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2012

ANALYSIS OF STAINLESS STEEL WELDED JOINTS

Ing. Milan bel CSc.
Technical University of Koice
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Department of Technology and Materials
Msiarska 74, 040 01 Koice
e-mail: milan.abel@tuke.sk
Abstract
In this article there are presented the results of
the analysis of the quality of the welding joints used
for the production of the some parts of the
harvester. Tinplates from the low carbon steel are
used for production, but increasingly stainless types
of the steel are used.
In experimental part was evaluated quality of
the butt welds prepared by method 135 with
combination of S355 J2 EN10025 and X5CrNi1810 EN 10088 using light microscopy. Quality of the
welds was also tested on the fillet weld of steel
tinplates EN 10188 X5CrNi18-10 made by
fluctuating welding with method 135. Besides
metallographic analysis microhardness was
accounted on the vertical sections of the welds.
Key words: weld, microstructure, quality
Abstrakt
V prspevku s prezentovan vsledky
analzy kvality zvarovch spojov pouvanch pri
vrobe asti kombajnov. Pri vrobe s pouvan
plechy z nzkouhlkovch ocel, no v oraz vom
objeme s pouvan nehrdzavejce typy ocel.
V experimentlnej asti je pomocou svetelnej
mikroskopie analyzovan akos tupho zvaru
zhotovenho metdou 135 kombincie S 355 J2 EN
10025 s X5CrNi18-10 EN 10088. Kvalita spoja
bola tie hodnoten na ktovom zvare plechov z
ocele EN 10188 X5CrNi18-10 zhotovenom
pulznm zvranm metdou 135. Okrem
metalografickej analzy bola na prienych
vbrusoch zvarov hodnoten mikrotvrdos.
Kov slov: zvar, mikrotruktra, akos
1. Introduction
Stainless steels is a group of high alloy steels,
which contain at least 12% chromium. In general,
these steels are alloyed with a number of other
elements which make them resistant to a variety of
different environments. In addition, these elements
modify the microstructure of the alloy which in turn
has a distinct influence on their mechanical
properties and weldability [1].
Stainless steels can be broadly classified into
five groups as detailed below [1]:

Austenitic stainless steels which contain 12 27% chromium and 7 - 25% nickel,
Ferritic stainless steels which contain 12 - 30%
chromium with a carbon content below 0,1%
Martensitic stainless steels which have a
chromium content of between 12 and 18% with
0,15 - 0,30% carbon
Ferritic-austenitic stainless steels which contain
18 - 25% chromium, 3 - 5% nickel and up to 3%
molybdenum
Martensitic-austenitic steels which have 13 16% chromium, 5 - 6% nickel and 1 - 2%
molybdenum. The first four of these groups will
be discussed in detail below.
Weldability Austenitic Stainless Steels
This is by far the largest and most important
group in the stainless steel range. These steels,
which exhibit a high level of weldability, are
available in a wide range of compositions such as
the 19/9 AISI 304 types, 25/20 AISI 310 types and
19/12/2 AISI 316 types, which are used for general
stainless steel fabrications, elevated temperature
applications and resistance to pitting corrosion
respectively.
As the name implies, the microstructure of
austenitic stainless steel consists entirely of fine
grains of austenite in the wrought condition. When
subjected to welding, however, a secondary ferrite
phase is formed on the austenite grain boundaries,
in the heat affected zone and in the weld metal. The
extent of the formation of this secondary phase is
dependent on the composition of the steel or filler
material and the heat input during welding.
While delta ferrite formation can have
negative effects on the resistance to corrosion and
formation of sigma phase at operating temperatures
between 500C and 900C, delta ferrite in weld
metal is necessary to overcome the possibility of
hot cracking.
In general, austenitic welding consumables
deposit a weldment containing 4 - 12% delta ferrite.
For special applications, i.e. when dissimilar steels
are welded under conditions of high restraint,
austenitic consumables having weld metal delta
ferrite contents as high as 40%, may be required.
The delta ferrite can be calculated using the
procedure given at the end of this section with the
aid of the Schaeffler diagram.
The carbon content of austenitic stainless
steels is kept at very low levels to overcome any
possibility of carbide precipitation, where
chromium combines with available carbon in the
vicinity of the grain boundaries to produce an area
depleted in chromium, which thus becomes
susceptible to intergranular corrosion.
The titanium and niobium stabilised AISI 321
and 347 steels together with ELC (extra low

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carbon) grades are available to further overcome

this problem.
As austenitic stainless steels have a coefficient
of expansion 50% greater than carbon manganese
steels, distortion and warping can be a problem.
Welding currents should therefore be kept as low as
possible with high travel speeds. Tacking should be
carried out at approximately half the pitch used for
mild steel and welding should be balanced and
properly distributed. Preheating should not be
applied and post weld heat treatment of this
material is seldom required after welding.
Austenitic stainless steels are normally welded with
electrodes of matching composition to the base
material [1].
In the choise of welding wires for stainless
steels welding is often used constitutional
Schaeffler diagram that defines the weld structure
based on chemical composition of the welding wire
[3-6].

2012

Table 1 and 2 show chemical composition of used

materials.
Tab. 1 Chemical contents of S355 J2 EN 10025
steel
C
[%]
max
0,22

Cu
[%]
max
0,55

Si
[%]
max
0,55

Mn
[%]
max
1,6

P
[%]
max
0,03

S
[%]
max
0,03

CEV
max
0,47

Tab. 2 Chemical composition of X5CrNi18-10 EN

10088 steel
C
Ni
Si Mn
P
S
Cr
N
[%] [%] [%] [%] [%] [%] [%] [%]
8
17,5
max
max max max max
max
to
to
0,07
1
2 0,045 0,015
0,11
10,5
19,5
Parameters of welding are specified in the Table 3.
Tab. 3 Parameters used for welding of the sample A
Number of layers
1
Method of the welding
135
Welding wire diameter
1,0 mm
[mm]
Polarity
DC+
Welding current [A]

Fig.1 Schaeffler constitution diagram [2]

2. Medology of the experiment
Tested materials
Quality of the welding joints was accounted at
the samples taken from chosen products. Quality of
two types of welding joints was investigated. Figure
2 shows first type of welding joint (sample A). It is
a butt weld (BW) welded in position PA.

min 130/max 150

Welding voltage [V]

min 21,5/max 23,5
Speed of the wire
min 6,8/max 7,0
[m/min]
Speed of the welding
min 30/max 40
[cm/mm]
Classification of the EN ISO 14343 G23 12 L
additional material
Si
Trade mark
MT 309 L (MTC)
EN ISO 14175 M12
Gas
(97,5%Ar+2,5CO2)
Gas flow close direct
12 - 15 l/min
protection
Level of the weld
EN ISO 5817 class C
Exit of the electrode

10 - 12 mm

Angle of the burner

10 - 15

Figure 3 shows second type of welding joint

(sample B). ). It is an fillet weld (FW) welded in
position PB.

Fig.2 Sample A
Weld was made by method 135 (MAG) with
the combination of materials S355 J2 EN 10025
and X5CrNi18-10 EN 10088. Tinplates with
diameter 2,5 mm were classified as CR ISO 15608
1.2 + 8.1.

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Fig.3 Sample B

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Weld was made by method 135 (MAG) with

fluctuating mode on the material X5CrNi18-10 EN
10088 classified as CR ISO 15608 1.2 + 8.1.
Tinplates with diameter t1, t2 = 2,5 3 mm
Table 2 shows chemical contents of used tinplates
Parameters of welding are specified in the Table 4.
Tab. 4 Parameters used for welding of the sample B
Number of layers
1
Method of the welding

135

Average of add. mat. [mm]

0,8

Type of polarity

DC+

Range of welding flow [A]

min 75/max 85

Range of intensity [V]

Speed of the welding
[cm/mm]

min 18/max 19

Speed of the wire [cm/min]

min 7,0/max 7,6

min 48/max 55

Classification of the additional

material
Trade mark
Gas
Gas flow
protection

close

direct

EN ISO 14343 G
19 9 Lsi
OK Autrod 308LSi
(ESAB)
MT 308L (MTC)
EN ISO 14175
M12

Quality of the welding joints was accounted

by visual method according to STN EN ISO 17637.
Welding joints were classified as suitable according
STN EN 5817, they respond to the level B. After
the visual control the quality of the welding joints
was accounted at the metallographic sections. At
the tested sample A and B wasnt recorded any
presence of inner defects.
Figure 5 shows microstructures of sample A.
Thermally unaffected base material from the steel
S355J2 has ferritic-perlite structure (Fig.5a). Base
material from the steel X5CrNi18-10 EN 10088 has
fine-grained austenitic structure. In heat affected
zone (HAZ), because of input heat, size of grain
changed (Fig.5b) and share of the pearlite in
ferritic-perlite structure increased. At Fig.5c, there
is an austenitic structure of the welding metal
without any significant grains limits. Inside of the
structure of the welding metal we found sporadic
carbide inclusion.

10 - 12 l/min

Program of welding

EN ISO 5817 class

C
program 126

Exit of the electrode

10 12 mm

Angle of the burner

10 - 15

Level of the weld

3. Analysis of reached results

Quality of the welding joints was accounted at

the metallographic sections by the scope Olympus
TH 4 -200 according to STN EN 1321. Structure
was visualized by etchant Klemm 1.
Microhardness was tested according to STN
EN ISO 9015-2 on the equipment Shimadzu HMV
2E. Measurement points are documented in the
Figure 4.

a)
b)
c)
Fig.5 Microstructure of sample A
a) base material S355J2, b) HAZ under S355J2,
c) weld metal
Microstructures of the sample B are recorded
at the Figure 6. Base material from the steel
X5CrNi18-10 EN 10088 has lines austenitic
structure (Fig.6a). In the HAZ the size of the
austenitic grains changed (Fig.6b). Welding metal
made by additional material OK Autrod 308LSi has
austenitic structure without any significant grains
limits (Fig.6c).

a)
b)
c)
Fig.6 Microstructure of sample B
a) base material X5CrNi18-10, b) HAZ
c) weld metal
Inside of the welding metal there were small
amount of carbides.
a)
b)
Fig. 4 Microhardness measurement points
a) sample A b) sample B

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Results of microstructure evaluation:

Microstructure was accounted on the vertical
sections according to the measurement scheme in
the Figure 4. Measured values of microhardness
from the sample A are marked in the graph in the
Figure 7. Maximum values 242 HV 0,1 were
measured in the welding metal in the point 5. Base
material of the steel X5CrNi18-10 has values of
228 HV 0,1 and base material of the steel S355J2
has values of the microhardness in the interval 172
to 184 HV 0,1.

Fig.7 Values of the microhardness from the

sample A
Highest values of the microhardness in the
welding metal were measured also from the sample
B, namely 241 HV 0,1, what is recorded in the
graph in the Figure 8. Values of the microhardness
in the HAZ were in the interval 226 230 HV 0,1
and they fluently went down on the minimal values
of the microhardness, which were measured in the
base material, namely 218 221 HV 0,1.

Fig.8 Values of the microhardness from the

sample B
Measured values of the microhardness from
both of the samples respond to the used base and
additional materials, or to the thermal impact of
used welding technology. Welding joints from
which the sample was taken werent thermally
modified after the welding so there werent any
changes in the structure or in the hardness of the
weld.
Conclusion
In the article there was by the destructive tests
accounted the quality of the joints taken from the

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2012

chosen welds, which are components of the

agricultural machines.
The quality of the welds was accounted using
the visual control; the quality refers to the level B
according to STN EN 5817. The quality of the butt
welding joint from the combination of low alloyed
and stainless steel was accounted. Wire MT 309 L
was used as an additional material. Structure of the
welding joint was generated from the austenite.
The quality of the fillet weld from the steel
X5CrNi18-10 EN 10088 was also accounted.
Fluctuating schedule and the thin additional
material affected the size of the area HAZ, which
was in compare to sample A smaller. Structure of
the base material and the welding joint was
generated from the austenite.
Based on the presented partial results from all
the scale of non-destructive and destructive tests,
which are a part of approval processes WPQR that
are necessary for the serial production, it is possible
to say that used technology, welding parameters
and additional materials are suitable for providing
the good quality of the welding joints of produced
components.
Article was prepared within the solving the
grant academic project M SR VEGA
. 1/0824/12.
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