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Procedia Structural Integrity 23 (2019) 577–582

9th International Conference on Materials Structure and Micromechanics of Fracture

9th International Conference on Materials Structure and Micromechanics of Fracture
Initiation and development of 1.4539 austenitic steel welded joints
Initiation and development of 1.4539 austenitic steel welded joints
made with TIG method and with laser beam
made with TIG method and with laser beam
Barbara Nasiłowskaaa*, Zdzisław Bogdanowiczbb
Barbara Nasiłowska *, Zdzisław Bogdanowicz
a
Military University of Technology, Institute of Optoelectronics, gen. S. Kaliskiego 2, 00-908, Warsaw
abMilitary University of
of Technology,
Technology, Institute
Faculty of
Military University of Mechanical Engineering,
Optoelectronics, gen. S. Kaliskiego
gen. S. Kaliskiego 2, Warsaw
2, 00-908, 00-908, Warsaw
b
Military University of Technology, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, gen. S. Kaliskiego 2, 00-908, Warsaw

Abstract
Abstract
The paper presents the results of fatigue life tests of 1.4539 austenitic steel welded joints made with the TIG method and with
laserpaper
The beampresents
taking into consideration
the results thelife
of fatigue number cycles austenitic
tests of 1.4539 to fracturesteel
initiation
weldedNjoints
i and made
in their development
with conditions
the TIG method NR.
and with
A significant
laser influence
beam taking into of a shot peening
consideration theprocess
numberofof the cycles
weldedtojoints on fatigue
fracture life N
initiation and contribution
i and of numbers of
in their development cycles in N
conditions the
R.
fracture
A course
significant were shown.
influence Analysis
of a shot of fatigue
peening processfractures microfractography
of the welded showed
joints on fatigue in the
life and shot peened
contribution of specimens
numbers of a development
cycles in the
of subsurface
fracture coursesecondary
were shown. fractures parallel
Analysis to thefractures
of fatigue outer surface of the tested welded
microfractography showedjoints.
in the Tests on fatigue
shot peened life anda development
specimens
of welded joints
subsurface fracturesfractures
secondary were compared
paralleltotoanalogical tests on of
the outer surface thethe
parent material.
tested welded joints. Tests on fatigue life and development
of welded joints fractures were compared to analogical tests on the parent material.
© 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
© 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
© 2019
This The
is an Authors.
open accessPublished by Elsevier
article under B.V.
the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
This is an open
Peer-review access
under article under
responsibility of the CC BY-NC-ND
scientific license
committee (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
of the ICorganizers
MSMF organizers.
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the ICMSMF
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the IC MSMF organizers.
Keywords: TIG, laser beam, welded joints, austenitic steel
Keywords: TIG, laser beam, welded joints, austenitic steel

1. Introduction
1. Introduction
A characteristic feature for exploitation of the structure at a time variable stress is development of a destructive
A characteristic
phenomenon, feature
namely, for exploitation
material fatigue in theofconstruction
the structurematerial.
at a timeThis
variable stress is
multistage development
fatigue of a destructive
phenomenon influences
phenomenon, namely, material fatigue in the construction material. This multistage fatigue phenomenon influences
a change of physical and mechanical properties of material in time, a change in the structure, element susceptibility
atochange of physical and mechanical properties of material in time, a change in the structure, element susceptibility
fracturing, development of fractures, which, consequently, results in limitation of the structure fatigue life
to fracturing,
(Kocańda development
(1996), of fractures, which, consequently, results in limitation of the structure fatigue life
Kocańda (1985)).
(Kocańda (1996), Kocańda (1985)).

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +48 600 270 968

* E-mail address:author.
Corresponding barbara.nasilowska@wat.edu.pl
Tel.: +48 600 270 968
E-mail address: barbara.nasilowska@wat.edu.pl
2452-3216 © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
This is an open
2452-3216 access
© 2019 Thearticle under
Authors. the CC BY-NC-ND
Published license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review
This under
is an open responsibility
access of the scientific
article under CC BY-NC-NDcommittee of the
license IC MSMF organizers.
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the IC MSMF organizers.

2452-3216 © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the ICMSMF organizers
10.1016/j.prostr.2020.01.148
578 Barbara Nasiłowska et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 23 (2019) 577–582
2 Nasiłowska B./ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000–000

Possible places for initiation of the material fatigue phenomenon development are local places of stress
concentrations in the material (structural heterogeneity), geometric notches (at the place of cross section changes) or
a change in the element curvature. In these places, the material yield strength is exceeded locally and permanent
plastic strains (a basic condition for development of fatigue phenomenon of material and structure) occur.
The magnitude of stress in the notch or value σmax of the maximum stress induced on the notch bottom depend on the
notch geometry, characterized by a theoretical coefficient of stress concentrations αk (Cichański (1996), Kocańda
(1985)). An influence of the notch on the maximum stress value is also described by Neuber coefficient for notch
impact. The geometric and structural notch (material structural heterogneity) influences a local change in stress and
strain distribution in the structural element. A method to estimate local stress and strain was provided by Neuber
(1958). Damage to chemical and industrial instalations, due to long term service, results mainly from material
defects, and welding notches and defects leading to initiation of fatigue fractures (Frazzini et al. (2007), Palmer et al.
(2008)).
Takakuwa and Soyama (2012) as well as Hatamleh (2009) pointed out the slowing of an increase in fatigue
fracture in 1.4404 austenitic steel after shot peening. As a result of structural changes, hardness and residual stress,
the experimental tests discussed in works (Gao (2008), Hassani-Gangaraj et al. (2014), Terres et al. (2012), Wei et
al. (2002)) showed that the process of steel machining in the forms including shot peening, nitriding and hammering
increases the fatigue life by approximately 30% , shifting the initiation of fracture deep into the material.

2. Methodology
The research object was 1.4539 austenitic steel (with the following percentage: Ni 24-26, Cr 19-21, Mo 4-5,
Cu 1.2-2.0, Mn ≤ 2.0, N ≤ 0.15, Si ≤ 0.7, P ≤ 0.030, S ≤ 0.010, C ≤ 0.02) welded with TIG and laser methods.
Welding with a ϕ 2.5mm MTC MT-904L infusible tungsten electrode and with G/W 20 25 5 CuL (20% Cr, 25% Ni,
4.5% Mo, 1.5% Cu) weld was carried out in ZBACH, Capital Group of Zakłady Azotowe in Tarnow, according to
production technology applied technically to perform, among others, chemical apparatus (Fig.1 a). The laser
welding was carried out at the Metal Laser Processing Research Centre, Kielce University of Technology, with the
use of CO2 TRIUMF 1005 laser at the distance of the lens focal length equal to 260 mm with a spot on the sample
surface ϕ 0.4 mm with power of P = 4.5 kW and nitrogen-shielding welding velocity v = 1.4 m/min.
After welding, part of specimens was shot peened, in the Institute of Precision Mechanics in Warsaw, with
a beam of spring steel (hardness of approximately 640 HV0.1) shot with a diameter of ɸ 0.8 mm under a pressure of
5 bar. Duration of exposition was 6 min, sample coverage was 100%. The shot peening intensity, determined with
the use of Almen Strips strip, was 246 mm. such parameters were applied for numerous welded structures
(Nakonieczny (2002)).
The tests on low-cycle fatigue life of 1.4539 steel parent material for specimens, made with a laser beam, TIG
method and after shot peening under conditions of axial tension on Instron 8802 hydraulic pulsator, were carried out
at the level of 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8 of a tensile strength limit Rm determined experimentally. The tests on fatigue life of
welded joints made with TIG method and with a laser beam were conducted on flat specimens with a frontal weld
before and after double-side shot peening. A coefficient of the cycle asymetry was R = 0.1 and the frequency was
f = 4 Hz. Experimental tests showed that the parent material indicated the highest fatigue life while obtaining at the
tested levels of nominal stress amplitudes Δσan = 370, 430 and 500 MPa, the number of cycles to damage Nf =
556 550, 281 537 and 125 766, respectively (Fig .1).
A number of total cycles to failure of a specimen made of the parent mater was higher by approximately 800,
700 and 600%, at the level Δσan = 375, 438 and 490 MPa, respectively, compared to the joints made with TIG
method and by 400, 275 and 270 % compared to the joint made with a laser beam. The welded joints made with
a laser beam were characterized with the fatigue life twice as high as the joints made with TIG method.
Shot peening of the surface resulted in the grains deformation and an increase in microhardness and compression
stress in the subsurface layers occurred (Nasiłowska et al. (2015)).
 Barbara Nasiłowska et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 23 (2019) 577–582 579
Nasiłowska B./ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000–000 3

550
σan
[MPa] (PM)
MR
(L) (sp-L)
L-nk L-k
500

450

400

(T)
TIG-nk (sp-T)
TIG-k
350
104 105 log Nf 10
6

joints made
połączenia with TIG
wykonane method
metodą – non-shot peened
TIG-niekulowane (T)
(TIG - nk) joints made
połączenia with a laser
wykonane beam
wiązką – non-shot
lasera- niekulowanepeened (L)
(L - nk)
joints made
połączenia with TIG
wykonane TIG-–kulowane
method
metodą shot peened
(TIG -(sp-T)
k) joints made
połączenia with a laser
wykonane laserowo- – shot peened
beamkulowane (L - k) (sp-L)
1.4539
materiał parent
rodzimymaterial (PM)
1.4539 (MR)
Fig. 1. Fatigue life of parent material, joints welded with laser and TIG methods

In the welded joints (non-shot peened) made with TIG method (Fig. 2 c) and a laser beam (Fig. 2 a), the
fracture development was multifocal and occurred from the specimen surface transiting into a fatigue zone and then
into residual one.
The foci of the shot peened specimens detected using analysis of fatigue fracture microfactography were
dependent on the resultant nominal stress of the cycle and on the residual stress, and were located up to 200 μm
under the surface (Fig. 2 b, d).

a b

20 µm 100 µm

c d

20 µm 100 µm

Fig. 2. (a, c) foci of fractures in non-shot peened joints and (b, d) shot peened (a, b) made with a laser beam and (c, d) TIG method
580 Barbara Nasiłowska et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 23 (2019) 577–582
4 Nasiłowska B./ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000–000

A special attention should be paid on development of secondary subsurface fractures perpendicular to action of
the shot peening force. The research on crystallographic orientation of austenite grains after shot peening, presented
in work (Nasiłowska et al. (2015)), showed occurrence of surface squeeze of the grains in the surface layer. This
process favourably influenced the retardation of the fatigue fracture initiation. The strengthened layer constituted a
barrier for fracture development while orienting the fracture front deep into the subsurface layers. Hence, the
secondary fractures were located on the occurrence boundary.
In the joints welded with a laser beam (non-shot peened), the largest tensile strain occurred in the weld axis S
(117.1 MPa) and in the heat affected zone HAZ (296.3 MPa), where a fatigue fracture initiated (Nasiłowska et al.
(2015)). The fatigue fracture in the non-shot peened joints occurred in the weld coming into the fusion line and the
heat affected zone (Fig. 3 b).

a b

500 µm 500 µm

Fig. 3. (a) transverse microsection of the fatigue fracture of the weld made with a laser beam and shot peened as well (b) as non-shot peened

Under an influence of shot peening, there occurred an increase in compressive stress equal to (-730,6 MPa
(SWC), -713,7 (S) (Nasiłowska et al. (2015)). Analysing the fatigue fractures, it was observed that a fatigue fracture
in the shot peened joints ran from the face side on the fusion line with propagation towards the ridge (Fig. 3 a).
The initial fracture in the specimen made with TIG method – non-shot peened usually developed in the weld
(Fig. 4 a), from the face side and then initiated from the ridge side. However, there are also generated secondary
fractures in the heat affected zone and at this place the specimen fracture occurred.

a b

1 mm 1 mm

Fig. 4. Transverse microsections of the specimens together with a developing initial fracture within the weld made with TIG method (a) non-shot
peened, (b) shot peened

A number of cycles to damage the welded joints after shot peening increased by approximately 24% for a laser
weld and by approximately 59% for a weld made with TIG method compared to non-shot peened specimens. The
results of experimental tests unequivocally show the purpose of surface machining in the form of mechanical shot
peening resulting in an increase in fatigue durability of the elements subjected to this process.
Analysis of the results of the research on the incubation period and development of fatigue fractures is presented
in Table 1.
 Barbara Nasiłowska et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 23 (2019) 577–582 581
Nasiłowska B./ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000–000 5

Table 1. Results of the fatigue life test for specimens welded with a laser and TIG method, additionally strengthened with surface shot peening
with division for initiation Ni and in conditions of fractures development NR (Ni - a number of cycles to initiation of fractures, NR - a number of
cycles under conditions of fractures development)

σan [MPa] Nf Ni NR Ni/Nf*100% Average value

Ni/Nf*100%
500 108220 106 133 2 087 98.07 90.76
119 300 100 000 19 300 83.82
Parent material

149 778 125 000 24 778 83.45

430 265 700 250 000 15 700 94.09 94.21
304 360 290 000 14 360 95.28
274 550 259 000 15 550 94.33
370 531 000 470 000 61 000 88.51 85.48
582 100 480 000 102 100 82.46
490 27 177 21 000 6 177 77.27 68.77
25 530 15 800 9 730 61.88
Shot-peened

26 050 17 500 8 550 67.17

438 75 899 62 000 13 899 81.68 73.26
71 709 46 500 25 209 64.84
375 118 395 88 000 30 395 74.32 75.77
108 774 84 000 24 774 77.22
490 20 463 11 500 8 963 56.19 54.75
TIG

16 087 10 700 5 387 66.51

12 949 7 800 5 149 60.23
12 479 4 500 7 979 36.06
438 31 066 15 000 13 566 56.33 43.28
Non-shot-peened

44 695 17 500 28 895 35.35

39 309 15 800 24 309 38.15
375 100 128 50 000 50 128 49.93 48.97
93 721 45 000 48 721 48.01
490 51 006 39 000 12 006 76.46 78.11
40 114 32 000 8 114 79.77
Shot-peen

438 114 790 103 500 11 290 90.16 82.76

114 778 86 500 28 278 75.36
375 254 192 233 001 21 191 91.66 89.91
215 500 190 000 25 500 88.16
490 26 295 19 000 7 295 72.25 77.29
laser

35 828 29 500 6 328 82.33

438 99 077 52 000 47 077 52.48 69.74
Non-shot peen

131 425 82 500 48 925 62.77

76 077 71 500 4 577 93.98
375 182 575 132 000 50 575 72.29 72.20
241 080 179 000 62 080 74.24
199 805 140 000 59 805 70.06

Based on the read-out of the research results in Excel programme, a percentage share of fatigue life to fatigue
fractures initiation Ni and under conditions of fractures development NR was defined.
The greatest difference between a number of cycles to failure and a number of cycles to initiation was observed
in the case of the specimens made of the parent material for which a number of cycles in the fatigue fracture
conditions was NR = 81 550 (for Δσan = 370 MPa) on average. For the specimens with a weld made with TIG
method (Δσan = 375 MPa) – NR = 49 429 cycles; for the specimens made with a laser beam – NR = 57 487 cycles.
Experimental tests showed that initiation of a fatigue fracture in the parent material occurred after exceeding 90,
582 Barbara Nasiłowska et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 23 (2019) 577–582
6 Nasiłowska B./ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000–000

95 and 85 % (at the level of nominal stress amplitude Δσan = 490, 438 and 375 MPa) of a total number of cycles to
failure Nf.
The less advantageous development of fatigue fractures occurred in the specimens made with TIG method. The
tests showed that after reaching approximately 50% of a total number of cycles to failure Nf, an initiation of fatigue
fractures Ni occurred.
Mechanical shot peening of the surface layer of the joint welded with TIG method was particularly favourable
since an increase in not only a total number of cycles to failure but also in a number of cycles to fracture initiation
was achieved. Introduction of favorable structural changes during the surface shot peening resulted in increasing the
fracture initiation time and shortening the fatigue fracture time, which occurred after approximately 70% of a
number of cycles to failure.
Non-shot peened joints welded with a laser beam were characterized with a longer time of fatigue fractures
development initiation than joints welded with TIG method by 20%. It is of special importance during service of
chemical installations, where any lack of tightness lead to leakage of hazardous substances.
Period of fatigue fracture initiation in joints welded with a laser beam after shot peening of the surface layer run
similarly as in the case of the parent material. After approximately 85% of a total number of cycles to failure, the
fracture initiation occurred.

Summary

The greatest number of cycles to fatigue fractures initiation was in the case of the parent material (90%) and,
subsequently, joints welded with a laser beam – shot peened (84%), joints welded with a laser beam – non-shot
peened (73%), joints welded with TIG method – shot peened (72%) and joints welded with TIG method – non-shot
peened (49%). The results of the tests, in terms of fatigue life, clearly show that the best quality weld was that made
with a laser beam and additionally subjected to surface shot peening. Surface strengthening caused squeeze of the
austenite grains in the subsurface layer, which resulted in an advantageous distribution of compressive stress. The
initiation and development of fatigue fracturing was favourably delayed and development of main fracturing was
accompanied by secondary subsurface fractures located parallel to the specimen plane.

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