wandstärken (250+ mm) aus hochwarmfesten, niedriglegierten Stählen werden hauptsächlich Mehrdraht-Unterpulver-(UP) geschweißt. Der damit verbundene hohe Energieeintrag führt unter anderem zu hohen lokalen Schweißeigenspannungen, welche bei unsachgemäßer Prozessführung der notwendigen Wärmenachbehandlung (PWHT) zu Spannungsrelaxationsrissen (SRR) führen. In den Bewertungskriterien zur Spannungsrelaxationsrissanfälligkeit finden weder die, mit klassischen, freischrumpfenden Schweißversuchen nicht abbildbaren, erhöhten Eigenspannungen aus der Schrumpfbehinderung der Bauteilsteifigkeit Beachtung, noch die damit einhergehenden metallurgischen Effekte wie bspw. das Ausscheidungswachstum während der PWHT und damit einhergehende Härteunterschiede an den Korngrenzen bzw. die vorzeitige Alterung durch Bildung differenter Sonderkarbide. Die Aufheizrate des PWHT als Einflussfaktor für die SRR-Bildung bleibt derzeit ebenfalls unbeachtet.
Daher wurde eine Versuchsmethodik entwickelt, die eine mögliche SRR-Anfälligkeit durch die Kopplung von thermischer und mechanischer Beanspruchung untersucht. Dazu wurden Proben mit unterschiedlichen Gefügen thermisch simuliert und während des PHWT repräsentativ mit sehr hohen Lasten/Eigenspannungen mechanisch beansprucht.
Dazu wurde an Kleinzugproben für das as-welded UP-Schweißgut und die thermisch simulierte GKZ eines 13CrMoV9-10 die Dehnung des Prüfbereichs bei variablen Querspannungen und Aufheizraten gemessen. Diese aufheizraten- und gefügeabhängige Längenänderung der Probe wurde durch mathematische Prozeduren analysiert. Damit war es möglich, singuläre werkstoffliche Effekte auf μm-Ebene (Ausscheidungswachstum) als summarische Längen- bzw. Volumenänderung per klassischer Kurvendiskussion zu beschreiben. Die erste und zweite Ableitung zeigten eine ausscheidungsabhängige Härtezunahme, welche von der Spannung und Aufheizrate im geringen Maß linear abhängig war. Gleichzeitig sind Volumenänderungen bei Bildung und Wachstum differenter Sonderkarbide bekannt, welche zusammen mit gefügespezifischen Untersuchungen und der neuen Versuchsmethodik zu einer verbesserten Beurteilung der SRR-Anfälligkeit von geschweißten CrMoV-Stählen beitragen sollen. Prinzipiell ist die vorgestellte Methodik jedoch werkstoff- und zustandsoffen, d.h. sowohl für Grundwerkstoff e als auch definierte Wärmebehandlungsbedingungen geeignet. Dies ermöglicht erstmals die Schaffung einer Transfergröße zwischen Labor und realen Schweißungen, unter Beibehaltung der Bauteilsteifigkeit, d.h. vereinfachte, aber realistische Eigenspannungsabbildung als Grundlage für weitergehende gefügespezifische metallurgische Effekte während des PWHT.
Martensitic 9 %-Cr steels like P91 and P92 can show an increased susceptibility to delayed hydrogen assisted cracking. The focus of this study was the microstructure and heat treatment effect on the mechanical properties of P92 base material and P91 multi-layer weld metal in both as-welded and post weld heat treated (PWHT) condition.
Tensile tests with hydrogen free reference samples and electrochemically hydrogen charged samples were carried out, the mechanical properties were assessed and supported by dedicated fractographic analysis. In addition, hydrogen and microstructure dependent fracture criteria were calculated. All investigated microstructures showed a hydrogen influenced degradation of the mechanical properties compared to the hydrogen free reference samples. In that connection, the as welded martensitic P91 weld metal had the highest degree of degradation in presence of hydrogen. The P91 PWHT weld metal and the P92 base material had comparable properties. From that point of view, a significantly increased risk for hydrogen assisted cold cracking during welding fabrication of P91 weld joints must be considered before any heat treatment is conducted.
Medium and High Entropy Alloys (MEA/HEA) are recently developed material classes, providing manifold applications, e.g., due to extraordinary structural properties. In that connection, the machinability as important issue for the processing of these materials was not in the scientific focus. This study focusses on experimental analysis of milling process conditions including ultrasonic assisted milling (USAM) and their effects on the resulting surface integrity of equiatomic CoCrFeNi-MEA specimens. For that reason, milling parameters (cutting speed, feed per cutting edge) were systematically varied for both conventional milling and USAM. The surface integrity was analyzed in terms of topography, defects, and residual stresses. Especially USAM leads to a decrease of occurring cutting forces and, hence, to an improvement of the surface integrity. Beneficial effects were observed in terms of lower tensile residual stresses at high cutting speed and feed per cutting edge.
Die Vortrag gibt einen Überblick, warum Kaltrissprüfung von geschweißten Stählen ständig weiterentwickelt werden muss. Am Beispiel des Implant- und Tekken-Tests werden die Einsatz- u. Anwendungsgrenzen bewertet. Zu berücksichtigen ist, dass beim Schweißen eine äußere mechan. Beanspruchung durch bauteilspezifische Steifigkeitsverhältnisse wirksam ist. Zusätzlich werden weiterführende Prüfverfahren zur Bestimmung der Wasserstoffkonzentration und -diffusion in Schweißnähten vorgestellt, wie die Trägergasheißextraktion (TGHE) für die Ermittlung der Wasserstoffkonzentration (ISO 3690) oder Hochtemperaturdiffusionskoeffizienten. Diese Werte sind für die schweißtechnische Praxis von großer Bedeutung, um Haltezeiten z.B. für das Wasserstoffarmglühen abzuleiten.
Wasserstoff kann eine Rissbildung u.U. auch noch nach Tagen in der Schweißnaht bewirken. Dabei stellen höherfeste Stähle etablierte Kaltrissprüftests vor Herausforderungen. Generell nimmt die zur Rissvermeidung tolerierbare Wasserstoffkonzentration mit zunehmender Festigkeit der Werkstoffe ab. Zudem verändern weiterentwickelte Schweißverfahren die Nahtgeometrie und Wärmeeinbringung und die Ausbildung risskritischer Mikrostrukturen (z.B. Wärmeeinflusszone). Am Beispiel des Implant- und Tekken-Tests werden die Einsatz- u. Anwendungsgrenzen bewertet. Zu berücksichtigen ist, dass beim Schweißen eine äußere mechan. Beanspruchung durch bauteilspezifische Steifigkeitsverhältnisse wirksam ist. Zusätzlich werden weiterführende Prüfverfahren zur Bestimmung der Wasserstoffkonzentration und -diffusion in Schweißnähten vorgestellt, wie die Trägergasheißextraktion (TGHE) für die Ermittlung der Wasserstoffkonzentration (ISO 3690) oder Hochtemperaturdiffusionskoeffizienten.
Diese Werte sind für die schweißtechnische Praxis von großer Bedeutung, um Haltezeiten z.B. für das Wasserstoffarmglühen abzuleiten.
Multi-element systems with defined entropy (HEA - High Entropy Alloy or MEA - Medium Entropy Alloy) are rather new material concepts that are becoming increasingly important in materials research and development. Some HEA systems show significantly improved properties or combinations of properties, e.g., the overcome of the trade-off between high strength and ductility. Thus, the synthesis, the resulting microstructures, and properties of HEA have been primarily investigated so far. In addition, processing is crucial to achieve a transfer of potential HEA/MEA materials to real applications, e.g. highly stressed components. Since fusion welding is the most important joining process for metals, it is of vital importance to investigate the weldability of these materials. However, this has rarely been the subject of research up to date. For that reason, in this work the weldability depending on the surface preparation of a CoCrFeMnNi-HEA and a CoCrNi-MEA for TIG welding is investigated. The fusion welding of longer plates is described here for the first time for the CoCrNi alloy. The welds of both materials showed distinct formation of cracks in the heat affected zone (HAZ). Optical and scanning electron microscopy analysis clearly confirmed an intergranular fracture topography. But based on the results, the crack mechanism cannot be conclusively clarified as either a liquid metal embrittlement (LME) or hot cracking like liquid film separation occurred.
High entropy alloys (HEA) are a new class of materials. In contrast to conventional alloys, HEA are single-phase alloys with at least five alloying elements. HEAs have enormous application potential due to (postulated) excellent structural property combinations from low to high temperatures. For HEA-application as structural materials in real components, a key issue is the suitability for joining processing. Requirements for the reliable and safe joining of these materials are crucial regarding economical component manufacture for future applications. In this context, friction stir welding (FSW) is a promising joining process due to the welding process temperature below the material melting point avoiding major issues, e. g. formation of (hard and brittle) intermetallic phases, which may have detrimental influences on the weld joint properties.
This study presents elementary research about the FSW process influences on a CoCrFeMnNi-HEA with focus on the microstructure and mechanical properties. For that purpose, the FSW joint of the HEA is compared to that of an austenitic stainless steel AISI 304. The microstructures of the welds were investigated and characterized by means of light microscopy, SEM, EBSD and XRD. Hardness and tensile testing were applied to determine influences on the mechanical properties. Generally, a comparable weldability of HEA and AISI 304 in terms of metallurgical characteristics and resulting mechanical properties exhibited. For the weld joints of both materials typical characteristics regarding FSW were observed within the weld metal and thermo-mechanically influenced zone: fine-grained stirred zone with increased hardness and reduced fracture elongation compared with the respective base material.
Martensitic 9 %-Cr steels like P91 and P92 show susceptibility to delayed hydrogen assisted cracking depending on their microstructure. In that connection, effective hydrogen diffusion coefficients are used to assess the possible time-delay. The small number of available diffusion coefficients varies already at room temperature by several orders of magnitude (mostly regarded as result of present microstructure). Especially P91 weld metal diffusion coefficients are rare so far. For that reason, electrochemical permeation experiments had been conducted using P92 base metal and P91 weld metal (in as-welded and heat-treated condition) with different thicknesses. The diffusion coefficients are calculated by two methods (time-lag and inflection point method) were performed. The results show that, despite of microstructural effects, the sample thickness must be considered as it influences the calculated diffusion coefficients. Finally, the comparison of calculated and measured hydrogen concentrations (determined by carrier gas hot extraction) enables the identification of realistic diffusion coefficients.
This presentation summarizes the latest results on the BAM-Themenfeld project SURDIA on processing of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) at BAM. At first, the influence of machining by ultrasonic-assisted milling on the surface integrity is presented. Second, the weld processing by Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding is presented and the results of the Friction Stir Welding (FSW), which is conducted at BAM for the first time.
Fügetechnik für die neue Wasserstoffökonomie – Werkstoffe, Schweißtechnologien, Perspektiven –
(2021)
Die Studie gibt einen Überblick über die Aspekte der Fügetechnik und ihrer Bedeutung in Wasserstofftechnologien. Dazu werden die Grundlagen der Technologiefelder Wasserstofferzeugung, -speicherung, -transport und -nutzung vorgestellt und der Stand der Technik der fügetechnischen Fertigung von Komponenten in Wasserstofftechnologien zusammengefasst. Dabei werden nicht nur exklusiv Metalle betrachtet. Anhand repräsentativer Beispiele aus der Praxis, Forschung und Entwicklung wird die Bedeutung der Fügetechnik in Wasserstofftechnologien klar herausgestellt und mögliche Perspektiven für die Zukunft abgeleitet. Hier ist ersichtlich, dass Fügetechnologien wesentliche Bedeutung für die erfolgreiche Umsetzung von technischen Komponenten der Wasserstofftechnologien haben, von der Erzeugung bis zur Anwendung. Aus gesamtwirtschaftlicher Sicht umfassen die Schwerpunkte bzw. Trends der Fügetechnik dabei: die Erstellung neuer Infrastruktur für Wasserstoffspeicherung und -transport sowie die sichere Umnutzung der bestehenden Erdgasinfrastruktur. Bei der Wasserstoffanwendung wird die effiziente massentaugliche Produktion von Brennstoffzellen immer wichtiger. Es ist zudem klar ersichtlich, dass die additive Fertigung bereits jetzt ein hohes Potential für Komponenten von Wasserstofftechnologien besitzen und dieses wachsen wird. Aus den perspektivischen Anwendungen ergeben sich zudem Herausforderungen und Forschungsbedarfe für die notwendigen nationalen und internationalen Regelwerke und technischen Normen. Schwerpunktmäßig sind hierbei die bereits bestehenden Empfehlungen und kodifizierten Regeln vollständig zu adaptieren und in die Aus- und Weiterbildung von fügetechnischem Fachpersonal einzubetten.
This study gives an overview on the important field of joining processes for component fabrication in hydrogen technologies. For that reason, the current need and future research and developement activites are highlighted for the different technological field of hydrogen generation, storage, transport and use. In addition, the emerging field of additive manufacturing is included. Finally, some remarks are given for necessary changes in the standardization and its challenges.
Hoch- und Mittelentropie-Legierungen (engl. High/Medium Entropy Alloys–HEA/MEA) sind relativ neue Werkstoffklassen. Im Gegensatz zu herkömmlichen Le-gierungen bestehen HEA aus fünf bzw. MEA aus drei oder vier Legierungselementen im äquiatomaren Gleichgewicht. Viele HEA weisen aufgrund hervorragender struktu-reller Eigenschaftskombinationen von sehr tiefen bis zu hohen Temperaturen enor-mes Anwendungspotential auf. Die Anwendung für reale Bauteile stellt jedoch die zentrale Frage der Eignung für die fügetechnische Verarbeitung. Dieser Aspekt findet in der weltweiten Materialforschung bisher kaum Beachtung. Anforderungen an die zuverlässige und sichere fügetechnische Verarbeitung dieser Werkstoffe sind von wesentlicher Bedeutung hinsichtlich wirtschaftlicher Bauteilfertigung für spätere po-tenzielle Anwendungsbereiche, bspw. in der Energietechnik. Das Rührreibschweißen (engl. Friction Stir Welding–FSW) stellt hierbei einen vielversprechenden Fügepro-zess dar, dessen Hauptvorteil in der Schweißprozesstemperatur unterhalb der Schmelztemperatur der zu fügenden Werkstoffe liegt. Dies bedingt die Vermeidung der Ausbildung von harten, versprödenden intermetallischen Phasen, wie sie z. B. beim konventionellen Schmelzschweißen von Eisen-Aluminium-Verbindungen auf-treten. Die vorliegende Arbeit stellt grundlegende Untersuchungen zur Schweißbar-keit einer CoCrFeMnNi-Legierung (HEA) und einer CoCrNi-Legierung (MEA) mit dem FSW-Prozess vor. Die Versuchsschweißungen werden mittels mikroskopischer Analysen hinsichtlich des Schweißnahtaufbaus sowie Schweißnahtfehlern charakte-risiert. FSW zeigt sich als grundlegend geeignet zur Verbindungsschweißung der HEA bzw. MEA. Anhand dieser Ergebnisse kann eine weitere Bewertung der Schweißbar-keit erfolgen.
Martensitic 9 %-Cr steels like P91 and P92 show susceptibility to delayed hydrogen assisted cracking depending on their microstructure. In that connection, effective hydrogen diffusion coefficients are used to assess the possible time-delay. The small number of available diffusion coefficients varies already at room temperature by several orders of magnitude (mostly regarded as result of present microstructure). Especially P91 weld metal diffusion coefficients are rare so far. For that reason, electrochemical permeation experiments had been conducted using P92 base metal and P91 weld metal (in as-welded and heat-treated condition) with different thicknesses. The diffusion coefficients are calculated by two methods (time-lag and inflection point method) were performed. The results show that, despite of microstructural effects, the sample thickness must be considered as it influences the calculated diffusion coefficients. Finally, the comparison of calculated and measured hydrogen concentrations (determined by carrier gas hot extraction) enables the identification of realistic diffusion coefficients.
Offshore-Windenergieanlagen bilden einen zentralen Bestandteil der zukünftigen Energieerzeugung. Hierzu notwendige Gründungs- und Turmstrukturen werden vorrangig aus UP-geschweißten Blechen aus hochfesten niedriglegierten Stählen mit Dicken bis zu 200 mm hergestellt. Die großen Blechdicken begünstigen hohe Schweißeigenspannungen und lange Diffusionswege für z. B. über den Schweißprozess eingebrachten Wasserstoff. Damit steigt das Risiko für eine wasserstoffunterstützte Kaltrissbildung (WKB) an. Zum sichereren Ausschluss von WKB in den geschweißten Komponenten wird in Abhängigkeit der Nahtgröße, Wärmeeinbringung und Stahlsorte eine Mindestwartezeit (MWZ) von bis zu 48 h empfohlen, bevor die zerstörungsfreie Prüfung durchgeführt wird. Es ist allerdings offen, ob die empfohlene MWZ zu konservativ ist. Einflüsse sind hier bspw. die schwierige Bewertung des Wasserstoffdiffusionsverhaltens im heterogenen UP-Mehrlagen-Schweißgut (SG) im Vergleich zum Grundwerkstoff (GW).
Zudem sind nur sehr begrenzt H-Diffusionskoeffizienten für UP-Mehrlagen-SG als Grundlage zur Abschätzung des Zeitintervalls einer möglichen verzögerten Kaltrissbildung (somit MWZ) oder auch für Nachwärmprozeduren zur Wasserstoffreduktion (keine MWZ) verfügbar. Verlässliche H-Diffusionskoeffizienten sind daher ein adäquates Tool zur Bewertung des Risikos einer verzögerten WKB. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt Untersuchungen zur Charakterisierung der Wasserstoffdiffusionsverhalten in UP-Mehrlagen-SG eines 60 mm dicken Bleches einer Offshore-Stahlgüte.
Dazu wurden Proben unterschiedlicher Dicke aus dem reinen Schweißgut extrahiert und über elektrochemische Permeation und Trägergasheißextraktion im Temperaturbereich bis 400 °C sehr interessante Ergebnisse zu den korrespondierenden Diffusionskoeffizienten erarbeitet.
Die Studie gibt einen kurzen Überblick über die jetzige Bedeutung der Fügetechnik in Wasserstofftechnologien und über zukünftige Forschungsbedarfe für die Branche in den einzelnen Technologiefeldern Wasserstofferzeugung, -speicherung, -transport und -nutzung. Fügetechnologien haben dabei wesentliche Bedeutung für die erfolgreiche Umsetzung von technischen Komponenten der Wasserstofftechnologien. Die Schwerpunkte bzw. Forschungsbedarfe ergeben sich bspw. durch die Erstellung neuer Infrastruktur für Wasserstoffspeicherung und -transport sowie durch Umnutzung der bestehenden Erdgasinfrastruktur. Bei der Wasserstofferzeugung und -anwendung wird z.B. die Entwicklung effiziente Massenproduktionsmethoden von Elektrolyseuren und Brennstoffzellen einen wichtigen Meilenstein bilden und laserbasierte Fügetechnologien sind hier zum Teil schon etabliert. Die additive Fertigung nimmt dabei eine Querschnittsposition ein und besitzt hohes Anwendungspotential für die Zukunft z.B. für die Fertigung von Komponenten in Gasturbinen. Aus den technischen Fragestellungen und Forschungsbedarfen ergeben sich zudem Herausforderungen für die notwendige Neu- und Weiterentwicklung von technischen Regelwerken und Normen und den Eingang in die Aus- und Weiterbildung von fügetechnischem Fachpersonal.
Das Kapitel beginnt mit einer kurzen Einführung über die Korrosion (Wechselwirkung zwischen einem Metall, einer korrosiven Umgebung und der der jeweiligen Konstruktion). Im zweiten Abschnitt werden die wichtigsten Formen der wässrigen elektrochemischen Korrosion (Flächenkorrosion, galvanische, selektive und interkristalline Korrosion sowie Loch- und Spaltkorrosion) betrachtet. Darüber hinaus wird die elektrochemische Korrosion unter mechanischer Belastung betrachtet (Spannungsrisskorrosion, wasserstoffunterstützte Rissbildung, Korrosionsermüdung), sowie Sonderformen der Korrosion (Erosion, Fretting und mikrobiologisch induzierte Korrosion). Der dritte Abschnitt befasst sich mit der chemischen und Hochtemperaturkorrosion (Oxidation, Aufkohlung, Hochtemperatur-Wasserstoffangriff, Aufschwefelung, Nitrierung, Halogenierung). Zusätzlich enthält das Kapitel Maßnahmen zur Vermeidung der Korrosion.
The chapter starts with a brief introduction about corrosion, which is defined as the interdependency between a metal, a corrosive environment, and the respective component design. The second section introduces the most important forms of aqueous electrochemical corrosion (uniform corrosion, galvanic corrosion, selective and intergranular corrosion, and finally pitting and crevice corrosion in the case of passive layer forming metals). In addition, electrochemical corrosion under applied mechanical load is introduced (stress corrosion cracking, hydrogen-assisted cracking, corrosion fatigue), as well as special forms of corrosion (erosion, fretting, and microbiologically induced corrosion). The third section of this chapter introduces (mostly dry) chemical corrosion and high-temperature corrosion (oxidation, carburization, high-temperature hydrogen attack, sulfurization, nitriding, halogenation). As in the case of electrochemical corrosion, chemical corrosion can also be superimposed by mechanical loads. Finally, general facts on the testing of corrosion are introduced.
High Entropy Alloys (HEAs) are a recent class of materials. In contrast to conventional alloys, HEAs consist of five alloying elements in equiatomic equilibrium. The high entropy effect is due, among other things, to the increased configuration entropy, which promotes solid solution formation. Many HEAs have enormous application potential due to excellent structural property combinations from very low to high temperatures. For the introduction of HEAs in real components, however, the question of the applicability of machining production technologies for component manufacture is of central importance. This has so far received Little attention in global materials research. Reliable and safe processing is essential for the demand of economical component production for potential areas of application, e.g. in power plant technology.
For metals, milling is the standard machining process. This article presents the results of machining analyses. It focuses on the surface integrity resulting from the milling process on a Co20Cr20Fe20Mn20Ni20-HEA. For this purpose, investigations were carried out using ball nose end milling tools for conventional milling process in comparison to an innovative hybrid process available at BAM Berlin, Ultrasonic-Assisted Milling (USAM). USAM promises a lower Degradation of the surface properties due to lower loads on the workpiece surface during machining.
For this purpose, basic milling parameters (cutting speed and tooth feed) were systematically varied and cutting forces were measured during the milling experiments. The subsequent Analysis of these forces allows an understanding of the mechanical loads acting on the tool and component surface. These loads cause topographical, mechanical and microstructural influences on the surface and consequently on the surface integrity. For their characterization, light and scanning electron microscopy were used, and the roughness and residual stresses via X-ray diffraction were measured. The results indicate significant advantages using USAM, especially due to reduced cutting forces compared to the conventional milling process. This causes lower mechanical loads on the tool and surface, combined with lower tensile residual stresses on and below the surface, and ultimately results in a significantly enhanced surface integrity.
Hochentropie-Legierungen (HEAs) zeichnen sich durch einen Mischkristall-System aus mindestens fünf und Mittelentropie-Legierungen (MEAs) durch mindestens drei Hauptlegierungselemente aus, in äquiatomarer Zusammensetzung. Sie zeigen außergewöhnliche Anwendungseigenschaften, wie z.B. hohe Festigkeit, Duktilität oder Korrosionsbeständigkeit. Zukünftige HEA/MEA-Komponenten aufgrund ihrer Eigenschaften für wasserstoffhaltige Umgebungen (wie Behälter für kryogene oder Hochdruckspeicherung) von Interesse. Daher ist die Bewertung der Wasserstoffabsorption und die Diffusion in diesen Materialien von großer Bedeutung. Dazu wurden in unserer Studie eine CoCrFeMnNi-HEA und eine CoCrNi-MEA untersucht. Die Proben wurden elektrochemisch mit Wasserstoff beladen. Für die Ermittlung des Wasserstoffdiffusionsverhaltens wurde die thermische Desorptionsanalyse (TDA) mit unterschiedlichen Heizraten bis zu 0,250 K/s angewandt. Die nachfolgende Peakentfaltung der Signale führte zu Hochtemperatur-Desorptionsspitzen und Wasserstofftrapping auch über 280°C. Eine resultierende Gesamtwasserstoffkonzentration > 40 ppm wurde für den MEA ermittelt und > 100 ppm für den HEA. Dies deutet auf zwei wichtige Effekte hin:
(1) verzögerte Wasserstoffdiffusion und (2) eine beträchtliche Menge an getrapptem Wasserstoff auch bei hoher Temperatur. Beide Effekte können hinsichtlich einer wasserstoffunterstützten Rissbildung kritisch werden, dies erfordert jedoch weitere Untersuchungen. Zusätzlich erfolgte die Bestimmung des lokalen Volta-Potentials mittels hochauflösender Kelvin-Sonden-Kraft-Mikroskopie (SKPFM). Die ermittelten Scans zeigen einen bestimmten Einfluss der Wasserstoffbeladung auf die Potentiale.
High-entropy alloys (HEAs) are characterized by a solid solution of minimum five and medium-entropy alloys (MEAs) of minimum three principal alloying elements in equiatomic proportions. They show exceptional application properties, such as high-strength and ductility or corrosion resistance. Future HEA/MEA-components could be exposed to hydrogen containing environments like vessels for cryogenic or high-pressure storage where the hydrogen absorption and diffusion in these materials is of interest. In our study, we investigated the HEA Co20Cr20Fe20Mn20Ni20 and the MEA Co33.3Cr33.3Ni33.3. For hydrogen ingress, cathodic charging was applied and diffusion kinetic was measured by high-resolution thermal desorption spectros-copy using different heating rates up to 0.250 K/s. Peak deconvolution resulted in high-temperature desorption peaks and hydrogen trapping above 280 °C. A total hydrogen concentration > 40 ppm was identified for the MEA and > 100 ppm for HEA. This indicates two important effects: (1) delayed hydrogen diffusion and (2) considerable amount of trapped hydrogen that must be anticipated for hydrogen assisted cracking phenomenon. Local electrochemical Volta potential maps had been measured for the hydrogen free condition by means of high-resolution Scanning Kelvin Probe Force Microscopy (SKPFM).
HEAs represent a relatively new class of materials. The the alloy concept is fundamentally different from the most conventional materials and alloys that are used today. Recently, the focus of HEA designs is more application-based. For that purpose, the elements of interest are carefully selected and multiple phases as well as micro-structures are deliberately adjusted. Currently, only limited attention has been paid to weldability of HEA. This encompasses possible effects on metallurgy and its influence on the desired properties. It remains open if welding causes e.g. considerable number of intermetallic phases or segregations and their effect on weld joint properties. For that reason, the scope of this study is to summarize already available studies on welding of HEAs with respect to the HEA-type, the applied welding process and its influence on the weld joint properties.
9 %-Cr steel P91 is widely used in power plants due to the excellent creep-resistance. Components of this steel are typically welded and demand for careful welding fabrication, whereas a so-called post weld heat treatment (PWHT), must be conducted to increase the toughness and decrease the hardness of the martensitic as-welded (AW) microstructure. Before the PWHT, a hydrogen removal (or dehydrogenation) heat treatment is necessary as hardened AW martensitic microstructure is generally prone to delayed hydrogen assisted cracking (HAC). The microstructure and temperature dependent hydrogen diffusion is an important issue as it determines how long a potential crack-critical hydrogen concentration could remain in the microstructure. In this context, reliable hydrogen diffusion coefficients of P91 weld metal are rare. Hence, the diffusion behavior of P91 multi-layer weld metal was investigated in two different microstructure conditions: AW and further PWHT (760 °C for 4 h). Two different experimental techniques were used to cover a wide range of hydrogen diffusion temperatures: the electrochemical permeation technique (PT) at room temperature and the carrier gas hot extraction (CGHE) for a temperature range from 100 to 400 °C. From both techniques typical hydrogen diffusion coefficients were calculated and the corresponding hydrogen concentration was measured. It was ascertained that both heat treatment conditions show significant differences in hydrogen diffusivity. The biggest deviations were identified for room temperature. In this case, the AW condition shows significant hydrogen trapping and up to seven times lower diffusion coefficients. Additionally, PT investigations showed a preferred diffusion direction of hydrogen in the weld metal expressed by the diffusion coefficients and the permeability for both heat treatment conditions. The CGHE generally revealed lower diffusion coefficients for the AW microstructure up to 200 °C. In addition, the AW condition showed hydrogen concentrations up to 50 ml/100 g (considering electrochemical charging). Nonetheless, this hydrogen was not permanently (reversibly) trapped. Nonetheless, this temperature is approximately 100 °C below recommended dehydrogenation heat treatment (DHT). This has two main consequences: (I) in case of welding is interrupted or no DHT is conducted, a HAC susceptibility of hardened martensitic P91 weld metal cannot be excluded and (II) DHT can be conducted at temperatures around 200 °C below the recommended temperatures.
Hydrogen was once called “the versatile embrittler” [1], which summarizes very well the effect on reduction of ductility and/or toughness in technical alloys like steel. In that connection, welding is one of the most important component fabrication technologies. During welding, hydrogen can be transferred to the weld pool from manifold sources (like contaminations, residuals at the surface, etc.). As hydrogen embrittles a material, the safety of welded components with hydrogen is always a critical issue. Weld heat input causes additional changes in the microstructure like grain growth or partial dissolution of precipitates and many more. All these things influence the mechanical properties and also represent hydrogen traps. These traps decrease the hydrogen diffusion compared to the ideal lattice. The result can be so-called delayed hydrogen assisted cracking (HAC) of the weld joint due to the significantly decreased diffusivity by trapped hydrogen. This is often an underestimated risk as those cracks can appear in the weld joint even after some days!
It is essential to know about hydrogen ingress during welding and the microstructure specific hydrogen diffusion. Both are depended on weld parameter influence and the chemical composition of the base material and weld metal. For that purpose, gas analytic methods like solid-state carrier gas hot extraction (CGHE) are useful tools to: (1) identify detrimental hydrogen concentrations from weld joints, (2) binding energies from hydrogen traps by thermal desorption analysis or (3) high-temperature diffusion coefficients. Those values are extremely important for welding practice in terms of recommendations on realistic hydrogen removal heat treatment (HRHT) after welding. Considering the increasing use of “digital” experiments, the data is also needed for reliable numerical simulations of HAC process or HRHT-effectiveness.
The present contribution gives an overview on the influence of hydrogen on weld joints, the necessity, methods and standards for hydrogen determination (CGHE) with the aim of fabrication of safe welded and crack-free components.
[1] R. A. Oriani (1987), Corrosion 43(7):390-397. doi: 10.5006/1.3583875
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 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 (preheating, interpass temperature and hydrogen removal heat treatment) 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 depending on heat control. The influence of different weld seam opening angles (grooves), heat input, interpass temperature and hydrogen removal procedures was investigated. The results show that weldments with narrow groove contained increased diffusible hydrogen amount. Reasons had been longer diffusion path and higher wire feeding rate compared to conventional welds with wider 60° Vgroove. Hydrogen concentration has been reduced by decreasing both the heat input and interpass temperature. Hydrogen free weldments were achieved via hydrogen removal heat treating at 250 °C for 5 h subsequently after welding. Regarding the strength of the investigated steel, it is recommended to conduct a heat treatment after welding. For the first time, hydrogen concentration gradients were experimentally determined across the weld seam thickness in HSLA multi-layer welds.
Hydrogen determination in weld seams is standardized in ISO 3690. In accordance to this standard, a defined time for hydrogen collection has to be anticipated for different extraction temperatures. In other words, the temperature is the most important value that has to be monitored in addition to the aimed hydrogen determination.
The specimen geometry has influence on the real sample temperature during CGHE vs. the adjusted furnace temperature. This presentation gives a short summary on possible influences on the "correct" hydrogen determination temperature during carrier gas hot extraction (CGHE) using infrared radiation driven furnace. The main findings are: (1) specimen surface is important in terms of polished or oxidized condition, (2) specimen geometry is important for fast heating, (3) PID-values of control software are a considerable influence to accelerate the heating process depite thick specimens and (4) independent sample temperature determination before CGHE is strongly recommended.
In vielen Bereichen des modernen Stahlbaus kommen geschweißte Vollwandträger, wie I-Träger zum Einsatz. Im Gegensatz zu Walzprofilen können die Bauhöhe, die Querschnittsform und die Blechdicken an die Beanspruchung angepasst werden, wodurch sich wirtschaftliche Vorteile erzielen lassen. Dabei werden heutzutage immer häufiger hochfeste Feinkornbaustähle mit (Mindest-) Fließgrenzen bis 690 MPa eingesetzt. Zur verbesserten Ausnutzung des Tragfähigkeitspotenzials geschweißter Profile aus diesen Stählen existieren keine geeigneten Modelle zur Erfassung der schweißfertigungsbedingten Eigenspannungen an realen Komponenten. Diese Daten werden durch konservative Annahmen angenähert. Die potentielle Tragfähigkeit geschweißter Konstruktionen wird daher in der Regel unterschätzt. Die Eigenspannungsannahmen in DIN EN 1993 basieren auf starken Vereinfachungen, bspw. im Rahmen sog. „Ersatzstabnachweise“. Diese setzen die Proportionalität der Eigenspannungsamplituden zur Fließgrenze voraus. Vergleichsrechnungen mit einem parametrisierten Eigenspannungsmodell zeigten mögliche Abweichungen in den berechneten Tragfähigkeiten über mehrere Knicklinien. Die Festlegungen hinsichtlich der anzuwendenden Knicklinie beeinflussen jedoch die Blechdicken und somit in erheblichem Maße auch die Fertigungskosten.
Als Optimierungsstrategie wurden in diesem Forschungsprojekt deswegen unterschiedliche anwendungsorientierte Modellansätze entwickelt, welche mithilfe nichtlinearer Traglastberechnungen, die höhere Ausnutzung von Tragfähigkeitsreserven ermöglichen sollen.
Forschungsziel war somit primär die Entwicklung und Bereitstellung entsprechender Berechnungsansätze. Experimentell wurde hierzu der Eigenspannungszustand von konventionell geschweißten Strukturen am Beispiel der im Stahlbau besonders häufig verwendeten I-Träger aus zwei gängigen Baustählen, einem unlegierten Baustahl S355J2+N und einem Feinkornbaustahl S690QL, erfasst und durch numerische Schweißstruktursimulationen ergänzt. Anschließend erfolgte die Ableitung eines vereinfachten Berechnungsmodells zur weiteren Berücksichtigung in nichtlinearen Tragfähigkeitsberechnungen. Die Erkenntnisse sollen in einen entsprechenden Anwenderleitfaden, herausgegeben durch das Technical Committee 8 der Europäischen Konvention für Stahlbau, einfließen und diesbezüglich als Orientierung einer möglichen zukünftigen Anpassung der Knicklinien in DIN EN 1993-1-1 dienen.
Im Projekt wurden die genannten Stähle in zwei typischen Dickenkombinationen von 25/15 mm und 20/10 mm (Gurt- und Stegbleche) zu Großprobekörpern „I-Träger“ unter industrienahen Fertigungsbedingungen mittels Metall-Aktivgasschweißen gefügt. Diese erzeugten die typischen Eigenspannungen, die in solchen Trägern nach der Fertigung vorliegen. Während des Schweißens wurden die Temperaturfelder durch Thermoelemente aufgezeichnet. Die Eigenspannungen wurden nach dem Schweißen experimentell durch eine Kombination aus mechanischem Zerlegen (Zerlegemethode) und anschließender mobiler Röntgendiffraktometrie (XRD) festgestellt. Der Einfluss der industriell üblichen Brennschnittkantenvorbereitung der Bleche auf die finalen
Eigenspannungszustände wurde experimentell zusätzlich an kleinmaßstäblichen Proben untersucht. Metallographische Analysen (Schliffbilder und Härtemessungen) komplettierten das experimentelle Programm der FE 2 (BAM, Berlin).
Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass beim mechanischen Zerlegen bereits ein Großteil der Eigenspannungen herausgelöst wurde. Eine Aussage zu den nahtnahen Zugeigenspannungen war allerdings erst durch die Überlagerung mit der XRD möglich. Dabei zeigte der S690QL überwiegend ein besseres Verhalten als der S355J2+N, welches sich unter anderem in abgesenkten Zugeigenspannungen im Verhältnis zur jeweiligen Fließgrenze äußerte. Die maximalen Eigenspannungen wurden dabei zumeist in der Wärmeeinflusszone (WEZ) der Schweißnaht gemessen, unabhängig von der eingebrachten Streckenenergie oder der Festigkeit des Grundwerkstoffs. Die baupraktische Annahme, dass die maximalen Eigenspannungen in Höhe der Fließgrenze vorliegen können, wurde nur in Einzelfällen und nur für den S355J2+N bestätigt. Die experimentellen Ergebnisse zeigten für die Druckeigenspannungen ebenfalls reduzierte relative Eigenspannungswerte des S690QL. Dies zeigt die notwendige weitere Optimierung bei der Wahl der Bewertungsansätze für Eigenspannungen auf die Tragfähigkeit.
Die erzeugten Messwerte dienten im weiteren Verlauf als Eingangswerte für die Modellentwicklung und die numerischen Simulationen an I-Trägern durch die FE 1 (LSH, Cottbus). Die numerischen Schweißsimulationen erfolgten in Simufact.Welding® für die Simulationsmodelle mit „klassischem“ Schweißsimulationsansatz sowie in Ansys® für vereinfachte Simulationen und Näherungsansätze. Die Modelle lieferten insgesamt vergleichbare Ergebnisse für die Längseigenspannungen mit teils jedoch erheblichen Unterschieden in den Rechenzeiten. Durch eine angepasste Vernetzung konnte die Rechenzeit in allen Fällen deutlich reduziert werden. Aufgrund der verwendeten Bauteilgrößen ist die Anwendung der Modellierung mit Volumenelementen allerdings meistens nicht praktikabel. Für typische Trägerschweißungen bieten stattdessen Querschnittsmodelle mit der Annahme eines verallgemeinerten ebenen Verzerrungszustands eine mögliche Alternative. Der Abgleich der Ergebnisse mit den Experimenten lieferte zusammenfassend überwiegend gute bis befriedigende Übereinstimmungen. Die experimentell festgestellten Tendenzen wurden dabei in allen Fällen richtig vorhergesagt.
Eine umfassende Bewertung der erzielbaren Genauigkeiten war bisher nicht möglich. Dies lag einerseits daran, dass die Datendichte der mit der durch die Zerlegung gewonnen Ergebnisse gering war. Anderseits lieferten die überlagerten Ergebnisse mit der XRD in Teilen, insbesondere in den interessierenden Druckbereichen, widersprüchliche Aussagen zum Eigenspannungseinfluss, was bisher nicht abschließend geklärt werden konnte. Darüber hinaus entstanden etwaige Abweichungen in den Simulationen auch durch die zugrunde gelegten Materialdaten selbst. Diese entsprachen Standarddatensätzen aus Materialbibliotheken. Die Skalierung dieser erfolgte gleichmäßig über den gesamten Temperaturbereich. Insbesondere für den S690QL existierten zu wenige belastbare Materialkennwerte.
Entsprechende Versuche konnten im Rahmen dieses Vorhabens nicht mit durchgeführt werden.
Dennoch konnten hinsichtlich eines vereinfachten Berechnungsvorgehens zur Berücksichtigung der Schweißeigenspannungen in Tragfähigkeitsberechnungen einige wichtige Erkenntnisse gewonnen werden. Auf Basis der in den numerischen Schweißsimulationsmodellen ermittelten plastischen Dehnungsmuster, auch „Eigenspannungsquellen“, wurde eine vereinfachte Simulationsvorgehensweise vorgeschlagen und verifiziert. Die dabei eingeführten Vereinfachungen wurden im Hinblick auf die Berechnung ausschließlich der plastischen Längsdehnungen bzw. der Längseigenspannungen gewählt. Die Anwendbarkeit ist daher auf ausreichend lange Schweißträger mit Längsnähten beschränkt. Einige Modellmodifikationen zur weiteren Vereinfachung bzw. Modellimplementierung in die strukturmechanische Berechnung an großen Komponenten wurden vorgestellt. Abschließend erfolgt die Einstufung in eine mögliche Knicklinie auf Basis eines mittels GMNIA (geometrisch und materiell nichtlineare Analyse mit Imperfektionen) Berechnungen simulierten Streubands der Tragfähigkeiten mittels Abaqus® und Ansys®. Die anfängliche Hypothese einer günstigeren Knicklinie eines S690QL im Vergleich zum S355J2+N wurde dabei rechnerisch bestätigt. Der experimentelle Nachweis mittels entsprechender Trägerfähigkeitsversuche ist allerdings noch ausstehend.
Carrier gas hot extraction (CGHE) is a commonly applied technique for determination of hydrogen in welded joints using a thermal conductivity device (TCD) for quantitative 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 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 PID-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 the reach 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 calibration specimens is useful for further data analysis, especially if this data is used for calculation of trapping kinetics by thermal desorption analysis (TDA).
A common approach to describe hydrogen traps is by their activation energy that is necessary to release hydrogen from the trap. In the present study, Cr-Mo-V steel T24 (7CrMoVTiB10-10) base material and TIG weld metal were investigated. Electrochemically hydrogen charged specimens were analyzed by thermal desorption analysis (TDA) with different linear heating rates. The results show two different effects. At first, the microstructure effect on trapping is evident in terms of higher hydrogen concentrations in the weld metal and increased activation energy for hydrogen release. Secondly, it is necessary to monitor the real specimen temperature. A comparison between the adjusted heating rate and the real specimen temperature shows that the calculated activation energy varies by factor two. Thus, the trap character in case of the base material changes to irreversible at decreased temperature. Hence, the effect of the experimental procedure must be considered as well if evaluating TDA results.
Hydrogen absorption and diffusion in T24 steel weld joints and effect on mechanical properties
(2018)
The present contribution summarizes results obtained from experiments with low-alloyed boiler steel grades T24 (CrMoV alloy), T22 (CrMo) and thermally simulated T24 HAZ microstructure and pure weld metal. The hydrogen absorption and diffusion behavior was investigated by permeation experiments and thermal desorption analysis (TDA). The results showed significant weld microstructure influence on diffusion by hydrogen trapping. Trapped hydrogen was determined in the T24 BM at temperatures up to 120 °C compared to 75 °C in the T22. In addition, the T24 HAZ showed decreased diffusion coefficients (at room temperature) of approximately one magnitude compared to the BM. For the mechanical properties, tensile tests were conducted with electrochemically hydrogen charged specimens and compared to results obtained from slow strain rate tests (SSRT) in high-temperature water up to 200 °C. The as-welded HAZ had remarkably increased susceptibility compared to the BM already at low hydrogen concentration of 1-2 ppm. The SSRT were conducted for free corrosion and acidic environment and confirmed this behavior at elevated temperatures for both HAZ microstructures of T24 and T22. Summarized, each weld microstructure has specific diffusion coefficients and shows different susceptibility to degradation of the mechanical properties, i.e. delayed hydrogen assisted cracking or stress corrosion cracking.
Hydrogen absorption and diffusion in T24 steel weld joints and effect on mechanical properties
(2018)
The present contribution summarizes results obtained from experiments with low-alloyed boiler steel grades T24 (CrMoV alloy), T22 (CrMo) and thermally simulated T24 HAZ microstructure and pure weld metal. The hydrogen absorption and diffusion behavior was investigated by permeation experiments and thermal desorption analysis (TDA). The results showed significant weld microstructure influence on diffusion by hydrogen trapping. Trapped hydrogen was determined in the T24 BM at temperatures up to 120 °C compared to 75 °C in the T22. In addition, the T24 HAZ showed decreased diffusion coefficients (at room temperature) of approximately one magnitude compared to the BM. For the mechanical properties, tensile tests were conducted with electrochemically hydrogen charged specimens and compared to results obtained from slow strain rate tests (SSRT) in high-temperature water up to 200 °C. The as-welded HAZ had remarkably increased susceptibility compared to the BM already at low hydrogen concentration of 1-2 ppm. The SSRT were conducted for free corrosion and acidic environment and confirmed this behavior at elevated temperatures for both HAZ microstructures of T24 and T22. Summarized, each weld microstructure has specific diffusion coefficients and shows different susceptibility to degradation of the mechanical properties, i.e. delayed hydrogen assisted cracking or stress corrosion cracking.
Die Energiewirtschaft ist bereits jetzt in massivem Umbruch. Herausforderungen der Energiewende sind u.a. die Einbindung von regenerativen Energiequellen und deren Speicherung. Dieses stellt auch die Fügetechnik, als zentrale Produktionstechnologie für die Komponentenfertigung, vor neue Aufgaben. Der Vortrag gibt zu ausgewählten Themen einen kurzen Überblick.
In order to satisfy the growing requirements towards lightweight design and resource efficiency in modern steel constructions, e.g. mobile cranes and bridges, high-strength steels with typical yield strength ≥ 690 MPa are coming into use to an increasing extent. However, these steels require special treatment in welding. The susceptibility for degradation of the mechanical properties in presence of hydrogen increases significantly with increasing yield strength. In case of missing knowledge about how and which amount of hydrogen is uptaken during welding, hydrogen assisted cracking can be a negative consequence. Moreover, modern weld technology like the modified spray arc process enables welding of narrower weld seams. In this context, a reduced number of weld beads, volume and total heat input are technical and economic benefits. This work presents the influence of welding parameters on the diffusible hydrogen content in both (1) single-pass and (2) multi-layer welds. Different hydrogen concentrations were detected by varied contact tube distance, wire feed speed, arc length as well as varied arc type (transitional arc and modified spray arc). The results showed, that all welding parameters had significant influence on the diffusible hydrogen concentration in the single-pass welds. By increasing the number of weld beads in case of multi-layer welding, the hydrogen concentration have been substantially reduced. Whereby, differences in hydrogen concentrations between both arc types are present.
Trapping in T24 steel weld joints – Effects on activation energy for hydrogen diffusion during TDA
(2017)
Failure cases in the past decade exhibited severe cracking in T24 welds and showed that generally hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) occurring up to 200°C cannot be excluded. A basic understanding is necessary on how hydrogen diffusion is influenced by the weld process. In this regard, both weld microstructures HAZ and weld metal have particular influence on hydrogen diffusion compared to the base material. In general, hydrogen diffusion at a certain temperature is described by diffusion coefficients representing an effective value of combined lattice diffusion and effects of reversible hydrogen traps. Those traps are typically precipitates, interstitials, grain boundaries and so on. A common approach to describe the trap character and its effect on diffusion is the determination of so-called activation energy. This can be done by respective thermal desorption analysis (TDA) with linear heating. In the present study, different T24 as-welded microstructures (BM, HAZ, WM) were investigated. For that purpose, electrochemically hydrogen charged specimens were analyzed by TDA with linear heating using a mass spectrometer for detection of ultra-low hydrogen amounts. The results showed that typically the as-welded HAZ had higher energy traps than the tempered base material. Nonetheless two important effects were ascertained: (1) it is strictly necessary to monitor the sample temperature due to its great impact on the hydrogen desorption peak temperature and (2) the real heating rate in the specimen vs. the applied heating rate has to be considered. Both influence the calculated activation energy, i.e. the assigned hydrogen trap character (moderate or strong trap), which changed up to a factor of two in terms of the calculated activation energy. This effect can be much more important compared to the microstructure effect itself. Hence, suitable experimental boundary conditions should be mandatory for the determination of hydrogen trap kinetics.
Literature provides a wide range of hydrogen diffusion coefficients for low alloyed steels used in power plants. In fact, experimental boundary conditions and calculation methods have influence on the determination of these coefficients. The diffusion and trapping behavior in creep-resistant steel 7CrMoVTiB10-10 has been studied. Based on experimental carrier gas hot extraction (CGHE) data, a numerical model has been developed to describe the hydrogen transport and respective hydrogen distribution at elevated temperatures. The numerical results suggest that common calculation methods for diffusion coefficients are limited for experimental data analysis. The sample preparation time before CGHE experiment influences the determined diffusion coefficients with the consequence that non-homogeneous hydrogen concentration profiles have to be considered in the simulations.
Quantitative investigations of hydrogen dependent properties of aircraft landing gear materials have only scarcely been carried out in the past. They are essential for respective component life time assessments. To better understand the behavior of these landing gear materials in a hydrogen rich environment, specimens were charged in the condition as delivered with known concentrations of hydrogen and then mechanically tested to evaluate the degradation effects. The present contribution is focused on evaluating the hydrogen concentration dependent material properties and the respective fracture topographies of the two investigated steels, and then continued by the comparison of the results with other previously investigated martensitic steels in order to better understand the thresholds for these materials to maintain structural integrity.
In order to satisfy the growing requirements towards lightweight design and resource efficiency in modern steel constructions, e.g. mobile cranes and bridges, high-strength steels with typical yield strength ≥ 690 MPa are coming into use to an increasing extent. However, these steels require special treatment in welding. The susceptibility for degradation of the mechanical properties in presence of hydrogen increases significantly with increasing yield strength. In case of missing knowledge about how and which amount of hydrogen is uptaken during welding, hydrogen assisted cracking (HAC) can be a negative consequence. Moreover, modern weld technology like the modified spray arc process enables welding of narrower weld seams. In this context, a reduced number of weld beads, volume and total heat input are technical and economic benefits. This work presents the influence of welding parameters on the diffusible hydrogen content in both singlepass and multi-layer welds. Different hydrogen concentrations were detected by varied contact tube distance, wire feed speed, arc length as well as varied arc type (transitional arc and modified spray arc). The results show, that all welding parameters have significant influence on the diffusible hydrogen concentration in the single-pass welds. By increasing the number of weld beads in case of multi-layer welding, the hydrogen concentration have been substantially reduced. Whereby, differences in hydrogen concentrations between both arc types are present.
In general, hydrogen assisted cracking is a result of a critical combination of local microstructure, mechanical load and hydrogen concentration. In that connection, welded microstructures of low-alloyed creep-resistant steels can show different hydrogen trapping kinetics. That influences the adsorbed hydrogen concentration as well as the diffusion itself in terms of moderate or strong trapping. A common approach to describe trapping is by the activation energy that is necessary to release hydrogen from a specific trap site. In the present study, T24 base material and weld metal were investigated. For that purpose, electrochemically hydrogen charged specimens were analyzed by thermal desorption analysis(TDA) with linear heating using a mass spectrometer. The results showed a microstructure effect on hydrogen trapping kinetics at elevated temperatures. Additionally, it is necessary to monitor the specimen temperature. A comparison between idealized temperature profile and real specimen temperature showed that the calculated activation energy varied up to a factor of two. Thus, the assigned trap character(moderate or strong) changed. In case of high temperature peaks, this effect could be more important compared to the microstructure effect itself.
This article presents the latest results of an ongoing national research project on improved models for the prediction of welding residual stresses of thick-plated welded I-girders. The experimental program is presented and the importance of different influencing factors on the residual stresses is discussed in detail. All results are compared for mild (S355J2+N) and high strength (S690QL) steel. Finally, conclusions for further works are drawn.
This article addresses the imperfections caused by the weld assembly in I-shape sections made of two structural steel grades. Load influencing imperfections are assumed as deviations from the ideal shape (e.g. bending distortion) and longitudinal residual stresses. The quality of a numerically aided design of components exposed to either compression and/or bending is significantly affected, depending on these parameters. The Eurocode (EC3) provides robust simplified models. As a result, the Ultimate Limit State (ULS) is approached on a conservative basis. The following investigations are aimed at providing further guidance on these values in component-like specimens. The long term goal is an improved understanding of the load-bearing capacity of such sections. As a first step in this process, the experimental and corresponding numerical studies are presented.
Low-alloyed CrMoV steels, such as T24, are widely used for welded components in fossil power stations due to their excellent creep-strength. Spectacular failure cases in the recent years exhibited severe cracking in T24 welds. The results showed that hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) occurring up to 200 degree Celsius cannot be excluded. Hence, a basic understanding is necessary on how hydrogen affects the material properties of welded microstructures. In this regard, each weld microstructure (HAZ and weld metal) has influence on the HAC susceptibility and respective hydrogen diffusion. Thus, the present contribution summarizes different results obtained from experiments with grades T24 (CrMoV alloy) and T22 (CrMo) and thermally simulated HAZ. Tensile tests were conducted with hydrogen charged specimens and compared to hydrogen-assisted stress corrosion cracking results obtained from slow strain rate tests (SSRT) up to 200 degree Celsius. Electrochemical permeation and degassing experiments were performed to identify a particular weld microstructure influence on hydrogen diffusion and trapping (especially in the HAZ). The results showed that T24 base material has improved resistance to hydrogen-assisted degradation/cracking. In contrast, the as-welded HAZ had remarkably increased susceptibility (tesnile tests at hydrogen concentration of 1 to 2 ppm). SSRT experiments confirmed this at elevated temperatures for both the T24 and the T22. Hence, the evaluation of a particular degradation of the mechanical properties should be performed independently for each weld microstructure. In addition, the HAZ showed decreased diffusion coefficients (at room temperature) of approximately one magnitude compared to the base materials. Trapped hydrogen was determined in the T24 at temperatures up to 120 degree Celsius compared to 75 degree Celsius in the T22. This has to be considered in case of changing operational temperatures, e.g. in the case of start-up and shutdown processes of boiler components.
Adaption of Heat Control Concepts for Welding Stress Optimization in High-strength Steel Components
(2016)
High-strength structural steels from 690 MPa are increasingly applied at present. Major reasons are lightweight design trends and potential cost reductions. The structural design of welds and their manufacturing become more challenging with increasing material strength. By reasons of a higher yield ratio of these steels, the development of high residual stresses has to be avoided, since they are detrimental to the components safety and performance. Local restraint stresses and welding loads due to external shrinkage restraints occur. Frequently, this leads to critical tensile residual stresses in the weld and HAZ. In this study, influences of welding process parameters and restraint conditions on the residual stress state in welded components of high-strength steels were investigated. Multilayer GMAW tests under free shrinkage and experiments under well-defined restraints in special in-house developed testing facilities were accomplished. The tests permitted analyses of the resulting local residual stresses measured by means of X-ray diffraction and global reaction stress build-up while welding and cooling. Significant effects were found for heat control, seam configuration and restraint condition. Besides high restraints, elevated preheating and interpass temperatures lead to increased welding stresses. An adaption of welding parameters considering heat control, weld run sequence and seam configuration proved to be beneficial.
Hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) represents a significant failure risk for (high strength) creep resistant low-alloyed steel components in fossil-fired power plant applications at temperatures of up to and above 200 °C. This particularly applies to respective start-up and shut-down processes associated with alternating service-conditions in terms of load flexible power plants. For quantitative determination of localized crack critical hydrogen concentrations, the temperature dependent hydrogen diffusion coefficients have to be determined as exactly as possible.
However, available literature provides a wide range of hydrogen diffusion coefficients for low alloyed steels with similar microstructures. Additionally, the available diffusion data seem not to be very reliable and their scatter increases with decreasing temperature. One reason is that the experimental boundary conditions can have a major impact on the determination of respective effective diffusion coefficients. Hence, the scope of this study is to evaluate the influence of the experimental boundary conditions on the derived diffusion coefficients. In addition, different methods for calculating diffusion coefficients are discussed. To elucidate such influences and to draw a line to practical application, the diffusion and trapping behavior in the creep resistant steel 7CrMoVTiB10 10 has been studied.
For such purpose, hydrogen charged specimens were isothermally degassed at different temperatures using carrier gas hot extraction (CGHE). Based on experimental data, a numerical model has been developed by which the hydrogen transport behavior and the respective hydrogen distribution during CGHE can be assessed.
It is demonstrated that the specimen heating rate has a large influence on the calculated diffusion coefficients under assumption of isothermal degassing which elsewhere has been underestimated in the assessment of diffusion data in creep-resistant steels. The numerical results suggest that calculation methods for diffusion coefficients are limited if compared to experimental results. It also turned out that the sample preparation time before CGHE can enormously influence determined diffusion coefficients. Consequently, non-homogeneous hydrogen concentration profiles have to be anticipated in the simulations to arrive at characteristic effusion curves consistent to respective CGHE experiments. In turn, validated diffusion coefficients are now available for the low-alloyed Cr-Mo-V steel which might be helpful to calculate appropriate hydrogen removal heat treatment procedures, for instance.
Modeling of Hydrogen-Assisted Cracking (HAC) in Duplex Stainless Steels (DSS):
- Hydrogen causes significant degradation in DSS and consequently HAC
- Mechanisms of HAC have not been fully understood in two-phase microstructures
- Mesoscale numerical modeling for HAC in DSS was created, coupled to the macroscale, enabling simulation of HAC in both phases independent from predefined crack paths
Hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) represents a significant failure risk for (high strength) creep resistant low-alloyed steel components in fossil-fired power plant applications at temperatures of up to and above 200 °C. This particularly applies to respective start-up and shut-down processes associated with alternating service-conditions in terms of load flexible power plants. For quantitative determination of localized crack critical hydrogen concentrations, the temperature dependent hydrogen diffusion coefficients have to be determined as exactly as possible.
However, available literature provides a wide range of hydrogen diffusion coefficients for low alloyed steels with similar microstructures. Additionally, the available diffusion data seem not to be very reliable and their scatter increases with decreasing temperature. One reason is that the experimental boundary conditions can have a major impact on the determination of respective effective diffusion coefficients. Hence, the scope of this study is to evaluate the influence of the experimental boundary conditions on the derived diffusion coefficients. In addition, different methods for calculating diffusion coefficients are discussed. To elucidate such influences and to draw a line to practical application, the diffusion and trapping behavior in the creep resistant steel 7CrMoVTiB10 10 has been studied.
For such purpose, hydrogen charged specimens were isothermally degassed at different temperatures using carrier gas hot extraction (CGHE). Based on experimental data, a numerical model has been developed by which the hydrogen transport behavior and the respective hydrogen distribution during CGHE can be assessed.
It is demonstrated that the specimen heating rate has a large influence on the calculated diffusion coefficients under assumption of isothermal degassing which elsewhere has been underestimated in the assessment of diffusion data in creep-resistant steels. The numerical results suggest that calculation methods for diffusion coefficients are limited if compared to experimental results. It also turned out that the sample preparation time before CGHE can enormously influence determined diffusion coefficients. Consequently, non-homogeneous hydrogen concentration profiles have to be anticipated in the simulations to arrive at characteristic effusion curves consistent to respective CGHE experiments. In turn, validated diffusion coefficients are now available for the low-alloyed Cr-Mo-V steel, which can be helpful to calculate appropriate hydrogen removal heat treatment procedures.
In the field of modelling hydrogen assisted cracking (HAC) phenomenon, hydrogen diffusivity is an important input parameter for numerical simulation. In terms of hydrogen diffusion coefficients, they have great impact on realistic assessment of the evolution of possible crack critical hydrogen concentrations. In addition, the chemical compositions of steels can have a strong effect on hydrogen diffusion. Unfortunately, literature provides a wide range of available hydrogen diffusion coefficients even for similar microstructures and equal temperatures. The scattering of the data can lead to significant deviations in the results of simulating the evolving hydrogen concentrations due to hydrogen uptake (by fabrication or service). Thus, the application of such data to crack-models or for component life tie predictions can be realized up to the present only by considering envelope curves of such value, corresponding to a work or bench case scenario, respectively. For improved reliability of numerical simulaitons, it is necessary to minimize the mentioned deviation of these data. Hence, this work focuses on the validation of hydrogen diffusion coefficients obtained from permeation experiments at room temperature. Two baintic steels with different alloying concepts were investigated, the creep-resistant 7CrMoVTiB10-10 and the reactor pressure vessel grade 20MnMoNi4-5. A numerical model is presented for simulation of the corresponding hydrogen diffusion during permeation experiments using the finite element software ANSYS. Three different diffusion coefficients (obtained from different common calculation methods) are considered and compared to numerical results. The vases of thes calculation methods are permeation transients which are a direct measure for hydrogen. The results of the simulated hydrogen diffusion coefficients show that only one procedure for calculation of diffusion coefficitnes is suitable in comparision to the experimental values. Thus, it is suggested to use this method for analysis of experimental results in case of hydrogen diffusion during permeation experiments. Furthermore, this work supplies validated values for the hydrogen diffusion coefficients of both steel grades.
Experimental simulation of dissimilar weld metal in high manganese steels by arc metling technique
(2016)
High manganese steels have great potential for use in automotive lightweight constructions (like car body structures) due to their superior strength and formability. In this scope, welding is the most common joining technique for sheet metal with challenges especially of dissimilar weld joints. In this case, the formation of martensite has to be considered resulting in a certain propability of brittle fracture in a respective load condition. In addition, no reliable weld metal microstructure prediction is possible with currently available constitution diagrams like the Schaeffler or WRC1992-diagram. Thus, the arc melting technique offers the possibility to investigate the effects of dilution on microstructures and properties of weld metal of high manganese steels. The results suggested that a complex indentification of microstructures is possible by directed experiments using the arc metling technique
Currently, residual stresses in welded HSLA (high strength low alloyed steels) are considerded by simplified “robust” procedures fixed in common standards (such as Eurocode 3). The models are mostly based on specimens from mild steel with lower strength. For HSLA, necessary material data is less available for realistic assessment of the appearing residual stresses in typical I-girders. Hence, the economic benefit of HSLA steels in scope of load bearing capacity cannot fully be exploit. Thus, the scope of this work is the measurement of weld residual stresses in component-like I-girders S355 and S690 by sectioning method and subsequent verification by global structural welding simulation.
Hydrogen can cause unexpected material failure under consideration of stresses (external/internal) during manufacturing, processing or service of the materials. This failure is mostly based on a certain degradation of the mechanical properties. Thus, the correlation of hydrogen trapping vs. a respective microstructure is necessary for high strength steels. Thus, the scope of this work is the improvement of existing hydrogen trap models by verification of activation energies for hydrogen traps as well as the influence of the determination method. In this scope, the thermal desorption method is appropriate to distinguish between different hydrogen traps. Nevertheless, the specimen temperature has to be accounted very carefully in case of calculating the necessary trap energy.
Effect of cooling rate on microstructure and properties of microalloyed HSLA steel weld metals
(2015)
Two high strength Nb/Ti microalloyed S690QL steels were welded with identical filler material, varying welding parameters to obtain three cooling rates: slow, medium and fast cooling. As cooling rate increased, the predominantly acicular ferrite in Nb weld metal (WM) is substituted by bainite, with a consequence of obvious hardness increase, but in Ti WM, no great variation of acicular ferrite at all cooling rates contributed to little increment of hardness. The transition between bainite and acicular ferrite has been analysed from the point view of inclusions characteristics, chemical composition and cooling rate. Excellent Charpy toughness at 233 K was obtained with acicular ferrite as predominantly microstructure. Even with bainite weld of high hardness, the toughness was nearly enough to fulfill the minimal requirements. WM for Ti steel showed to be markedly less sensitive to the variations of cooling rate than that for Nb steel.