Materials Research Express

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Investigation on the fusion zone microstructures and mechanical integrity

of AISI 904L and Inconel 625 weld joints
To cite this article before publication: Devendranath Ramkumar et al 2019 Mater. Res. Express in press https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-
1591/ab1883

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Page 1 of 23 AUTHOR SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPT - MRX-113496.R1

1
2
3 Investigation on the fusion zone microstructures and mechanical integrity of AISI
4
5 904L and Inconel 625 weld joints
6
7 K. Devendranath Ramkumar, S. Senthur Prabu *, N. Arivazhagan,
8 School of Mechanical Engineering, VIT, Vellore 632014, India

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9
10 * Corresponding Author, E-mail: senthurprabu.s@vit.ac.in; Ph: +91-9842210982
11 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12 Abstract
13

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14
The effect of over-alloyed Ni rich fillers on the weld mechanical properties of AISI
15
16 904L and Inconel 625 dissimilar joints achieved by pulsating current approach in gas
17 tungsten arc welding (GTAW) is analysed in the present investigation. Micro-segregation
18
19
and the migrated grain boundaries are noticed on the jointed zones of ERNiCrMo-4 and
20 ERNiCrCoMo-1 respectively. The columnar dendrites near to the fusion line and the fine

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21 equiaxed dendritic structures at the centreline are witnessed in the weld regions of both
22
23
the joints. Tension failures have occurred in the AISI 904L base metal. The notch tension
24 test inferred that the weld strength is higher than the weak parent metal (AISI 904L). The
25 impact toughness was considerably declined sharply compared to the parent metals. The
26
27
28
29
an
notch tension and impact tests recommend the use of ERNiCrMo-4 filler for joining these
dissimilar metals. The research findings based on the relationship between structure-
property drawn from this investigation can be employed in the industries requiring the
30
31 use of the novel joints.
32
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33 Keywords: AISI 904L; Inconel 625; welding; microstructure; tensile properties
34 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
35
36
1. Introduction
37
38 Nickel based super alloy, Inconel 625 has out-spread in the applications like
39 petrochemical, nuclear and thermal power plants, marine, chemical etc. owing to its
40
outstanding mechanical properties and excellent high temperature corrosion resistance
41
42 [1]. Inconel based superalloys is relatively an expensive alloy. To reduce the cost of the
43 material of a component, an inexpensive material with equivalent properties could be
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44
used as an alternate in both the ambient as well as lower affected corrosive
45
46 environments.
47
48 Similarly super austenitic stainless steels (904L) is a Fe-Cr-Ni rich alloy used in
49 the corrosive environments, mainly because of good strength and corrosion resistance
50
51 properties at moderately high temperatures with better equivalent mechanical
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52 properties in low cost [2,3]. These properties make this steel so unique and commonly
53 used in the fabrication of heat exchangers in petrochemical and chemical industry, paper
54
55 and pulp industries, etc. and also cooling equipment of sea water. The enriched amounts
56 of Mo, Cr, Ni and Mn offer better weldability, formability, strength, and toughness both at
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57
room temperature and at sub-zero temperature. Due to high nickel content, the stress
58
59 corrosion cracking (SCC) is improved than the conventional austenitic steel grades [4].
60 The type of carbide precipitate formed (sensitisation effect), in super austenitic stainless
 AUTHOR SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPT - MRX-113496.R1 Page 2 of 23

1
2
3 steel mainly depends on the time and temperature of exposure, gives detrimental effect
4
5 on the resistance to corrosion intern reduces the mechanical strength, mainly due to the
6 intergranular corrosion. Due to the increased Mo % tends to favours the precipitation of
7
intermetallic compounds [5].
8

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9
10 The major challenge encountered in the AISI 904L during welding is the Mo
11 depletion from the fusion matrix. The Mo depletion, in turn, lower the corrosion
12 resistance of this alloy in the service conditions. It is a pre-requisite that 6-8% Mo should
13
be available in the matrix as well as the spacing of dendritic areas of the fusion area. Also

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14
15 the absence of ferrite during the solidification of this alloy results in hot cracking or
16 solidification cracking. Most of the researchers reported the dissimilar weld joints of
17
18 Inconel 625 with 304L/316L are broadly used in the applications like power plants owing
19 to their excellent resistance to corrosion at high temperature. However, the key concerns
20 during welding of these dissimilar alloys is the micro-segregation of Nb-Mo precipitates

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21
22 formed in the arm spacing of the jointed region and at HAZ. Naffakh et al. [6] stated that
23 the Nb solubility in austenite phase is lowered because of the Fe presence in Ni-based
24
superalloys because of the variations in the atomic radii. Also, due to the Nb presence, the
25
26 melting point lowers constitutionally not only that, during solidification, Nb forms the
27
28
29
carbide–austenite eutectics.
an
Dupont et al. [7] achieved the joints of AL-6XN super SS alloys using Inconel 622 and 625
30
31 fillers. The authors stated that the chemistry of filler metal and process parameters
32 during welding have a significant effect on weld microstructure and weldability.
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33 Alongside the authors reported the filler metal selection which plays a vital role while
34
35 joining super-austenitic stainless steel with Ni-based superalloy.
36
37 In a study, Lee et al. [8] investigated the dissimilar welded joints between SS 304 L and
38 nickel base alloy 690. The researchers inferred that the increase in tensile and yield
39
40 strength is reasoned to the existence of higher Nb concentration in the fillers employed
41 in the studies. However, the percent elongation reduces significantly.
42
43 The other key issues like intermetallic, detrimental phases formed in the weld and
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44
interface, ductility dip cracking (DDC), hydrogen cracking during welding of dissimilar
45
46 metals between austenitic SS and Inconel 625, deteriorate mechanical properties. Lee et
47 al. [9] inferred that susceptibility of DDC in the Inconel 625 is the major issue during the
48
49
multi-pass welding. DuPont et al. [10] suggested that on minimizing the heat input during
50 welding process favors in circumventing the hot cracks in the fusion zone. Further, the
51 researchers claimed that the vulnerability of cracking in the weld region is mainly
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52
53
influenced by the welding parameters. Devendranath Ramkumar et al. [11] investigated
54 the dissimilar alloys of AISI 304 and Inconel 625 joints and reported that chromium
55 carbide precipitation and micro- segregation were found were observed in the AISI 304
56
and Inconel 625 at HAZ, while employed with enriched Nb filler. In addition to that, the
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58 authors suggested the use of pulsating current in GTA welding to combat the problem.
59
60
Page 3 of 23 AUTHOR SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPT - MRX-113496.R1

1
2
3 Sridhar et al. [12] investigated the dissimilar combination of duplex stainless steel SAF
4
5 2205 and Inconel 625 obtained from manual GTA welding process employing ERNiCro-3
6 and 2209 filler wires. The authors observed the formation of secondary phases at the HAZ
7
of Inconel 625 due to higher heat input generated and slow cooling rate. Prabaharan et
8
al. [13] studied the weldability of AISI 316L and Super Ni 718 alloy using gas tungsten arc

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9
10 (GTA) welding process using three different filler wires, such as ERNiCrMo-4, ER2594
11
and ERNiCrCoMo-1. Interface microstructures showed the delta ferrite colonies at the
12
13 HAZ of AISI 316L and the formation of secondary phases at the heat-affected zone (HAZ)

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14 of Super Ni 718 alloy. Also the authors reported that from the weld microstructures, the
15
16
deleterious phases were controlled while using these filler wires for joining the bimetals.
17 Sidharth Dev et al. [14] studied the dissimilar combinations of sulphur rich martensitic
18 stainless steel, AISI 416 and Inconel 718 obtained from pulsed current techniques of GTA
19
20
welding employing two Nb free consumables namely ERNiCrMo-4, ERNiCu-7 and a

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21 duplex filler ER2553. The authors perceived the absence of deleterious Nb rich Laves
22 phase while employing these fillers. Further, the authors noticed the formation of skeletal
23
24 and lathy delta ferrite and micro-segregation of Mo rich phases are witnessed while
25 employing ER2553 and ERNiCrMo-4 fillers.
26
27
28
29
an
Fatih Dokme et al. [15] investigated the microstructure of the dissimilar metal welding of
AISI 316L and Inconel 625 using CCGTAW and PCGTAW processes employing with TIG
30 316L, ERNiCr-3 and twisted (ERNiCr-3 and TIG 316L) fillers. The authors addressed the
31 formation of Ni-, Ti-, Nb-, Mo-, Mn- and Cr-rich secondary precipitates in the weld region
32
employing CCGTAW. However, the effect of segregation was minimized while employing
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33
34 the PCGTA welding approach with twisted fillers. Shah Hosseini et al. [16] reported that
35 austenitic SS is one of the most common good alternative material for Inconel 625
36
37
especially used in elevated temperatures. However, it is essential to recommend the best
38 possible filler material for joining these dissimilar metals to accrue improved mechanical
39 integrity and high temperature corrosion resistance.
40
41
It is evident from the detailed investigation that both the candidate metals are weldable.
42
43 There are issues in terms of fusion zone cracking during solidification and depletion of
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44 Molybdenum in the matrix of the fusion zone. The authors believe that the problems
45
46
could be combated by adopting a novel welding technique with the use of appropriate
47 filler. Hence the present work is assumed to have a lot of significant scope in the
48 industries operating these dissimilar joints. The present work is aimed to investigate the
49
50
structure-property evaluation on the AISI 904L and Inconel 625 joints obtained by
51 pulsating current GTA welding method employing Ni-Cr-Mo rich and Nb free
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52 ERNiCrCoMo-1 and ERNiCrMo-4 fillers. The detailed characterization of these dissimilar

53
54 weld joints was carried out by SEM/EDS analysis and structural integrity tests. The
55 research findings revealed based on the relationship between structure-property drawn
56 from this investigation can be employed in the industries requiring the use of the novel
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57
58 joints.
59
60 2. Experimental Procedure
 AUTHOR SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPT - MRX-113496.R1 Page 4 of 23

1
2
3 The parent metal of AISI 904L and Inconel 625 plates in the as-received conditions
4
5 were examined for the elemental composition using optical emission spectrometry (OES)
6 technique. The results from the OES studies for the candidate metals are specified in
7
Table 1. The metal plate samples were machined to 155 x 55 x 5mm measurements of
8
rectangular shape using wire cut Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM). ERNiCrCoMo-1

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9
10 and ERNiCrMo-4 filler metals of diameter 1.2 mm are used to join these two metals and
11
the composition of the fillers provided by the supplier is as shown in Table 1. Typical V-
12
13 butt joint configurations with an included angle of 70 and a root gap of 2mm were

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14 adopted before welding to facilitate multi-pass welding. The GTA welding with the use of
15
16 pulsating current was carried out on the metal plate samples clamped in a fixture with
17 accurate grip along with a copper plate at its base to dissipate the heat effectively during
18 welding to avoid any distortion as well as bending. An inter-pass temperature of 150C
19
20 was maintained for every pass. Also, the fusion zones of the dissimilar joints are cleaned

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21 using wire brush at the end of every welding passes. The frequency of pulsing was
22 maintained at 6 Hz. The process parameters employed for PCGTAW is shown in Table 2.
23
24 After welding, non-destructive testing (NDT) studies were carried on these bimetallic
25 joints to ensure the defect-free surfaces and sub-surfaces after welding. Confirming to the
26
results, the joints were machined cross-sectionally to get various coupons having
27
28
29
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different measurements as per ASTM standards for investigating the structural integrity.

30 Microstructure examinations on the weld joints were conducted on the cross-

31 sectional coupons [both the parent metals, HAZs and fusion zone) whose dimensions are
32
30 x 10 x 5mm. Standard metallographic procedures were adopted that include polishing
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33
34 using different grit emery sheets followed by velvet cloth disc polishing by using Al2O3
35 solution (alumina) in order to obtain a mirror finish surface. This is followed by an
36
37 electrolytic etching process (100ml of water + 10g of oxalic acid; a current density of
38 1A/cm2; 6 V DC) for revealing the microstructures of welded joints across the entire
39 width. The microstructure characterization was performed using both scanning electron
40
41 microscopy (SEM) and optical methods. Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDS) analysis was
42 conducted on the dissimilar joints to infer the compositional analysis across the weld
43
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interface and at the fusion zone.

44
45
46 With the aim of evaluating the structural integrity, the weld joints were exposed
47 to impact, tensile, hardness and bend tests at room temperature. Micro-hardness was
48 conducted transversely to the entire width of the machined coupons from the dissimilar
49
50 joints using Vickers micro-hardness tester. Micro-hardness evaluations were recorded at
51 every 0.25mm distance by applying a test load of 500gf, for 10 sec. duration (dwell
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52 period) at different welding passes vis-à-vis cap, filler and root regions. The tensile
53
54 samples were fabricated in line with ASTM E8/8M standard. The transverse tensile
55 properties of AISI 904L and Inconel 625 and also the weldments were evaluated using
56 UTM (Instron) with an attachment of extensometer. Multiple iterations were conducted
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58 through a lower strain rate of 2 mm/min. on each welded joints to verify the repeatability
59 of the results at room temperature. Charpy V-notch impact test was accomplished to
60
Page 5 of 23 AUTHOR SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPT - MRX-113496.R1

1
2
3 evaluate the impact toughness on the coupons of the joints machined as per standard
4
5 ASTM E23-12C. In addition, SEM analysis is performed on the fractured specimens, which
6 were cleaned ultrasonically to analyse the mode of fracture.
7
8 Both face and root bend studies were reconnoitred on the joints, machined as per

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9
10 standard ASTM E-190 to ensure the bend ductility and reliability of the weldment. The
11 bend tested specimens were exposed to NDT tests to determine for any cracks or fissures.
12 The outcomes of the relationship between structure-property assessments are described
13
in detail in the ensuing chapters.

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15
16 3. Results & Discussion
17
18 3.1 Materials and Welding
19
20 The base metal micrograph (as-received condition) of Alloy 625 and SS 904L are

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21
22 presented in Fig. 1(a) and 1(b). Coarse austenitic, Ni-rich grains with NbC and TiC along
23 the grain boundaries was revealed in Inconel 625; whereas the austenitic grains are
24 witnessed in the base metal of AISI 904L. NDT studies reported that the defect-free
25
26 dissimilar joints from macro and micro level like porosity, lack of fusion, spatters and/or
27
28
29
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undercut etc. were obtained. The cross-sectional studies also ensured the fusion of base
and filler metals had effectively taken place. Alongside narrow weld beads were obtained
30 because of minimum heat supplied with maximum cooling rate (due to copper back-
31 plate) during the welding process [11].
32
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33
34
3.2 Microstructure characterization
35
36 The weld and fusion interface microstructures of the dissimilar welds are
37 examined using SEM analysis. The fusion microstructure contains both columnar and
38 more amount of equiaxed dendrites [17]. The fine equiaxed grains observed in the weld
39
40 centreline is acquainted with the reheating actions occurred to multi-pass welding. EDS
41 point analysis is also performed in various zones to understand the compositional
42
variations across the weld joints. SEM/EDS analysis of ERNiCrMo-4 weldments clearly
43
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44 indicate the formation of trivial precipitates (white in color) apparently visible at the
45 fusion interface of Inconel 625 side. The segregated phases are found to be augmented in
46
Ni, Nb and Mo [Fig. 2a] along with Cr and W. In contrary, the chemical composition is not
47
48 much varied at the region (weld boundary of AISI 904L) adjacent to the weld zone [Fig.
49 2(b)]. Mo-rich segregates were observed in scarce at the weld zone [Fig. 3]. It is apparent
50
51
that although Mo is depleted in the matrix and segregated in the inter-dendritic regions,
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52 the weld zones possess more than the expected limit ( 6% Mo) as inferred from the EDS
53 analysis.
54
55 Contrarily, the EDS studies on ERNiCrCoMo-1 weldments [Fig. 4] displayed the
56 enrichment of Mo, Nb, Ni, Cr Ti and Co along the clear fusion boundary of Inconel 625
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57 side. In this case too, the segregates enriched in Mo, Nb and Ti were apparently noticed
58
59 as precipitates in the HAZ of Inconel 625. These precipitates are probably (Nb, Ti)C
60 and/or other complex precipitates [Fig. 4a]. In this case, too, there are not many rigorous
 AUTHOR SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPT - MRX-113496.R1 Page 6 of 23

1
2
3 changes encountered in the chemical composition in the interface of the jointed zone as
4
5 well as in the unaffected parent metal, AISI 904L. The secondary phases observed in the
6 weld matrix are enriched in Mo, Cr, Ni, Nb and Ti [Fig. 5]. The Ni-Nb-Mo rich phases are
7
mostly noticed in the inter-dendritic zones of the weld region. Also, the occurrence of
8
Migrated Grain Boundaries (MGBs) is distinctly noticed. DuPont et. al. [10] stated that

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9
10 MGBs commonly happen in austenitic welds while using with Ni-rich filler, alongside the
11
migration of boundaries is also conceivable during reheating in the welding process
12
13 involving multiple passes [Fig. 5]. The presence of MGBs also confirms that the mode of

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14 solidification is completely austenitic while employing ERNiCrCoMo-1 filler. In spite of
15
16
the occurrence of MGBs in the fusion matrix, there is no evidence of solidification
17 cracking. This could be positively due to the presence of Nb in the weld matrix which
18 alleviates the resistance to hot cracking. As stated by Devendranath Ramkumar et al. [18],
19
20
as niobium has strong propensity to increase further the level of under-cooling, the mode

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21 of solidification is transformed from cellular dendrite to columnar dendrite. This is well
22 opined from the weld metal microstructures.
23
24
25 3.3 Mechanical integrity tests
26
27
28
29
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Micro-hardness profiles of the dissimilar joints using ERNiCrCoMo-1 and
ERNiCrMo-4 fillers are shown in Fig. 6(a) and 6(b). The micro-hardness computations
were established on the entire weld bead, transversely on the multi-phase zone (vis-à-vis
30
31 cap, filling and root passes) of the dissimilar weldments are represented in Table 3.
32 Micro-hardness schemes envisaged that both the weld region and fusion boundary of
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33
34
Inconel 625 side exhibited a greater hardness values than the base metal, AISI 904L in
35 both the cases. The micro-hardness is slightly higher [Fig. 6a] in the HAZ and fusion
36 boundary of Inconel 625 while using ERNiCrMo-4 filler. This is articulated to the
37
38
secondary phases containing Nb-rich phases in the fusion boundary along with the
39 strengthening constituents like Mo, Cr, Ni and W as inferred from EDS analysis [Fig. 2a].
40 The fusion zone exhibits higher micro-hardness because of the grain refinement in the
41
42 root pass compared with cap and filler passes during multi-pass welding. It is evident
43 from the microstructure examination [Fig. 3] that because of the minimum heat supplied
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44 and judicious cooling rate exhibited through current pulsing, results in fine equiaxed
45
46 dendrite structure [11]. The average micro-hardness value on the fusion zone was
47 observed to be 245 HV, whereas peak hardness is noticed in the root pass (288 HV). The
48 average micro-hardness values at fusion interface of AISI 904L are slightly greater than
49
50 the base metal owing to the elemental movement occurred during the multi-pass welding
51 as witnessed from EDS analysis. Similar observations are noticed in the micro-hardness
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52 plot of weld joints employing ERNiCrCoMo-1 filler. There were little disparities observed
53
54 in the hardness values at the weld regions in both the cases. The typical micro-hardness
55 values in the cap pass of the weld is lower (226 HV) than the root and filling tracks.
56
Furthermore, it is evidently reported that the micro-hardness is delineated with the
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57
58 formation of MGBs [Fig. 5].
59
60
Page 7 of 23 AUTHOR SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPT - MRX-113496.R1

1
2
3 Tension tests were conducted on standard samples extracted from these dissimilar joints
4
5 of AISI 904L and Alloy 625 employing over-alloyed fillers at room temperature. The
6 average tensile properties of these dissimilar joints are shown in Table 4(a). Tensile
7
results indicated the failures witnessed in the base metal of AISI 904L for both fillers [Fig.
8
7]. The average values of yield strength and ultimate tensile strength for joints employing

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9
10 ERNiCrMo-4 were 342 and 635 MPa whereas for ERNiCrCoMo-1 was 327 and 600 MPa
11
respectively in the un-notched condition. It is curious to know the joint strength of the
12
13 weld joints and hence the notched tensile tests are carried out. The results disclosed that

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14 the notch tensile strength of welds using ERNiCrMo-4 filler is better than the ones using
15
16
ERNiCrCoMo-1 filler metal. The lower strength of ERNiCrCoMo-1 in the notched tensile
17 studies could be attributed to the formation of MGBs, which indicate the coarser grains.
18 The coarser grains in the fusion zone ruptured easily upon tensile studies in the room
19
20
temperature. The ratio of notch strength (NSR) is 1.12 for both the fillers [Table 4b]. The

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21 failure would be in the ductile mode if NSR  1. Also the SEM fractography of the tensile
22 tested samples confirmed the same that the failure occurred in the weld joints are of
23
24 ductile mode as the fractographic morphology shows the macro/micro-voids and dints
25 conjoined in the fibrous network.
26 Charpy notch impact test was accomplished on these dissimilar weld specimens and
27
28
an
observed that both the joints had undergone notch deformation [Fig. 9(a) and 9(b)]. The
29 notch impact studies clearly demonstrated that the energy absorption is higher for both
30 the weld joints when subjected to impact loading. However, the results indicated the
31
32 impact toughness of both the welded joints is low in comparison to the candidate metals
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33 employed. Table 5 indicates the average impact toughness of both the base metals and
34
the weld joints. The average impact toughness values of the welded joints using
35
36 ERNiCrMo-4 and ERNiCrCoMo-1 are 47 and 36 J respectively. Although the fusion zones
37 of both the joints are completely austenitic, the reason for such low impact toughness
38
39
could be ascribed to the segregation of secondary phases in the fusion matrix for
40 ERNiCrMo-4 welds. Similarly, the migrated grain boundaries in the ERNiCrCoMo-1
41 imparted in lower toughness than the welds employing ERNiCrMo-4. The non-
42
43
homogeneity in the elemental composition and the degree of residual stresses in the
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44 fusion zones can also be reasoned for such a lower toughness experienced by the weld
45 joints. SEM fractography on the impact tested weld joints also affirm and in favour of the
46
47 aforementioned argument. The phases present in the form of segregates at the inter-
48 dendritic regions serve as crack initiating sources and propagated the same in case of
49 ERNiCrMo-4 joints. Whereas the rocky appearance with scarce voids indicated the
50
51 fractographic traits of ERNiCrCoMo-1 joints.
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52 The bend ductility and quality of welds were ensured by conducting 180 U-Bend test
53 [Fig. 10]. X-ray radiography test was also conducted to confirm the absence of any defects
54
55 caused due to bending. However, the results are so apparent and affirmed by the X-ray
56 radiography that both the weld joints have resulted in a complete bend without any
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57
fissures and macro-cracks [17].
58
59 In summary, this study focussed on the use of pulsating current in the GTA welding of
60 super-austenitic stainless steel, AISI 904L and Inconel 625 using over-alloyed fillers. The
 AUTHOR SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPT - MRX-113496.R1 Page 8 of 23

1
2
3 microstructure characterization of weld joints has been carefully analysed using
4
5 combined optical microscopy and SEM techniques. The mechanical integrity of the
6 dissimilar welds has also been carried out in this investigation in detail. The research
7
findings from this investigation will be of greater importance to the industries operating
8
these dissimilar joints.

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9
10
11
4. Conclusions
12
13 The contemporary research explores the microstructure and mechanical integrity

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14 of dissimilar joints between AISI 904L and Inconel 625 made by PCGTA welding
15
16
technique using ERNiCrCoMo-1 and ERNiCrMo-4 fillers and thereby the conclusions are
17 as follows:
18
19
20
1) Weld joints of AISI 904L and Inconel 625 could be established successfully by

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21 adopting pulsating current in the GTA welding method using these fillers.
22 2) The weld microstructure exhibited the occurrence of migrated grain boundaries,
23
24 while employing ERNiCrCoMo-1 filler. Micro-segregation of Nb-Mo rich phases is
25 witnessed in the jointed region of ERNiCrMo-4 welds.
26 3) Transverse tensile test results corroborated that the failure occurred at the base
27
28
29
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metal of AISI 904L for both fillers. However, the notch tensile strength of
ERNiCrMo-4 welds is perceived to be better when compared to that of
30 ERNiCrCoMo-1 joints and AISI 416.
31
32 4) The impoverishment in the impact toughness of both the weldments could be
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33 attributed to the effect of segregation and the formation of migrated grain
34 boundaries
35
36 5) The specific outcomes from the metallurgical and mechanical integrity tests
37 recommend the pulsating current approach in GTAW with ERNiCrMo-4 filler to be
38
adopted for joining these dissimilar alloys.
39
40
41
42
References
43
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45 [1] Shankar V, Bhanu Sankara Rao K, Mannan S.L. Microstructure and mechanical
46 properties of Inconel 625 superalloy. Journal of Nuclear Materials 2001;288:222-232.
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48 [2] Devendranath Ramkumar K, Aditya Chandrasekhar, Anubhav Srivastava, Hidad
49
50
Preyas, Sanskar Chandra, Sidharth Dev, Arivazhagan N. Effects of filler metals on the
51 segregation, mechanical properties and hot corrosion behaviour of pulsed current gas
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52 tungsten arc welded super-austenitic stainless steel. Journal of Manufacturing Processes

53
54 2016;24:46–61.
55
56 [3] S Senthur Prabu, K Devendranath Ramkumar, N Arivazhagan. Effect of filler metals on
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57 the mechanical properties of Inconel 625 and AISI 904L dissimilar weldments using gas
58
tungsten arc welding. Materials Science and Engineering 2017;263(062072):1-13
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3 [4] ASM handbook on welding, brazing and soldering, vol. 6. ASM International;2010.
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[5] Stefan Heino. Role of Mo and W during Sensitization of Super austenitic Stainless
7 Steel-Crystallography and Composition of Precipitates. Metallurgical & Materials
8 Transaction A 2000; 31(8):1893–1905

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[6] Naffakh H, Shamanian M, Ashrafizadeh F. Dissimilar welding of AISI 310 austenitic
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12 stainless steel to nickel-based alloy Inconel 657. Journal of Materials Processing
13 Technology 2009;209(7):3628-3639.

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15 [7] Dupont J.N, Banovic S.W, Marder A.R. Microstructural evolution and weldability of
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17 dissimilar welds between a super austenitic stainless steel and nickel-based alloys.
18 Welding research Journal 2003;82:125–135.
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20 [8] Lee H.T, Jeng S.L, Yen C.H, Kuo T.Y. Dissimilar welding of nickel-based Alloy 690 to SUS

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304L with Ti addition. Journal of Nuclear Materials 2004;335(1):59-69.
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24 [9] Lee D.J, Kim Y.S, Shin Y.T, Jeon E.C, Lee S.H, Lee H.J, Lee S.K, Lee J.H, Lee H.W.
25 Contribution of Precipitate on Migrated Grain Boundaries to Ductility-Dip Cracking in
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Alloy 625 Weld Joints. Metals and Materials International 2010;16(5):813-817.
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[10] Dupont J. N, Lippold J. C, Kiser S. D. Welding metallurgy and weldability of nickel base
30 alloys. John Wiley & Sons, USA: 2009.
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32 [11] Ramkumar K. D, Parvateneni M, Varun D, Gopi R, Ajay R, Arivazhagan N, Narayanan
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S, Gokul Kumar. K. Characterization of microstructure and mechanical properties of
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35 Inconel 625 and AISI 304 dissimilar weldments. ISIJ International 2014;54(4):900-908.
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37 [12] Sridhar. R, Devendranath Ramkumar. K, Arivazhagan. N. Characterization of
38 Microstructure, Strength, and Toughness of Dissimilar Weldments of Inconel 625 and
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40 Duplex Stainless Steel SAF 2205, Acta Metall. Sin. (Engl. Lett.) 2014; 27(6):1018-1030.
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42 [13] Prabaharan. P, Devendranath Ramkumar. K, Arivazhagan. N. Characterization of
43 microstructure and mechanical properties of Super Ni 718 alloy and AISI 316L dissimilar
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45 weldments. J. Mater. Res. 2014;29(24):3011-3023.
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47 [14] Sidharth Dev, Devendranath Ramkumar. K, Arivazhagan. N, Rajendran. R.
48 Investigations on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Dissimilar Welds of
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Inconel 718 and Sulphur Rich Martensitic Stainless Steel AISI 416. Journal of
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51 Manufacturing Processes. 2018;32:685–689.
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53 [15] Fatih Dokme, Mustafa Kemal Kulekci, Ugur Esme. Microstructural and mechanical
54 characterization of dissimilar metal welding of Inconel 625 and AISI 316L. Metals 2018;
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3 [16] Shah Hosseini H, Shamanian M, Kermanpur A. Characterization of microstructures
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5 and mechanical properties of Inconel 617/310 stainless steel dissimilar welds. Materials
6 Characterization 2011;62(4):425-431.
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8 [17] S Senthur Prabu, K Devendranath Ramkumar, N Arivazhagan. Microstructural

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10 evolution and precipitation behavior in heat affected zone of Inconel 625 and AISI 904L
11 dissimilar welds. Materials Science and Engineering. 2017;263(062073):1-11
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13 [18] Ramkumar K.D, Siddharth P.D, Praveen S.S, Choudhury D.J, Prabaharan P,

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Arivazhagan N, Xavior M.A. Influence of filler metals and welding techniques on the
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16 structure- property relationships of Inconel 718 and AISI 316L dissimilar weldments.
17 Materials and Design 2014;62:175-188.
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6 Fig. 1 Microstructure of the base metals (a) Inconel 625 with Ni rich austenitic
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10 Fig. 2 SEM/EDS analysis at the weld interface of (a) Inconel 625 and (b) AISI
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13 Fig. 3 SEM/EDS analysis at the fusion zone of Inconel 625 and AISI 904L joints

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17 Fig. 4 SEM/EDS analysis at the interface of (a) Inconel 625 and (b) AISI 904L
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20 Fig. 5 SEM/EDS analysis at the fusion zone of Inconel 625 and AISI 904L joints

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24 Fig. 6 Hardness profile of PCGTA weldments of Inconel 625 and AISI 904L
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32 Fig. 8 Notch tensile test on the PCGTA welds of Inconel 625 and AISI 904L
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36 Fig. 9 Impact test specimens of PCGTA weldments of Inconel 625 and AISI 904L
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39 Fig. 10 Bend Test photographs of the PCGTA weldments of Inconel 625 and AISI
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904L employing (a) ERNiCrMo-4 and (b) ERNiCrCoMo-1 filler
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43 LIST OF TABLES
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47 Table 2 Process parameters employed in PCGTA welding of Inconel 625 and AISI
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51 and AISI 904L
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55 Table 4(b) Average notch tensile properties of the dissimilar weld of Inconel 625 and
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Table 5 Average Impact Energy (J) of the dissimilar weld of Inconel 625 and AISI
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3 Table 1 Chemical composition of the base and filler metals
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6 Chemical Composition (% weight)
7 Base / Filler C Ni Cr Mo Nb Fe Mn Si Others
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10 Inconel 625 0.024 Rem. 22.04 9.00 3.47 4.38 0.106 0.203 Al – 0.186; Co –
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12 Ta - <0.001; P –
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AISI 904L 0.018 26.1 19.72 3.93 Nil Rem. 1.65 0.145 Cu – 0.959; Al –
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16 0.036; Co – 0.034;
17 Ti – 0.007; P –
18 0.018; S- <0.001
19 ERNiCrMo-4 0.015 57.8 Rem. 16.2 Nil 5.1 0.6 0.002 Cu – 0.022; Co –
20 2.2; W – 4.08; V –

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0.051; P – 0.001; S-
23 0.008
24 ERNiCrCoMo-1 0.08 45.8 Rem. 9.4 Nil 2.2 0.05 0.11 Ti – 0.28; Co – 13.2;
25 Cu – 0.08; Al – 0.96;
26 P – 0.001; S- 0.002
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*Reminder
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32 Table 2 Process parameters employed in PCGTA welding of Inconel 625 and AISI 904L
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35 Filler Wire Filler No. of Voltage Peak Base Shieldin Frequ Heat
36 wire dia. pass (V) current current g gas ency Input
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(mm) Ipeak Ibase (A) flow (Hz) (kJ/
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39 (A) rate mm)
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41 ERNiCrMo-4 2.4 Root 10.8 160 80 15 6 3.48
42 Filling 10.5 160
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45 Filling 11.5 160
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3 Table 3 Hardness measurement across the dissimilar weldments of Inconel 625 and
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Weldment Description Vickers Micro-hardness value (HV)
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10 BM-Inconel 625 --- --- --- 274
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12 BM-AISI 904L --- --- --- 187
13 ERNiCrMo-4 Average hardness of the weldment 241 232 241 238

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Average hardness at the weld zone 242 239 255 245
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16 ERNiCrCoMo-1 Average hardness of the weldment 229 235 243 236
17 Average hardness at the weld zone 226 239 259 241
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24 0.2% yield Ultimate % Elongation Fracture Zone
25 strength (MPa) tensile
26 strength
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29 BM-Inconel 625 376
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30 BM-AISI 904L 264 622 36.1 ----
31 Weld - 342 635 22.6 Parent metal of 904L
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39 Table 4 (b) Average notch tensile properties of the dissimilar welds of Inconel 625 and
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43 Weldment 0.2% yield Ultimate tensile Notch strength ratio
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45 ERNiCrMo-4 362 710 1.12
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47 ERNiCrCoMo-1 347 672 1.12
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51 Table 5 Notch impact test results of Inconel 625 and AISI 904L dissimilar welds
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54 Impact Toughness (J)
55 BM – Inconel 625 82
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58 Weld - ERNiCrMo-4 47
59 Weld - ERNiCrCoMo-1 36
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