Abstract
The correlation between microstructures and hardness profiles in low carbon martensitic stainless steel girth weldment were investigated. Optical microscopy and a scanning electron microscope equipped with electron back scatter diffraction system were used for assessment of microstructural phases, grain sizes, and grain misorientation across the weldment. The hardness value fluctuated between the peak and lowest values in the heat-affected zone of the weldment. The hardness profile observed is consistent with microstructural evolution across the weldment. The low hardness value observed in the weld metal was attributed to the large proportion of ferrite introduced by the superduplex filler metal used for the fabrication and grain coarsening caused by prolonged cooling of the weld metal. The electron backscatter diffraction data showed that higher grain sizes occurred in the weld metal and this is consistent with the highest degree of misorientation and recrystallisation observed in the weld metal than parent and HAZ region of weldment.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
A. Turnbull, A. Griffiths, Review: corrosion and cracking of weldable 13 wt% Cr martensitic stainless steels for application in the oil and gas industry. Corros. Eng. Sci. Technol. 38(1), 21–50 (2003)
J. Enerhaug, U. Steinsmo, Factors affecting initiation of pitting corrosion in super martensitic stainless steel weldments. Sci. Technol. Weld. Join. 6(5), 330–338 (2001)
H. Kurahashi, T. Kurisu, Y. Sone, K. Wada, Y. Nakai, Stress corrosion cracking of 13Cr steels in CO2-H2S-Cl-environments. Corrosion 41(4), 211–219 (1985)
L. Coudreuse, M. Verneau, J. Dufrane, Sulphide stress cracking resistance of weldable super-martensitic stainless steels, in: Proceedings of Supermartensitic Stainless Steels (Belgian Welding Institute, Brussel, 1999), pp. 299–306
A. Griffiths, W. Nimmo, B. Roebuck, G. Hinds, A. Turnbull, A novel approach to characterising the mechanical properties of supermartensitic 13 Cr stainless steel welds. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 384(1–2), 83–91 (2004)
P. Woollin, D.N. Noble, B. Lian, Weldable 13%Cr martensitic steels for pipeline applications: preliminary studies, in: EPRG/PRCI 12th Biennial Joint Technical Meeting on Pipeline Research (1999)
P.E. Kvaale, S. Olsen, Experience with supermartensitic stainless steels in flowline applications, in: Stainless Steel World 99 (KCL Publishing BV, 1999), pp. 19–26
P. Woollin, Welding supermartensitic stainless steels for corrosive service, in: Stainless Steel World Conference (Maastricht, Holanda, 2007), pp. 6–8
P. Woollin, Postweld heat treatment to avoid intergranular stress corrosion cracking of supermartensitic stainless steels. Weld World 51(9–10), 31–40 (2007)
R.W. Messler, Principles of Welding: Processes, Physics, Chemistry, and Metallurgy (Wiley, New York, 2008)
I.I. Ahmed, D. Wright, J.A. Adebisi, I.N. Aremu, T. Yahaya, J. Quita da Fonseca, Assessment of deformation twinning in cold rolled austenitic stainless steels with electron back scatter diffraction. Niger. J. Technol. Dev. 11(1), 7–11 (2014)
F. Humphreys, Review grain and subgrain characterisation by electron backscatter diffraction. J. Mater. Sci. 36(16), 3833–3854 (2001)
T. Rogne, H.I. Lange, M. Svenning, S. Aldstedt, E. Ladanova, J.K. Solberg, S. Olsen, R. Howard, R.E. Leturno, Intergranular corrosion/cracking of weldable 13% Cr steel at elevated temperature, in CORROSION (NACE International, Houston, Texas, 2002)
Acknowledgments
The authors sincerely acknowledge the provision of specimens used for this project and technical supports by The Welding Institute (TWI), Cambridge, United Kingdom. Special thanks to Dr. Paul Woollin and the staffs of TWI for their supports. The discussion and contribution of Professor Stuart Lyon are also acknowledged.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ahmed, I.I., Adebisi, J.A., Yahaya, T. et al. Microstructural Correlation of Hardness Profile in Martensitic Stainless Steel Weldment. Metallogr. Microstruct. Anal. 5, 43–49 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13632-015-0254-9
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13632-015-0254-9