Ingenieurwissenschaften und zugeordnete Tätigkeiten
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Von der Anwendung ins Prüflabor: Maßstabsgetreues Bewerten von Spannungen in geschweißten Bauteilen
(2019)
Eigenspannungen sind von zentraler Bedeutung für die Performance geschweißter Bauteile. Die Bewertung schweißbedingter Beanspruchungen im Labormaßstab ist oft nicht zielführend. Reale Bauteilschweißungen weisen geometrisch und konstruktiv bedingt meist divergente Wärmeableitungs- und Einspannbedingungen auf. Dadurch lassen sich häufig nur eingeschränkt Aussagen über Eigenspannungshöhen, -verteilungen und die wesentlichen Einflussfaktoren treffen. Dies führt oftmals zur eher konservativen Konstruktionsauslegung und damit zu einer geringeren Ressourcen- und Energieeffizienz. Dieser Beitrag widmet sich den Bestrebungen, reale Randbedingungen beim Bauteilschweißen in das Labor zu übertragen. Es werden die Möglichkeiten eines speziell für diesen Zweck an der BAM entwickelten Prüfsystems mit einer maximalen Tragkraft von 2 MN aufgezeigt. Durch die konstruktive Gestaltung der Anlage lassen sich in Schweißversuchen schweißbedingte Beanspruchungen nachbilden und die komplexen Einflüsse und Wechselwirkungen durch Schweißprozess, Bauteilgeometrie und -konstruktion sowie durch die eingesetzten Grund- und Zusatzwerkstoffe quantifizieren. Darüber hinaus können mittels Röntgenbeugung die resultierenden lokalen Eigenspannungen präzise und mit hoher Ortsauflösung bestimmt werden. Anhand von Beispielen wird die Nachbildung realer Produktionsbedingungen im Labor erörtert und gezeigt, wie die Spannungen beim Schweißen hochfester Baustähle von konstruktiven, werkstoff- und prozessseitigen Randbedingungen abhängen. So wurde geklärt, wie erhöhte Arbeitstemperaturen zum signifikanten Anstieg der Beanspruchungen führen.
Over the past years economic and environmental considerations have led to a markedly increased demand for efficiency and flexibility in petrochemical plants. The operational temperatures and pressures required today can only be achieved by using new creep-resistant grades of steel. The modified 13CrMoV9-10 vanadium steel shows a good resistance against creep and compressed hydrogen and has been in use for the construction of petrochemical reactors since the mid-1990s. Nevertheless, processing of this type of steel requires extreme care during the welding procedure. This is due to its low toughness and high strength in the welded state when not post weld heat treated combined with increased susceptibility to cracking during stress relaxation. Previous research into crack formation in creep-resistant steels has largely focused on thermal and metallurgical factors; however, little knowledge has been gathered regarding the influence of the welding procedure on crack formation during post weld heat treatment considering real-life manufacturing conditions. The influence of heat control on the mechanical properties has been investigated by simulating the welding and subsequent post weld heat treatment operations during the construction of petrochemical reactors using a special 3-D testing facility on the laboratory scale.
This work is subdivided in two parts. In part I of this study the stresses resulting from preheating, welding, dehydrogenation heat treatment and the final post weld heat treatment were analyzed during experiments under varied heat control. In all experiments stress relief cracks formed during post weld heat treatment could be observed. The total crack lengths correlated with the welding induced stresses.
Part II of this work is dedicated to the characterization of the cracks and the microstructure. The application of a special acoustic emission analysis indicated that the cracks formed in a temperature range between 300 °C and 500 °C during the post weld heat treatment. In comparison to small scale specimens welded without additional shrinkage restraint, the toughness of the restrained welds was significantly decreased. SEM and TEM analyses of all samples revealed accelerated aging due to early precipitation of special carbides during post weld heat treatment under component relevant restraint.
Von der Anwendung ins Prüflabor: Maßstabsgetreues Bewerten von Spannungen in geschweißten Bauteilen
(2019)
Eigenspannungen sind von zentraler Bedeutung für die Performance geschweißter Bauteile. Die Bewertung schweißbedingter Beanspruchungen im Labormaßstab ist oft nicht zielführend. Reale Bauteilschweißungen weisen geometrisch und konstruktiv bedingt meist divergente Wärmeableitungs- und Einspannbedingungen auf. Dadurch lassen sich häufig nur eingeschränkt Aussagen über Eigenspannungshöhen, -verteilungen und die wesentlichen Einflussfaktoren treffen. Dies führt oftmals zur eher konservativen Konstruktionsauslegung und damit zu einer geringerenRessourcen- und Energieeffizienz. Dieser Beitrag widmet sich den Bestrebungen, reale Randbedingungen beim Bauteilschweißen in das Labor zu übertragen. Es werden die Möglichkeiten eines speziell für diesen Zweck an der BAM entwickelten Prüfsystems mit einer maximalen Tragkraft von 2 MN aufgezeigt. Durch die konstruktive Gestaltung der Anlage lassen sich in Schweißversuchen schweißbedingte Beanspruchungen nachbilden und die komplexen Einflüsse und Wechselwirkungen durch Schweißprozess, Bauteilgeometrie und -konstruktion sowie durch die eingesetzten Grund- und Zusatzwerkstoffe quantifizieren. Darüber hinaus können mittels Röntgenbeugung die resultierenden lokalen Eigenspannungen präzise und mit hoher Ortsauflösung bestimmt werden. Anhand von Beispielen wird die Nachbildung realer Produktionsbedingungen im Labor erörtert und gezeigt, wie die Spannungen beim Schweißen hochfester Baustähle von konstruktiven, werkstoff- und prozessseitigen Randbedingungen abhängen.
So wurde geklärt, wie erhöhte Arbeitstemperaturen zum signifikanten Anstieg der Beanspruchungen führen.
Kaltrissprüfung hochfester Feinkornbaustähle beim Schweißen mit modifiziertem Sprühlichtbogen
(2019)
Sind in Stahlkonstruktionen hohe Tragfähigkeiten bei geringem Eigengewicht gefordert, finden hochfeste Feinkornbaustähle mit Streckgrenzen ≥ 960 MPa Anwendung. In der Vergangenheit wurde der konventionelle Übergangslichtbogen (Konv. LB) zur schweißtechnischen Fertigung von hochfesten Stählen eingesetzt. In den letzten Jahren wurde der modifizierte Sprühlichtbogen (Mod. SLB) entwickelt, welcher reduzierte Nahtöffnungswinkel bei erhöhter Abschmelzleistung ermöglicht. Jedoch treten höhere Wasserstoffkonzentrationen verbunden mit Mikro-(Kalt-)rissen unter reduziertem Nahtöffnungswinkel mit Mod. SLB auf. In diesem Beitrag wird die Kaltrissempfindlichkeit des hochfesten Feinkornbaustahles S960QL mit artgleichem Schweißzusatzwerkstoff untersucht.
Kaltrissprüfung hochfester Feinkornbaustähle beim Schweißen mit modifiziertem Sprühlichtbogen
(2019)
Der konstruktive Leichtbau erfordert den zunehmenden Einsatz hochfester Feinkornbaustähle mit Streckgrenzen bis zu 1300 MPa. Um darüber hinaus Schweißzeit, Schweißnahtvolumina und Schweißkosten zu minimieren, kam es zur Entwicklung moderner Lichtbogenprozesse mit erhöhter Abschmelzleistung, wie bspw. dem modifizierten Sprühlichtbogen (mod. SLB). Dieser Beitrag zeigt Kaltrissuntersuchungen beim Einsatz des mod. SLB unter reduziertem Nahtöffnungswinkel eines Hochfesten S960QL. Mit Hilfe des fremdbeanspruchten Implant-Tests konnte dargelegt werden, dass durch die erhöhte Abschmelzleistung ein tieferes Einbrandprofil entsteht und es dadurch zu einer zeitverzögerten Rissbildung kommt. Ergebnisse des selbstbeanspruchenden TEKKEN-Tests zeigen eine deutliche Rissbildung im Schweißgut unter reduziertem Nahtöffnungswinkel. Durch eine Nachwärmung unmittelbar nach dem Schweißen kann diese Rissbildung minimiert werden.
Residual stresses are crucial when assessing the performance of welded components. The present work deals with the possibilities of transferring the real-life boundary conditions of welding, which influence the residual stress, into the laboratory. The possibilities of a test system with a load capacity of 2 MN specifically developed for online monitoring of stress formation and cracking are shown. Due to the structural design, global process, geometry and material-dependent stresses are induced, which can be quantified in-situ during welding and post weld heat treatment. Examples are presented how the conditions to be found during production are simulated in the laboratory. It is shown how welding residual stresses in high-strength steels are affected by the heat control. Elevated working temperatures significantly increase the tensile residual stresses in the heat affected zone (HAZ). The effect of mechanical stresses resulting from welding on stress relief cracking is demonstrated by the example of a creep resistant steel. Reheat cracks were monitored online during post weld heat treatment.
Für moderne Hochleistungswerkstoffe scheinen Standardparameter der Erstarrungsrissprüfung mittels MVT-Test in vielen Fällen ungeeignet. Dieser Vortrag erläutert die charakteristischen Besonderheiten der betrachteten Werkstoffe, und zeigt überdies alternative Analysemethoden auf, mit denen fehlerhafte Einschätzungen von Erstarrungsrissanfälligkeiten vermieden werden können.
Der Implant-Test nach ISO 17642-3 gehört zur Gruppe der fremdbeanspruchten Kaltrisstests, bei dem eine äußere Beanspruchung auf einen zylindrischen Stab (Implant-Probe) definiert aufgebracht wird. Mit dieser Kaltrissprüfung wurde vergleichende Analysen zur Kaltrissempfindlichkeit der modernen hochfesten Feinkornbaustähle S960MC und S960QL durchgeführt.
Chemical compositions of the welds have significant effect on weld quality. Current inspection methods for the weld seams employ mostly post factum methods and cannot prevent weld defects.Elemental burn offs may significantly affect solidification leading to embrittlement or cracking. Control of weld chemical compositions insures a controlled solidification and resistance to related weld defects.
In situ ED XRD und Radiographie während eines Zugversuchs an wasserstoffbeladenem Supermartensit
(2019)
Die Ergebnisse von in-situ Experimenten am Berliner Elektronenspeicherring (BESSY II) werden vorgestellt. Es wurden Zugversuche an wasserstoffbeladenen und wasserstofffreien supermartensitischen Proben durchgeführt und Diffraktionsspektren und radiographische Bilder aufgenommen. Die energiedispersive Röntgendiffraktion ermöglichte dabei die dehnungsinduzierte Phasenumwandlung von Restaustenit zu Martensit in-situ zu beobachten. Die Radiographiebilder der zerreisenden Probe gaben Einblicke in das Bruchverhalten in Abhängigkeit vom Wasserstoffgehalt des Supermartensits.
An overview of the BAM funed Focus Area Materials Project "AGIL" will be presented. AGIL focussed on the stdiy of the ageing characteristics of additively manufactured austenitic stainless steel with a "powder to mechanical failure" Approach. Recent Highlights are presented and a perspective for future studies.
Residual stresses in Laser Beam Melting (LBM) – Critical Review and outlook of activities at BAM
(2019)
Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies have experienced an exceedingly rapid growth, which is coupled with the knowledge about the resulting material properties and performance. In particular, residual stress (RS) was soon recognized as an important issue in AM parts, such that parts are usually subjected to a post build-heat-treated. Significant effort has been spent on simulations of RS in AM, especially using finite element methods. As a consequence, the experimental determination of RS has thereby become increasingly important as a validation tool for simulations, as well as a method for assessing the influence of process parameters. In particular, diffraction methods, which are fundamentally non-destructive, offer enormous possibilities to gain knowledge on the residual stress state in real components, since synchrotron radiation and neutrons can penetrate even heavy metals up to several millimeters or centimeters, respectively. Indeed, significant progress has been achieved, in the understanding of the origins of the RS fields as a function of process parameters, as well as their stability under thermal and/or mechanical exposure.
In this paper, a few success stories will be outlined. It will be shown how the determination of RS in metallic parts (with the focus on those produced by laser powder bed fusion) has even revealed that process parameters that were previously considered unimportant (e.g. the position and orientation on the base plate) play a major role in the onset of residual stress accumulation.
However, while RS characterization is starting to be considered in the component design, deposition strategy (e.g. build plate temperature), and even in the definition of the relevant metric to assess the quality of a part, much is still to be investigates about the hypotheses underlying its experimental determination. Therefore, some aspects to be aware of, or even those which to date are unclear, will also be discussed. These include the determination of the stress-free reference and of the principal axes of stress. All of these aspects will lead towards a comprehensive understanding of the process-structure-performance relationships in AM materials and parts.
Welding residual stress engineering by means of an adjusted martensite phase transformation would be highly attractive as detrimental tensile residual stresses may be prevented already during welding without time and cost intensive post processing. The present study shows a synchrotron diffraction analysis of a martensitic steel subjected to thermo-mechanical load cycles. Experiments were conducted regarding the microstructural strain response during the austenite to martensite transformation. The strains are a function of the temperature and the specific loads applied during cooling. The relation between the transformation plasticity of the material, the amount of martensite formed and the arising strains can thus be assessed. The lattice plane specific strains were compared to experimental findings from (macro) dilatation tests. It is shown that the microscopic material behavior differs remarkably from the one observed on the macroscopic scale, what leads to characteristic residual stresses in the material.
Rapid cooling rates and steep temperature gradients are characteristic of additively manufactured (AM) parts and important factors for residual stress formation which have implications on structural integrity. This study examined the influence of heat input on the distribution of residual stresses in two prisms produced by laser powder bed fusion (L-PBF) of austenitic stainless steel 316L.
The layers of the prisms were exposed using two distinct helix scanning strategies: one scanned from the centre to the perimeter and the other from the perimeter to the centre. Residual stresses were characterised at one plane perpendicular to the building direction at half of its build height using neutron diffraction. In addition, the defect distribution was analysed via micro X-ray computed tomography (µCT) in a twin specimen.
Both scanning strategies reveal residual stress distributions typical for AM: compressive stresses in the bulk and tensile stresses at the surface. However, temperature gradients and maximum stress levels differ due to the different heat input. Regarding the X-ray µCT results, they show an accumulation of defects at the corners where the laser direction turned through 90°.
The results demonstrate that neutron diffraction and X-ray µCT can be successfully used as non-destructive methods to analyse through-thickness residual stress and defect distribution in AM parts, and in the presented case, illustrate the influence of scanning strategies. This approach contributes to deeper assessment of structural integrity of AM materials and components.
Laser based Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) is an additive manufacturing technique that has been continuously developed in the past years. It offers unparalleled design freedom and the resulting mechanical properties match, in some cases even exceed, those of materials processed by conventional manufacturing techniques. Nonetheless the process is prone to create Residual Stresses (RS) resulting from the sequential melting and solidification of the material. RS can reduce load bearing capacity and generate unwanted distortions thus diminishing the potential of L-PBF. This research activity aimed at characterizing the RS state in Inconel 718 L-PBF specimens using multiple diffraction methods. The microstructure as well as the surface and bulk residual stresses were investigated. The RS analysis was performed using X-ray, synchrotron and neutron diffraction methods to provide information at different depths within the specimen. The measurements were performed at the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und –prüfung (BAM), the EDDI beamline at BESSY II synchrotron and E3 line at BER II neutron reactor of the Helmholtz-Zentrum für Materialien und Energie (HZB) Berlin. The results revealed a depth depending RS state. The longitudinal and transverse stress components measured by X-ray and synchrotron at the surface agree well, exhibiting stress values around the yield strength of the material. In addition, synchrotron mapping showed gradients along the width and length of the sample for the longitudinal and transverse stress components. Lower RS values compared to surface RS were measured in the bulk of the material using neutron diffraction. The longitudinal stress component in the bulk was tensile and gradually decreased towards the edge of the specimen. The normal component however did not change significantly along the specimen dimensions and was of compressive nature. The transversal component was almost negligible. The results indicate that a stress re-distribution takes place during the deposition of the consecutive layers, which has to be further investigated.
Welding residual stress engineering by means of an adjusted martensite phase transformation would be highly attractive as detrimental tensile residual stresses may be prevented already during welding without time and cost intensive post processing. The present study shows a synchrotron diffraction analysis of a martensitic steel subjected to thermo-mechanical load cycles. Experiments were conducted regarding the microstructural strain response during the austenite to martensite transformation. The strains are a function of the temperature and the specific loads applied during cooling. The relation between the transformation plasticity of the material, the amount of martensite formed and the arising strains can thus be assessed. The lattice plane specific strains were compared to experimental findings from (macro) dilatation tests. It is shown that the microscopic material behavior differs remarkably from the one observed on the macroscopic scale, what leads to characteristic residual stresses in the material.
Residual stresses are crucial when assessing the performance of welded components. The present work deals with the possibilities of transferring the real-life boundary conditions of welding, which influence the residual stress, into the laboratory. The possibilities of a test system with a load capacity of 2 MN specifically developed for online monitoring of stress formation and cracking are shown. Due to the structural design, global process, geometry and material-dependent stresses are induced, which can be quantified in-situ during welding and post weld heat treatment. Examples are presented how the conditions to be found during production are simulated in the laboratory. It is shown how welding residual stresses in high-strength steels are affected by the heat control. Elevated working temperatures significantly increase the tensile residual stresses in the heat affected zone (HAZ). The effect of mechanical stresses resulting from welding on stress relief cracking is demonstrated by the example of a creep resistant steel. Reheat cracks were monitored online during post weld heat treatment.
Um den wachsenden Anforderungen an den stofflichen und konstruktiven Leichtbau sowie den Forderungen nach Ressourceneffizienz Rechnung zu tragen, werden in vielen Industriebranchen zunehmend höherfeste Feinkornbaustähle mit Streckgrenzen über 690 MPa eingesetzt. Allerdings werden mit zunehmender Festigkeit deutlich höhere Anforderungen an deren schweißtechnische Verarbeitung gestellt, da die Sensibilität gegenüber einer Herabsetzung der mechanischen Eigenschaften durch den beim Schweißen aufgenommenen diffusiblen Wasserstoff mit steigender Festigkeit zunehmen kann. In den vergleichenden Untersuchungen von konventionellem Übergangslichtbogen und modifiziertem Sprühlichtbogen bei reduziertem Nahtöffnungswinkel konnte gezeigt werden, dass die Schweißprozessparameter die in das Schweißgut eingebrachte Wasserstoffkonzentration beeinflussen. Grundsätzlich ist den erarbeiteten Ergebnissen zu entnehmen, dass im Schweißgut von Stumpfstoßverbindungen mit reduziertem Nahtöffnungswinkel erhöhte mittlere Wasserstoffkonzentrationen vorliegen. Diese können mit geeigneten Wärmeführungen signifikant reduziert werden. Dabei erwies sich eine Nachwärmprozedur aus der Schweißwärme heraus als zielführend. Zudem konnte der Effekt der Nachwärmprozedur anhand fremdbeanspruchter Kaltrissprüfungen nachgewiesen werden.
The present study deals with the experimental characterization of short crack propagation in SLM (selective-laser-melting) manufactured stainless steel. More specifically, the determination of cyclic R-curves is discussed. This describes the dependency of the crack propagation threshold on crack growth during the short crack propagation stage. For metals, the threshold, starting at a material-intrinsic value, increases until it reaches a value independent of the crack length due to crack closure phenomena which build up at that stage. The cyclic R-curve, when used in the frame of a cyclic R curve analysis, characterizes the resistance of a material to fatigue crack growth and the ability to arrest a physically short crack. Thus, it is the link between classical fatigue and fracture mechanics. In the high-cycle-fatigue range, the short crack propagation stage dominates the overall lifetime, i.e., the number of cycles until failure. Below the fatigue limit crack arrest of hitherto propagable micro-cracks will occur. The effort for the experimental characterization of the short fatigue crack propagation behavior and the cyclic R-curve is very high compared to experiments on long crack propagation. A very exact measurement of crack extension is required, since small increments need to be depicted. Pre-cracking must leave a closure free initial crack, since closure must be build up only by the cyclic R-curve. The closure-free status is achieved by compression pre-cracking. The aim of the present study is an insight into the influence of an AM process on the short crack propagation threshold. Cyclic R-curves are experimentally determined at different load-ratios for 316L austenitic steel specimens produced by SLM and conventional manufacturing. Residual stresses are measured in the crack plane and their influence on the cyclic R-curve is discussed.
The assessment of high cycle fatigue in additive manufactured (AM) components is a challenge due to complex microstructure, anisotropic material behavior, residual stresses and porosity / lack-of-fusion defects. Due to the statistical distribution of defects, a high scatter band of S-N-curves is expected. The fracture mechanics-based fatigue assessment of additive manufactured components must consider the propagation of short cracks emanating from defects.
In this work, the fatigue crack propagation resistance in the short and large crack regimes of additive and conventionally manufactured AISI 316L stainless steel is examined experimentally based on the cyclic R-curve. However, remaining residual stresses in the AM specimen lead to unexpected and dramatic crack-growth during the pre-cracking procedure.
Residual stresses count among the most limiting factors in the application of additively manufactured materials in safety relevant components subject to cyclic loading. The source of such stresses is inherent in the manufacturing Laser Beam Melted (LBM) process due to rapid cooling and solidification and their distribution in the specimen or component is not homogeneous, but it is usually characterized by high gradients. Moreover, the magnitude of the residual stress field depends very much on the orientation, being higher in the build direction.
Many works in the literature advise to carry out a post-LBM treatment to relieve residual stresses, even though particular attention should be paid in choosing the parameters for the thermal treatment in order to avoid microstructural/phase transformations, which would affect greatly the mechanical properties of the material.
Particularly in the case of the austenitic stainless steel 316L, it has been shown that annealing at high temperatures (above 900°C), besides relieving the residual stresses, may cause recrystallization, grain growth and even phase transformation. In contrast, if a too low annealing temperature is chosen in order to preserve the microstructure, the residual stresses cannot be completely relieved.
This work aims to address the effect of residual stresses on short and long crack propagation for SEN(B) specimens made of 316L fabricated by LBM, in which notches have been machined by electro-discharge machining (EDM) on the mid-plane, perpendicular to the build direction. The specimens underwent different annealing treatments in inert atmosphere, in which the maximum temperature has been varied up to 900°C. The amount of residual stresses and their distribution has been measured by X-ray and neutron diffraction and the specimens have been subject to cyclic loading in a resonant testing machine. The tests show a massive influence of the residual stresses in the build direction on the resistance to fatigue crack propagation of additively manufactured 316L. Finally, a comparison with conventionally manufactured 316L is presented.
The present study deals with the experimental characterization of short crack propagation in SLM (selective-laser-melting) manufactured stainless steel. More specifically, the determination of cyclic R-curves is discussed. This describes the dependency of the crack propagation threshold on crack growth during the short crack propagation stage. For metals, the threshold, starting at a material-intrinsic value, increases until it reaches a value independent of the crack length due to crack closure phenomena which build up at that stage. The cyclic R-curve, when used in the frame of a cyclic R curve analysis, characterizes the resistance of a material to fatigue crack growth and the ability to arrest a physically short crack. Thus, it is the link between classical fatigue and fracture mechanics. In the high-cycle-fatigue range, the short crack propagation stage dominates the overall lifetime, i.e., the number of cycles until failure. Below the fatigue limit crack arrest of hitherto propagable micro-cracks will occur. The effort for the experimental characterization of the short fatigue crack propagation behavior and the cyclic R-curve is very high compared to experiments on long crack propagation. A very exact measurement of crack extension is required, since small increments need to be depicted. Pre-cracking must leave a closure free initial crack, since closure must be build up only by the cyclic R-curve. The closure-free status is achieved by compression pre-cracking. The aim of the present study is an insight into the influence of an AM process on the short crack propagation threshold. Cyclic R-curves are experimentally determined at different load-ratios for 316L austenitic steel specimens produced by SLM and conventional manufacturing. Residual stresses are measured in the crack plane and their influence on the cyclic R-curve is discussed.
Residual stresses in Laser Beam Melting (LBM) – Critical Review and outlook of activities at BAM
(2019)
Additive manufacturing (AM) technologies have experienced an exceedingly rapid growth, which is coupled with the knowledge about the resulting material properties and performance. In particular, residual stress (RS) was soon recognized as an important issue in AM parts, such that parts are usually subjected to a post build-heat-treated. Significant effort has been spent on simulations of RS in AM, especially using finite element methods. As a consequence, the experimental determination of RS has thereby become increasingly important as a validation tool for simulations, as well as a method for assessing the influence of process parameters. In particular, diffraction methods, which are fundamentally non-destructive, offer enormous possibilities to gain knowledge on the residual stress state in real components, since synchrotron radiation and neutrons can penetrate even heavy metals up to several millimeters or centimeters, respectively. Indeed, significant progress has been achieved, in the understanding of the origins of the RS fields as a function of process parameters, as well as their stability under thermal and/or mechanical exposure.
In this paper, a few success stories will be outlined. It will be shown how the determination of RS in metallic parts (with the focus on those produced by laser powder bed fusion) has even revealed that process parameters that were previously considered unimportant (e.g. the position and orientation on the base plate) play a major role in the onset of residual stress accumulation.
However, while RS characterization is starting to be considered in the component design, deposition strategy (e.g. build plate temperature), and even in the definition of the relevant metric to assess the quality of a part, much is still to be investigates about the hypotheses underlying its experimental determination. Therefore, some aspects to be aware of, or even those which to date are unclear, will also be discussed. These include the determination of the stress-free reference and of the principal axes of stress. All of these aspects will lead towards a comprehensive understanding of the process-structure-performance relationships in AM materials and parts.
The control of friction and wear is a major concern in many industrial applications. A promising method for a tailored surface modification is the so-called laser implantation technique. This method combines surface texturing and material optimization in one processing step by a localized dispersing of hard ceramic particles using pulsed laser radiation. Wear resistant, protruding micrometric features (implants) with defined geometry can be created in deterministic pattern where needed on highly stressed surfaces, i.e. on forming or cutting tools. However, in order to maintain the implants over the tool’s lifetime, a suitable selection of hard ceramic particles is a prerequisite. They must provide a defect-free Metal Matrix Composite with a high share of homogeneously distributed particles and especially a high implant hardness.
In this study TiN, TiC and TiB2 hard particles were compared as implant materials for the first time. By a systematic variation of the pulse power and pulse duration, their dispersing behavior and influence on the material properties of AISI D2 tool steel was investigated. Although all powder materials had grain sizes smaller than 10 µm, it was possible to disperse them by pulsed laser radiation and to obtain defect-free protruding implants. The highest share of dispersed particles (~64 %) was observed for TiB2. By scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, it was also shown that a significant share of the pre-placed particles was dissolved by the laser beam and precipitated as nanometer sized particles within the matrix during solidification. These in-situ formed particles have a decisive influence on the material properties. While the TiN and TiC implants have shown maximum hardness values of 750 HV1 and 850 HV1, the TiB2 implants have shown the highest hardness values with more than 1600 HV1. By X-ray diffraction, it was possible to ascribe the lower hardness values of TiC and TiN implants to high amounts of retained austenite in the metal matrix. By implanting TiB2, the formation of retained austenite was successfully suppressed due to the in-situ formation of TiC particles, which was proven by electron backscatter diffraction. In conclusion, all the implant materials are basically suitable for laser implantation on AISI D2 tool steel. However, TiB2 has shown the most promising results.
Die wasserstoffunterstützte Schädigung von Komponenten und Bauteilen aus Stahl ist ein Phänomen, welches seit vielen Jahrzehnten bekannt ist und untersucht wird. Eine Vielzahl von Quellen (z.B. Schutzgas oder Feuchtigkeit beim Schweißen, Reinigung von Metallen in Säurebädern, galvanischer oder kathodischer Schutz) ermöglicht die Wasserstoffaufnahme in den Stahl. Der im Gitter gelöste oder an Wasserstoffhaftstellen (Versetzungen, Grenzflächen, Poren, etc.) getrappte Wasserstoff diffundiert aufgrund von Konzentrationsgradienten oder getrieben durch Spannungs- bzw. Dehnungsgradienten durch das vorliegende Gefüge, wo er in Kombination mit einwirkenden Beanspruchungen (äußere Last oder Eigenspannungen) eine lokale, signifikante Degradation der mechanisch-technologischen Eigenschaften bewirken kann.
Die dazu entwickelten und allgemein anerkannten Schädigungsmodelle gehen unter anderem von einem Einfluss des Wasserstoffs auf die Versetzungsentstehung und Versetzungsbeweglichkeit aus. Des Weiteren wird angenommen, dass Wasserstoff nicht nur durch Diffusion im Gitter transportiert wird, sondern auch an Versetzungen angehaftet ist und sich mit diesen im Falle plastischer Verformung mitbewegt.
Wasserstoff hat im Vergleich zu den meisten üblichen Legierungselementen von Stahl (Eisen, Chrom, Kohlenstoff) einen großen Wechselwirkungsquerschnitt für kalte und thermische Neutronen, was Neutronenradiographie und -tomographie zu geeigneten bildgebenden Verfahren zur lokalen Detektion von Wasserstoffakkumulationen in Stahl macht.
Elektrochemisch mit Wasserstoff beladene Zugproben aus supermartensitischem Stahl wurden vor und nach dem Zugversuch an der ANTARES beamline am FRM II polychromatisch radiographiert bzw. tomographiert. Die Bruchoberfläche der Probe wurde zusätzlich rasterelektronenmikroskopisch charakterisiert. Die Fraktographien der Bruchoberfläche in Verbindung mit den durch die Tomographie gewonnenen Informationen zu Wasserstoffansammlungen zeigen, dass nach dem Bruch auch in duktilen Versagensbereichen untypischerweise vermehrt Wasserstoff zu finden ist.
Die klassische Beurteilung der Heißrissneigung erfolgt bislang primär über das Prüfen der Schweißeignung des Werkstoffes. Die konstruktiven Bedingungen und bauteilspezifischen Beanspruchungszustände bleiben dabei meist unberücksichtigt. Die Vielzahl an Heißrisstests liefert dabei lediglich werkstoff-spezifische, empiri-sche Heißrissparameter, wie z. B. Gesamtrisslänge oder Gesamtrissanzahl. Eine Bauteilübertragbarkeit ist somit oftmals nicht gegeben, gerade wenn es sich um hochbeanspruchte Konstruktionsmerkmale des Leichtbaus handelt. Folglich sind mechanische Kenngrößen (risskritische Verformungen/Spannungen) zu identifizieren, die sicher und unter realitätsnahen Bedingungen erfasst werden können. Diese dienen als Transfergrößen, um die Heißrissanfälligkeit geschweißter Bauteile mit typischen Konstruktionsmerkmalen zu bewerten.
The paper provides an overview on material defects which may serve as fatigue crack initiation sites and can cause final fatigue failure of a component. These comprise nonmetallic inclusions in Steel and aluminum alloys, cavities such as pores, micro-shrinkages and un-welded regions in cast, sinter and additively manufactured alloys, graphite nodules, shrinkages and other items in modular cast iron, regions of defective microstructure, microcracks and secondary notches such as undercuts and surface roughness. Besides their origin, the effect and mechanisms on fatigue crack initiation and propagation are discussed.
The considerations are proceeded and accompanied by a Brief discussion of some Basic aspects such as the stages of crack propagation along their length scale, the overcoming of crack arrest and the question when a secondary notch can be treated as a crack.
Der Vortrag behandelt in grundsätzlicher weise die Anwendung bruchmechanischer Methoden auf die rechnerische Ermittlung der Wöhlerkurve. Dabei werden die Besonderheiten des Kurzrisswachstums (Notwendigkeit der elastisch-plastischen Beschreibung der zyklischen Rissspitzenbelastung, gradueller Aufbau des Rissschlißphänomens) ebenso diskutiert wie das Problem des Mehrfachrissewachstums und Rissarrest. Die Ausführungen werden an einem Beispiel illustriert.
Höherfeste Feinkornbaustähle mit Streckgrenzen ≥ 690 MPa neigen bei der schweißtechnischen Fertigung zur Bildung von wasserstoffunterstützten Kaltrissen. Diese Mikrorisse entstehen aus der kritischen Interaktion von lokalem risskritischem Gefüge, lokal erhöhter Wasserstoffkonzentration und lokal erhöhter Beanspruchung bzw. Dehnung. Aktuell gültigen Regelwerken zur schweißtechnischen Verarbeitung höherfester Feinkornbaustähle sind Anweisungen zu entnehmen, um das Risiko einer Kaltrissbildung zu minimieren. Die Weiterentwicklung der Werkstoffe (Legierungskonzepte) und neuer Lichtbogenprozesse zur Verringerung der Nahtöffnungswinkel bei gleichzeitiger Erhöhung der Abschmelzleistung (modifizierter Sprühlichtbogen) brachten jedoch auch neue Fragen hinsichtlich der Wasserstoffmenge in der Schweißverbindung nach dem Schweißen und der Kaltrissempfindlichkeit mit sich. Mikrolegierungselemente (V, Nb und Ti) bedingen bspw. eine verlangsamte Wasserstoffdiffusion. Schweißverbindungen unter reduziertem Nahtöffnungswinkel beinhalten höhere Wasserstoffkonzentrationen. Dieser Beitrag zeigt den Einfluss von Einbrandprofil (höhere Abschmelzleistung) auf die Kaltrissempfindlichkeit an einem höherfesten Feinkornbaustahl mit artähnlichem mikrolegierten Schweißzusatzwerkstoff anhand des fremdbeanspruchten Implant-Tests.
Höherfeste Feinkornbaustähle mit Streckgrenzen ≥ 690 MPa neigen bei der schweißtechnischen Fertigung zur Bildung von wasserstoffunterstützten Kaltrissen. Diese Mikrorisse entstehen aus der kritischen Interaktion von lokalem risskritischem Gefüge, lokal erhöhter Wasserstoffkonzentration und lokal erhöhter Beanspruchung bzw. Dehnung. Aktuell gültigen Regelwerken zur schweißtechnischen Verarbeitung höherfester Feinkornbaustähle sind Anweisungen zu entnehmen, um das Risiko einer Kaltrissbildung zu minimieren. Die Weiterentwicklung der Werkstoffe (Legierungskonzepte)und neuer Lichtbogenprozesse zur Verringerung der Nahtöffnungswinkel bei gleichzeitiger Erhöhung der Abschmelzleistung (modifizierter Sprühlichtbogen) brachten jedoch auch neue Fragen hinsichtlich der Wasserstoffmenge in der Schweißverbindung nach dem Schweißen und der Kaltrissempfindlichkeit mit sich. Mikrolegierungselemente (V, Nb und Ti) bedingen bspw. eine verlangsamte Wasserstoffdiffusion. Schweißverbindungen unter reduziertem Nahtöffnungswinkel beinhalten höhere Wasserstoffkonzentrationen. Dieser Beitrag zeigt den Einfluss von Einbrandprofil (höhere Abschmelzleistung) auf die Kaltrissempfindlichkeit an einem höherfesten Feinkornbaustahl mit artähnlichem mikrolegierten Schweißzusatzwerkstoff anhand des fremdbeanspruchten Implant-Tests.
TIG welding process was monitored using LIBS for the in situ measurement of chemical compositions in austenitic stainless steels. This research aims to prototype a real-time chemical composition analysis system for welding applications and prove the feasibility of such a quality control loop.
The chemical compositions of the weld pool, considering the welding metallurgy, is the most critical parameter for any occurring weld defects, e.g. hot cracking. Hence, controlling the weld pool chemical composition allows governing of the weld pool solidification behavior by monitoring and adjusting the respective welding parameters, e.g. welding current.
LIBS measurements were conducted during a TIG-welding process. The effect of the welding plasma on the LIBS signal was thoroughly investigated by varying various LIBS settings, e.g. delay and exposure time. Quantification of the main alloying elements Cr and Ni in the weld pool during welding was achieved by univariate calibration procedure.
The presentation provides a discussion and damage tolerant assessment of metallic AM components. In the focus are problems of the determination of representative material data, the effect of material defects and residual stresses. Starting with the actual state-of-the-art in the field, options and possibilities of a damage tolerant design for AM are discussed.
Neutron cameras allow visualizing hydrogen distributions with radiographic or tomographic imaging methods in iron (and steel) and many other metals. The necessary contrast between hydrogen and these metals stems from the high difference in the total neutron cross section of both elements. This allows, e.g., the in situ measurement of hydrogen mass flow inside cm thick metal samples with a temporal resolution of at best 10 s using neutron radiography as well as the quantitative measurement of hydrogen accumulations, e.g., at the crack’s inner surfaces in hydrogen embrittled iron samples with neutron tomography. This new quality of the information on a micrometer scale allows new insights for the analysis of hydrogen-assisted damage mechanisms. Further, this method is non-destructive and provides local information in situ and in three dimensions with a spatial resolution of 20 μm - 30 μm. In this contribution, we give a short historical overview of neutron imaging and show examples that demonstrate the spatial and temporal resolution of the neutron radiography and tomography methods in order to visualize and quantify hydrogen accumulations, absorption processes, and diffusion. The examples are taken from the works of researchers dealing with titanium, palladium, zirconium, and iron or steel. More detailed descriptions of the experimental and analytic procedures are given for hydrogen detection using radiography and tomography on iron and steel samples.
Solidification cracking of metals is a well-researched topic in the field of welding science. A material’s susceptibility to solidification cracking can be tested using numerous different specialized test procedures, one of which is the Modified Varestraint-/Transvarestraint test (MVT). It was developed at BAM in 1982 and is internationally standardised. Over the decades, this test has been extensively used to characterise the solidification cracking resistance of many different materials.
The present study was conducted to further investigate the influences of the standardised MVT testing parameters, as well as the characteristics of evaluation methods on the results. Several different high alloyed martensitic LTT (low transformation temperature) filler materials, CrNi and CrMn type, were used. In previous pilot studies, these alloys have shown a rather distinctive solidification cracking behaviour.
First, the effects of different process parameter sets on the solidification cracking response were measured using the standard approach. Subsequently, μCT scans were performed on the specimens. The results consistently show sub surface cracking, to significant, yet varying extents. Different Primary solidification types were found using WDX-analysis, an aspect that is regarded to be the main difference between the CrNi- and CrMn-type materials and their cracking characteristics.
Results show that when it comes to testing of modern high-performance alloys, one set of standard MVT testing parameters might not be equally suitable for all materials. Also, to properly accommodate different solidification types, sub-surface cracking has to be taken into account.
Over the past years economic and environmental considerations have led to a markedly increased demand for efficiency and flexibility in petrochemical plants. The operational temperatures and pressures required today can only be achieved by using new creep-resistant grades of steel. The modified 13CrMoV9-10 vanadium steel shows a good resistance against creep and compressed hydrogen and has been in use for the construction of petrochemical reactors since the mid-1990s. Nevertheless, processing of this type of steel requires extreme care during the welding procedure. This is due to its low toughness and high strength in the welded state when not post weld heat treated combined with increased susceptibility to cracking during stress relaxation. Previous research into crack formation in creep-resistant steels has largely focused on thermal and metallurgical factors; however, little knowledge has been gathered regarding the influence of the welding procedure on crack formation during post weld heat treatment considering real-life manufacturing conditions. The influence of heat control on the mechanical properties has been investigated by simulating the welding and subsequent post weld heat treatment operations during the construction of petrochemical reactors using a special 3-D testing facility on the laboratory scale.
This work is subdivided in two parts. In part I of this study the stresses resulting from preheating, welding, dehydrogenation heat treatment and the final post weld heat treatment were analyzed during experiments under varied heat control. In all experiments stress relief cracks formed during post weld heat treatment could be observed. The total crack lengths correlated with the welding induced stresses.
Part II of this work is dedicated to the characterization of the cracks and the microstructure. The application of a special acoustic emission analysis indicated that the cracks formed in a temperature range between 300 °C and 500 °C during the post weld heat treatment. In comparison to small scale specimens welded without additional shrinkage restraint, the toughness of the restrained welds was significantly decreased. SEM and TEM analyses of all samples revealed accelerated aging due to early precipitation of special carbides during post weld heat treatment under component relevant restraint.
Das Schweißen hochfester Feinkornbaustähle mit modifizierten Sprühlichtbögen bietet die Möglichkeit, kleinere Nahtöffnungswinkel zu schweißen.
Allerdings findet der modifizierte Sprühlichtbogen in den Regelwerken zur schweißtechnischen Verarbeitung hochfester Feinkornbaustähle unter Vermeidung von Kaltrissbildung bisher keine Berücksichtigung. Dieser Beitrag betrachtet die Wechselwirkungen der Haupteinflussgrößen auf die Kaltrissbildung beim Schweißen mit kleineren Nahtöffnungswinkeln am Beispiel des hochfesten Stahls S960QL.
Effect of weld penetration depth on hydrogen-assisted cracking of high-strength structural steels
(2019)
The need for steels with highest mechanical properties is a result of the increasing demands for energy and resource efficiency. In this context, high-strength structural (HSS) steels are used in machine, steel and crane construction with yield strength up to 960 MPa. However, welding of HSS steels requires profound knowledge of three factors in terms of avoidance of hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC): the interaction of (1) microstructure, (2) local stress/strain and (3) local hydrogen concentration. In addition to the three main factors, the used weld-arc process is also important for the performance of the welded joint, especially when using modern arc variants. In the past, the conventional transitional arc process (Conv. A) was mainly used for welding of HSS grades. In the past decade, the so-called modified spray arc process (Mod. SA) has been used increasingly for welding production. This modified process enables reduced seam opening angles with increased deposition rates compared to the conventional process. Economic benefits of using this arc type are: a reduced number of necessary weld beads and a lower weld seam volume, which result in decreased total welding time and costs. Nonetheless, investigations on a high-strength S960QL showed significantly higher hydrogen concentrations in the weld metal at a reduced seam opening angle with Mod. SA. This indicates an increased susceptibility of the welded component to HAC. Hence, existing recommendations on HAC-avoidance cannot be transferred directly to the Mod. SA-process. In the present study, the susceptibility to HAC of the HSS steel S960QL with same type of filler material was investigated. For that purpose, both Conv. A and Mod. SA were used with same heat input at different deposition rates. For assessment of the HAC susceptibility, the externally loaded implant test was used. Both conducted test series with Conv. A and Mod. SA showed similar crack critical stress of about 280 MPa. Below this value, no delayed fracture appeared. The welds with Mod. SA showed higher hydrogen concentrations. The fracture occurred in the heat-affected zone (HAZ) or in the weld metal (WM). However, the test series with Mod. SA showed a significant extension of the time to failure of several hours compared to tests carried out with Conv. A.
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
Heute werden in Stahlkonstruktionen zunehmend hochfeste Baustähle (Streckgrenze ≥ 960 MPa) eingesetzt. Daher sind auch in Schweißnähten solche hohen Festigkeiten gefordert. Jedoch können hohe Eigenspannungen aufgrund geringerer plastischer Dehnungsreserven in diesen Schweißnähten die Sicherheit der Bauteile vermindern. Diese sind insbesondere im Zusammenhang mit Wasserstoff und Härtegefügen risskritisch. Niedrige Bauteilbeanspruchungen und Kosteneinsparungen lassen sich heutzutage mit modernen fokussierten Lichtbogenvarianten und engeren Nahtspalten erreichen. Die vorliegende Studie zeigt allerdings, dass diese modernen Schweißprozesse und die angepasste Nahtgeometrie höhere Wasserstoffkonzentrationen und signifikant gesteigerte oberflächennahe Zugeigenspannungsniveaus bedingen. Anhand mehrlagiger Schweißversuche an S960QL unter Variation von Wärmeführung, Lichtbogenvariante und Nahtöffnungswinkel wurden die Effekte und Wechselwirkungen unter Zuhilfenahme von Eigenspannungsanalytik mittels Röntgendiffraktometrie und Wasserstoffanalytik mittels Trägergasheißextraktion systematisch untersucht. Das Schweißgefüge führte unter kritischer mechanischer Beanspruchung und erhöhtem Gehalt an diffusiblem Wasserstoff insbesondere bei geringem Nahtöffnungswinkel und fokussiertem Lichtbogen zu einer deutlichen Ausbildung von Mikrorissen. Die Mikrorisse führten teils zu einer makroskopischen Ausprägung. Durch Analysen zur Nachwärmung aus der Schweißwärme heraus konnten suffiziente Wärmeführungsparameter für eine effektive Prävention solcher Risse erarbeitet werden. Die vorliegende Arbeit zeigt anhand des Interaktionssystems bei der wasserstoffunterstützten Kaltrissbildung Gefüge-Beanspruchung-Wasserstoff, welche Wärmeführungs- und Schweißparameter sich für die hochfesten Feinkornbaustähle zur Kaltrissvermeidung eignen.
Der Implant-Test nach ISO 17642-3 gehört zur Gruppe der fremdbeanspruchten Kaltrisstests, bei dem eine äußere Beanspruchung auf einen zylindrischen Stab (Implant-Probe) definiert aufgebracht wird. Mit dieser Kaltrissprüfung wurde vergleichende Analysen zur Kaltrissempfindlichkeit der modernen hochfesten Feinkornbaustähle S960MC und S960QL durchgeführt.
Solidification cracking of metals is a well-researched topic in the field of welding science. A material’s susceptibility to solidification cracking can be tested using numerous different specialized test procedures, one of which is the Modified Varestraint-/Transvarestraint test (MVT). It was developed at BAM in 1982 and is internationally standardised. Over the decades, this test has been extensively used to characterise the solidification cracking resistance of many different materials.
The present study was conducted to further investigate the influences of the standardised MVT testing parameters, as well as the characteristics of evaluation methods on the results. Several different high alloyed martensitic LTT (low transformation temperature) filler materials, CrNi and CrMn type, were used. In previous pilot studies, these alloys have shown a rather distinctive solidification cracking behaviour (Fig. 1). During testing, energy input per unit length and bending speed were varied (especially the latter is usually kept at standard values), in addition to the most commonly altered factor - total deformation.
First, the effects of different process parameter sets on the solidification cracking response were measured using the standard approach - microscopic analysis of the specimen surface. It was found that not all parameter changes had the expected outcome. For the Cr8Ni6 and Cr11Mn5 filler materials, influences of energy input per unit length and welding speed were in direct opposition.
In order to investigate those apparent contradictions, µCT scans of MVT specimens were made. The results consistently show sub surface cracking, to significant, yet varying extents. Different primary solidification types were found using WDX-analysis, an aspect that is believed to be the main difference between the CrNi- and CrMn-type materials and their cracking characteristics.
Results show that when it comes to testing of modern high-performance alloys, one set of standard MVT testing parameters might not be equally suitable for all materials. Also, to properly accommodate different solidification types, sub-surface cracking has to be taken into account.
High-strength steels are increasingly applied in modern steel constructions to meet today’s lightweight requirements. Welding of these steels demands a profound knowledge of the interactions between the welding process, cooling conditions, heat input, and the resulting metallurgical occurrences in the weld and its vicinity. Additionally, welding stresses may be detrimental for the safety and performance of high-strength steel component welds during fabrication and service, especially due to the high yield ratio. For a development of strategies to adjust welding heat control, all these effects should be considered, to reach a complete exploitation of the high-strength steel potential. In recent researches at BAM, multilayer GMAW experiments were performed with high-strength steels, in which cooling conditions and resulting microstructure were analyzed for varied heat control parameters. The application of a unique 3d-operating testing facility and X-ray diffraction measurements allowed the analysis of local stresses in the weld while welding and cooling under component relevant shrinkage restraints. As a result, correlations between material behavior, welding, and cooling condition and the arising multi-axial stresses and forces were found. Based on this study, statements for the development of adapted heat control concepts were derived, which are presented by means of specific analysis examples.
Wirtschaftliche und ökologische Aspekte führten in den letzten Jahren zu deutlich gesteigerten Anforderungen an die Effizienz und die Flexibilität petrochemischer Anlagen. Die heutzutage geforderten Prozesstemperaturen und -drücke lassen sich nur durch den Einsatz neuer warmfester Stahlgüten erreichen. Der mit Vanadium modifizierte Stahl 13CrMoV9-10 weist eine bessere Kriech- und Druckwasserstoffbeständigkeit auf und wird seit Mitte der 90er Jahre im petrochemischen Reaktorbau eingesetzt. Aufgrund der niedrigen Zähigkeit und hohen Festigkeit des Schweißgutes im geschweißten, nicht spannungsarm geglühten Zustand sowie einer erhöhten Sensitivität gegenüber Spannungsrelaxationsrissen bedarf dieser Stahl allerdings einer äußerst sorgfältigen schweißtechnischen Verarbeitung. Bisherige Untersuchungen zur Rissentstehung in warmfesten Stählen konzentrierten sich vorrangig auf thermische und metallurgische Einflussfaktoren, bieten jedoch nur wenige Erkenntnisse zum Einfluss des Schweißprozesses auf die Rissbildung beim Spannungsarmglühen unter Berücksichtigung realitätsnaher Fertigungsbedingungen.
Im ersten Teil wurde zunächst der Einfluss der Wärmeführung auf die mechanischen Eigenschaften anhand von frei schrumpfenden Laborproben untersucht. Während sich die Wärmeführung wesentlich auf die Schweißnahtstruktur auswirkte, war ein signifikanter Effekt auf die mechanischen Eigenschaften nicht nachweisbar. Auch traten infolge der Wärmenachbehandlung der frei schrumpfend geschweißten Proben keine Spannungsrelaxationsrisse auf.
Der zweite Teil umfasste die realitätsnahe Abbildung der Fertigungsbedingungen im petrochemischen Reaktorbau. Zu diesem Zweck wurden die konstruktiven Randbedingungen während des Vorwärmens, Schweißens, des Wasserstoffarmglühens und der abschließenden Wärmenachbehandlung realitätsnah in einer speziellen 3-D-Prüfanlage zur Simulation von Bauteilschweißungen abgebildet. Unter konstruktiver Schrumpfbehinderung gelang der Nachweis der unterschiedlichen Wirkung von Vorwärm- / Zwischenlagentemperatur und Streckenenergie auf die resultierenden Kräfte, Momente und Spannungen. Die Gesamtreaktionsspannung nach dem Schweißen wurde innerhalb des untersuchten Parameterfeldes maßgeblich durch die Streckenenergie beeinflusst.
Ein möglichst geringer Gesamtwärmeeintrag hat die niedrigste Bauteilbeanspruchung zur Folge. Während der Wärmenachbehandlung kam es in allen Versuchen zu Spannungsrelaxationsrissen. Deren kumulierte Länge korrelierte mit den ermittelten schweißbedingten Reaktionsspannungen.
Die Detektion der Risse während der Wärmenachbehandlung im Bauteilversuch erfolgte erstmalig in-situ mittels Schallemissionsanalyse. Die Rissinitiierung fand nachweislich im Temperaturbereich von 300 °C bis 500 °C statt. Die Reaktionsspannungen nach der Wärmenachbehandlung lagen unabhängig von der Ausgangsbelastung auf einem vergleichbaren Niveau. Die Zähigkeit der Schweißverbindung nahm klar gegenüber den frei schrumpfend geschweißten Proben ab.
Mittels REM- und TEM-Analysen an vergleichbaren belasteten und unbelasteten Proben wurde eine beschleunigte Alterung, durch das frühzeitige Ausscheiden von Sonderkarbiden während der Wärmenachbehandlung unter definierter Einspannung (d. h. unter Belastung), nachgewiesen. Die verstärkte Korngrenzensegregation korrelierte mit der signifikanten Abnahme der Kerbschlagarbeit der unter Einspannung geschweißten Proben.
High-strength low-alloyed (HSLA) steels with yield strength ≥ 690 MPa are gaining popularity in civil engineering and construction of heavy vehicles. With increasing yield strength, the susceptibility for degradation of the mechanical properties in the presence of diffusible hydrogen, i.e., hydrogen-assisted cracking (HAC), generally increases. HAC is a result of the critical interaction between local microstructure, mechanical load, and hydrogen concentration. In existing standards for welding of HSLA-steels, recommendations including working temperatures and dehydrogenation heat treatment (DHT) are given to Limit the amount of introduced hydrogen during welding. These recommendations are based on investigations into conventional arc welding processes. In the past decade, modern weld technologies were developed to enable welding of narrower weld seams with V-grooves of 30°, e.g., the modified spray arc process. In that connection, a reduced number of weld runs and weld volume are important technical and, economic benefits. In the present study, the hydrogen distribution in S960QL multi-layer welds with thickness of 20 mm was analyzed. The influence of different weld seam opening angles, heat input, working temperature and DHT were investigated. The results show that weldments with narrow grooves contained an increased amount of diffusible hydrogen. Hydrogen concentration has been reduced by decreasing both the heat input and working temperature. Hydrogen-free weldments were only achieved via subsequent DHT after welding. Furthermore, hydrogen distribution was experimentally determined across the weld seam thickness in HSLA gas metal arc welded multi-layer welds for the first time.
Heute werden in Stahlkonstruktionen zunehmend hochfeste Baustähle (Streckgrenze ≥ 960 MPa) eingesetzt. Daher sind auch in Schweißnähten solche hohen Festigkeiten gefordert. Jedoch können hohe Eigenspannungen aufgrund geringerer plastischer Dehnungsreserven in diesen Schweißnähten die Sicherheit der Bauteile vermindern. Diese sind insbesondere im Zusammenhang mit Wasserstoff und Härtegefügen risskritisch. Niedrige Bauteilbeanspruchungen und Kosteneinsparungen lassen sich heutzutage mit modernen fokussierten Lichtbogenvarianten und engeren Nahtspalten erreichen. Die vorliegende Studie zeigt allerdings, dass diese modernen Schweißprozesse und die angepasste Nahtgeometrie höhere Wasserstoffkonzentrationen und signifikant gesteigerte oberflächennahe Zugeigenspannungsniveaus bedingen. Anhand mehrlagiger Schweißversuche an S960QL unter Variation von Wärmeführung, Lichtbogenvariante und Nahtöffnungswinkel wurden die Effekte und Wechselwirkungen unter Zuhilfenahme von Eigenspannungsanalytik mittels Röntgendiffraktometrie und Wasserstoffanalytik mittels Trägergasheißextraktion systematisch untersucht. Das Schweißgefüge führte unter kritischer mechanischer Beanspruchung und erhöhtem Gehalt an diffusiblem Wasserstoff insbesondere bei geringem Nahtöffnungswinkel und fokussiertem Lichtbogen zu einer deutlichen Ausbildung von Mikrorissen. Die Mikrorisse führten teils zu einer makroskopischen Ausprägung. Durch Analysen zur Nachwärmung aus der Schweißwärme heraus konnten suffiziente Wärmeführungsparameter für eine effektive Prävention solcher Risse erarbeitet werden. Die vorliegende Arbeit zeigt anhand des Interaktionssystems bei der wasserstoffunterstützten Kaltrissbildung Gefüge-Beanspruchung-Wasserstoff, welche Wärmeführungs- und Schweißparameter sich für die hochfesten Feinkornbaustähle zur Kaltrissvermeidung eignen.
Solidification cracking of metals is a well-researched topic in the field of welding science. A material’s susceptibility to solidification cracking can be tested using numerous different specialized test procedures, one of which is the Modified Varestraint-/Transvarestraint test (MVT). It was developed at BAM in 1982 and is internationally standardised. Over the decades, this test has been extensively used to characterise the solidification cracking resistance of many different materials.
The present study was conducted to further investigate the influences of the standardised MVT testing parameters, as well as the characteristics of evaluation methods on the results. Several different high alloyed martensitic LTT (low transformation temperature) filler materials, CrNi and CrMn type, were used. In previous pilot studies, these alloys have shown a rather distinctive solidification cracking behaviour. During testing, energy input per unit length and bending speed were varied (especially the latter is usually kept at standard values), in addition to the most commonly altered factor - total deformation.
First, the effects of different process parameter sets on the solidification cracking response were measured using the standard approach - microscopic analysis of the specimen surface. It was found that not all parameter changes had the expected outcome. For the Cr8Ni6 and Cr11Mn5 filler materials, influences of energy input per unit length and welding speed were in direct opposition.
In order to investigate those apparent contradictions, μCT scans of MVT specimens were made. The results consistently show sub surface cracking, to significant, yet varying extents. Different primary solidification types were found using WDX-analysis, an aspect that is believed to be the main difference between the CrNi- and CrMn-type materials and their cracking characteristics.
Results show that when it comes to testing of modern high-performance alloys, one set of standard MVT testing parameters might not be equally suitable for all materials. Also, to properly accommodate different solidification types, sub-surface cracking has to be taken into account.