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Modern arc processes, such as the modified spray arc (Mod. SA), have been developed for gas metal arc welding of high-strength structural steels with which even narrow weld seams can be welded. High-strength joints are subjected to increasingly stringent requirements in terms of welding processing and the resulting component performance. In the present work, this challenge is to be met by clarifying the influences on hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) in a high-strength structural steel S960QL. Adapted samples analogous to the self-restraint TEKKEN test are used and analyzed with respect to crack formation, microstructure, diffusible hydrogen concentration and residual stresses. The variation of the seam opening angle of the test seams is between 30° and 60°. To prevent HAC, the effectiveness of a dehydrogenation heat treatment (DHT) from the welding heat is investigated.
As a result, the weld metals produced at reduced weld opening angle show slightly higher hydrogen concentrations on average. In addition, increased micro- as well as macro-crack formation can be observed on these weld metal samples. On all samples without DHT, cracks in the root notch occur due to HAC, which can be prevented by DHT immediately after welding.
Modified TEKKEN test for studying hydrogen-assisted cracking in high-strength structural steels
(2020)
In the present work, the complex interactions of the influences of material, welding process and seam configuration and the restraint of shrinkage on the residual stresses and the influence of diffusible hydrogen on hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) in the high-strength steel S960QL were investigated. For this purpose, self-restraint specimens were selected using the TEKKEN test with correspondingly adapted seam opening angles and a restraint intensity of approx. RFy = 17 kN/(mm·mm). The variation of the seam opening angle of the test seams was between 30° and 60°. Due to the comparatively high restraint of shrinkage in the transverse direction of the weld, high tensile residual stresses in the weld metal were expected for both weld seam configurations. In addition, a dehydrogenation heat treatment (DHT) for HAC prevention under restraint of shrinkage was verified. In order to keep distortion and heat input as low as possible, the seam geometries were manufactured from the solid material by means of electric discharge machining (EDM). Both, solid wire and metal cored wire were used. In addition, hydrogen was added to the shielding gas in solid wire welding to increase diffusible hydrogen concentration. Moreover, welding residual stresses at the weld seam surface, which were measured by using mobile X-ray diffraction, were taken into account to evaluate the HAC behavior. DHT was carried out at 250 °C for 4 h in an external furnace.
High-strength steels with yield strength of 960 MPa are susceptible to hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC) during welding processing. In the present paper, the implant test is used to study HAC in a quenched and tempered steel S960QL and a high-strength steel produced by thermo-mechanical controlled process S960MC. Welding is performed using the gas metal arc welding process. Furthermore, diffusible hydrogen concentration (HD) in arc weld metal is determined. Based on the implant test results, lower critical stress (LCS) for complete fracture, critical implant stress for crack initiation, and embrittlement index (EI) are determined. At HD of 1.66 ml/100 g, LCS is 605 MPa and 817 MPa for S960QL and S960MC, respectively. EI is 0.30 and 0.46 for S960QL and S960MC, respectively. Fracture surfaces of S960QL show higher degradation with reduced deformation. Both, higher EI of S960MC and fractography show better resistance to HAC in the HAZ of S960MC compared to S960QL.
The need for steels with highest mechanical properties is a result of the increasing demands for energy and resource efficiency. In this context, high-strength low-alloyed (HSLA) structural steels are used in machine, steel and crane construction with yield strength up to 960 MPa. HSLA steels enable lightweight construction by thinner necessary plate thickness. However, welding of HSLA steels requires profound knowledge of three factors in terms of avoidance of hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC): the interaction of (1) microstructure, (2) local stress/strain and (3) local hydrogen concentration. In addition to the three main factors, the used weld-arc process is also important for the performance of the welded joint, especially when using modern arc variants. In the past, the conventional transitional arc process (Conv. A) was mainly used for welding of HSLA grades. In the past decade, the so-called modified spray arc process (Mod. SA) was increasingly used for welding production. This modified arc enables reduced seam opening angles with increased deposition rates compared to the conventional process. Economic benefits of using this arc type are: a reduced number of necessary weld beads and a lower weld seam volume, which result in decreased total welding time and costs. Nonetheless, investigations on a high-strength S960QL showed significantly higher hydrogen concentrations in the weld metal at a reduced seam opening angle with Mod. SA. This indicates an increased risk for the susceptibility of the welded component to HAC. Hence, existing recommendations on HAC-avoidance cannot be transferred directly to the Mod. SA-process.
In the present study, the susceptibility to HAC of the HSLA steel S960QL with same type of filler material was investigated. For that purpose, both Conv. A and Mod. SA were used with same weld heat input at different deposition rates. For assessment of the HAC susceptibility, the externally loaded Implant-test was used. Both conducted test series with Conv. A and Mod. SA showed similar crack critical stress of about 280 MPa. Below this value, no delayed fracture appeared. The welds with Mod. SA showed higher hydrogen concentrations. The fracture occurred in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) or in the weld metal (WM). But in all specimens, cracks initiated at the notch root of the spiral notch of the implants within the coarse-grained HAZ. However, the test series with Mod. SA showed a significant extension of the time-to-failure of several hours compared to tests carried out with Conv. A. The reason is the deeper weld penetration in case of Mod. SA, which causes longer diffusion path for hydrogen. The fracture topography of the ruptured implant specimens with Conv. A was typical ductile in specimen center and quasi-cleavage like at the edge of the specimens. When using Mod. SA, the topography changed to primarily quasi-cleavage fracture topography with shares of intergranular fracture and secondary crack appearance.
In the present study, the susceptibility to HAC of the HSLA steel S960QL with same type of filler material was investigated. For that purpose, both Conv. A and Mod. SA were used with same weld heat input at different deposition rates. For assessment of the HAC susceptibility, the externally loaded Implant-test [ ] was used. Both conducted test series with Conv. A and Mod. SA showed similar crack critical stress of about 280 MPa. Below this value, no delayed fracture appeared. The welds with Mod. SA showed higher hydrogen concentrations. The fracture occurred in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) or in the weld metal (WM). But in all specimens, cracks initiated at the notch root of the spiral notch of the implants within the coarse-grained HAZ. However, the test series with Mod. SA showed a significant extension of the time-to-failure of several hours compared to tests carried out with Conv. A, see Fig. 1a. The reason is the deeper weld penetration in case of Mod. SA (Fig. 1b and Fig. 1c), which causes longer diffusion path for hydrogen. The fracture topography of the ruptured implant specimens with Conv. A was typical ductile in specimen center and quasi-cleavage like at the edge of the specimens. When using Mod. SA, the topography changed to primarily quasi-cleavage fracture topography with shares of intergranular fracture and secondary crack appearance.
The effect of electrochemical charging of hydrogen on the structure of a lean duplex stainless steel LDX 2101® (EN 1.4162, UNS S32101) was examined by both Time-of-Flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and electron back-scatter diffraction. The goal is to correlate hydrogen concentration and induced structural changes. Chemical and structural characterizations were done for the same region at the sample's surface with sub-micron spatial resolution. Regions of interest were varying in size between 50 × 50 μm and 100 × 100 μm. The results show a phase transformation of austenite to mainly a defect-rich BCC and scarcely a HCP phase. The phase transformation occurred in deuterium rich regions in the austenite.