Welding of a Normalized High Strength Low Alloy Plate Steel of Structural Quality

BY W. P. BENTER. J R .

Tests show that, properly welded, the steel possesses desirable strength and lowtemperature notch toughness

and electroslag welding processes were evaluated. In addition to standard qualification tests such as tension and bend tests, extensive Charpy Vnotch tests were conducted on specimens from various regions of the w e l d area, and explosion-bulge tests, similar to the test used by the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to evaluate steels for submarine and ship hull construction, were conducted on selected plates w i t h and without butt welds. The results of these w e l d a bility evaluations, w h i c h are s u m marized in the present paper, provide the information needed to assess the suitability of a normalized high strength low alloy steel for welded construction and to compare the effects of various welding processes on the properties of w e l d metals and w e l d heat-affected zones in a steel of this type.

Preliminary Testing
ABSTRACT. Normalized high strength low alloy steels are being used to provide structural quality plate steels w i t h improved low temperature notch toughness for applications in w h i c h welding is required. The present paper concerns the welding characteristics of one such steel. The investigation covers evaluation of butt welds in this steel made by shielded metal-arc, submerged arc, tandem submerged arc, electrogas, and electroslag processes, and includes data on tension tests, guided bend tests, Charpy V-notch tests (base metal, weld metal, and heat-affected zone), and explosionbulge tests. This steel can be satisfactorily welded w i t h all the aforementioned welding processes by using c o m mercially available filler metals, fluxes and gases, provided that low hydrogen practices are followed. A l l processes produce butt joints w i t h 100% joint efficiency and satisfactory bend-test ductility. The notch toughness of the w e l d metal and heat-affected zone, as measured by Charpy V-notch tests and confirmed by explosion-bulge tests of shielded metal-arc, submerged arc, and tandem submerged arc weldments, is excellent; 15 ft-lb transition temperatures were in the range -60 to - 1 0 0 F, and FTE temperatures were in the range -5 to below - 2 0 F. The higher heat input electrogas and electroslag welding processes showed a deterioration of Charpy V-notch properties in the heataffected zone to the level w h i c h would be expected in hot rolled (unwelded) steels of this type. Notwithstanding, the explosion-bulge tests showed good performance, w i t h FTE temperatures of about 2 0 and 25 F, respectively, for electrogas and electroslag weldments. Only one specimen (electrogas welded and tested at 10 F) showed any evidence of preferential crack propagation in the w e l d area. Introduction To provide structural quality plate steels w i t h improved low temperature notch toughness for applications in w h i c h welding is required, use is being made of normalized high strength low alloy steels. Steels of this type are intended for such applications as the major structural components in the hulls of cargo ships; however, the combination of strength and notch toughness of these steels makes t h e m ideal for a wide variety of structural applications. One such steel, USS Fifty-N, w i t h a composition of 0 . 2 0 % C (max), 1.10 to 1.50% M n , 0.15 to 0.50% Si, and 0.02% Cb (min) in the normalized condition, exhibits a m i n i m u m yield point of 5 0 ksi and a tensile strength of 71 to 90 ksi in thicknesses through 2 inches. Typical longitudinal Charpy V-notch impact values for 1-in. thick plates are 15 ft-lb at -90 F and 5 0 ftlb at -10 F. Plates of Fifty-N steel can be produced to meet the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) requirements for higher-strength hull structural steel as described for Grades DH and EH in Section 43 of the 1970 ABS Rules. Because this steel would normally be fabricated by welding, its weldability w a s investigated, and the properties of butt joints produced by shielded metal-arc, submerged arc, tandem submerged arc, electrogas, Prior to establishment of chemical composition limits for this steel, the mechanical properties of a number of normalized C-Mn-Cb steels were determined. Concurrent w i t h these studies, limited weld-cracking studies were conducted on t w o 1.3Mn0.03Cb steels containing 0.16 and 0.22% C, respectively. A s expected, underbead-cracking tests w i t h cellulose covered electrodes on the low carbon (0.16% C) steel showed appreciable cracking, Table 1. The cruciform restraint cracking tests on the high carbon (0.22% C) steel showed a low but significant susceptibility to heat-affected zone cracking under the conditions of high restraint. Thus, the chemical-composition limits for Fifty-N steel, established by the w e l d cracking data, included the restriction of the maximum ladle carbon content to 0.20 percent. O n the basis of the w e l d cracking test data and metallurgical judgment, confirmed by subsequent tests, the suggested welding practices for this steel include provisions that only low hydrogen welding practices be used and that for general welding conditions a minimum preheat and interpass temperature of 50 F be used for plates up to 1-in. thick and a m i n imum temperature of 100 F be used for plates from 1 to 2-in. thick. Under conditions of high restraint, temperatures as high as 2 5 0 to 4 0 0 F may be necessary.

Materials
The normalized structural quality plates used in this program were obtained from four production type heats. The chemical composition and tensile properties (Tables 2 and 3) met the published requirements for this steel except for the high carbon content heat No. 9 4 M 2 7 4 , w h i c h was 591-s

W. P. BENTER, JR., is associated with United States Steel Corporation Research Laboratory, Monroeville. Pa.

WELDING RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT!

Table 1 H e a t - A f f e c t e d Zone C r a c k i n g Tests Thickness, Electrode in. A W S class Type 1

Preheat, F

Cracking, ( a )

%
87 62 15 5

Underbead cracking test (0.16C-1 . ? 5 M n - 0 . 0 3 C b steel) E6010 Cellulose 32 covered 70 212 Cruciform cracking test ( 0 2 2 C - 1 . 3 3 M n - 0 . 0 3 C b steel) E7018 Low 75 hydrogen

Vi

(a) Underbead cracking average of 5 tests. Cruciform cracking average of 10 tests (values ranged from 0 to 3% except for one value of 41%)

Table 2 C h e m i c a l C o m p o s i t i o n of Plates Used f o r W e l d Evaluation Plate thickness, in. .(a) 1/2W 1 2 1 Ladle analysis, |oercent C 0.16 022 0.18 0.18 0.20 max
(a) Used for underbead cracking tests (b) Used for cruciform cracking tests (c) Fine grain practice.

Heat no. 012064 94M274 95M308 013902

Mn 1.25 1.33 1.10 1,20 Specified 1.10 1.50

P 0.018 0.019 0.009 0.014 0.04 max

S 0.021 0.022 0.018 0.020 0.05 max

Si 0.41 0.45 0.41 0.40 0.15 0.50

Cb 0.03 0.03 0.03 0.04 0.02 min

Al 0.04 0.06 0.04 0.03 (c)

used to conduct t h e prev ously m e n tioned ' cruciform cracking tests. Normally, only longitudinal tensile properties are specified for structural quality plate steels; however, as s h o w n in Table 3, t h e t r a n s v e r s e p r o p e r t i e s of t h e s e p l a t e s a l s o m e t the published values. Charpy V-notch i m p a c t values for t h e plates (Table 4) showed excellent longitudinal properties, with 15 ft-lb transition temperatures b e l o w - 9 0 F and 5 0 ftlb t r a n s i t i o n t e m p e r a t u r e s b e l o w - 1 0 F. A s e x p e c t e d i n a s t r a i g h t a w a y r o l l e d s t e e l of t h i s t y p e , t h e t r a n s verse Charpy V-notch impact properties w e r e not as good as t h e l o n g i tudinal properties; h o w e v e r , they still showed good notch toughness, p a r t i c u l a r l y f o r t h e 15 f t - l b c r i t e r i o n , for w h i c h transition temperatures w e r e b e l o w - 7 0 F. A l s o , as s h o w n i n T a b l e 4 , t h e plates exhibited drop-weight nilductility t r a n s i t i o n (NDT) t e m p e r a t u r e s in t h e r a n g e - 4 0 t o - 8 0 F. Preparation Welded of

chemical c o m |position percent

Specimens

Table 3Tensile Properties of Plates Used f o r W e l d a b i l i t y E v a l u a t i o n Plate thickness, in. 1 1/2 1 1 2 Yield point, Tensile strength, ksi Longitudinal 75.9 89.4 85.0 77.9 74.0 71.0 Reduction of area,

Heat no. 012064 94M274 94M274 95M308 013902

ksi
53.8 65.1 57.1 50.5 53.8 50.0 min

Elongation, % in 2 in. in 8 in. 50.0 46.0 50.0 50.0 33.7 22

%
67 64 61 67 73

30.0 24.5 27.3 29.5

(a) 19

Specification

90.0
Transverse 75.6 89.5 85.4 77.9 72.2 50.0 36.5 50.0 48.5 32.3 27.7 22.5 28.0 25.5

B u t t w e l d e d j o i n t s w e r e p r e p a r e d in accordance w i t h the seven different w e l d i n g c o n d i t i o n s (A t h r o u g h G) d e s c r i b e d i n T a b l e 5. F i v e d i f f e r e n t w e l d ing processes w e r e used. The j o i n t geometries and welding procedures a r e c o n s i d e r e d t y p i c a l of s t r u c t u r a l welding. The welding consumables used are c o m m e r c i a l l y available, a n d their c o m p o s i t i o n s are s h o w n in T a b l e 6. M o s t of t h e b u t t w e l d s w e r e X ray i n s p e c t e d , a n d t h e s e inspections confirmed that the welding procedures used resulted in w e l d s t h a t met the A W S D2.0-69 Specifications for W e l d e d H i g h w a y and Railway Bridges (radiographic standards). Duplicate full-plate-thickness platetype transversely butt-welded tension specimens and w e l d - m e t a l Charpy Vnotch impact specimens w e r e prepared from each weld. The Charpy specimens were machined with the n o t c h in t h e w e l d m e t a l a n d n o r m a l to the w e l d face, a n d w e r e c e n t e r e d at t h e q u a r t e r - t h i c k n e s s of t h e 1 - i n . t h i c k w e l d m e n t s . In t h e relatively l a r g e e l e c t r o s l a g w e l d ( c o n d i t i o n G), the Charpy specimens w e r e centered at four l o c a t i o n s : q u a r t e r - t h i c k n e s s (top a n d b o t t o m ) a n d m i d - t h i c k n e s s a t t h e w e l d c e n t e r l i n e , a n d Vi i n . off t h e w e l d c e n t e r l i n e . For f o u r of t h e w e l d m e n t s ( c o n d i t i o n s D, E, F, a n d G), t h e Charpy specimens w e r e machined w i t h t h e n o t c h in t h e g r a i n c o a r s e n e d heat-affected zone and normal to the plate surface, and w e r e c e n t e r e d at t h e q u a r t e r - t h i c k n e s s (top and bott o m ) of t h e 1 - i n . t h i c k w e l d m e n t s a n d at b o t h t h e q u a r t e r - t h i c k n e s s a n d m i d t h i c k n e s s of t h e 2 - i n . t h i c k w e l d m e n t . Diamond pyramid hardness traverses w e r e made across (dph) each

1
1/2 1 1 2

012064 94M274 94M274 95M308 013902

56.1 65.5 58.6 52.6 52.9

59 48 61 54 63

(a) Not determined or not specified.

Table 4 N o t c h T o u g h n e s s of Plates Used f o r W e l d a b i l i t y Eva luation Plate thickness, in. 1 1/2 1 1 2 1 1/2 1 1 2 Cha rpy V-notch transition temperature , F 15 50 5 0 % shear ft-lb ft-lb fracture Longitudinal -120 -92 -128 -112 -100 -86 -38 -18 -68 -56 -39 -50 -40 -14 -30 -10 -67 -20 3 -10

Heat no. 012064 94M274 94M274 95M308 013902 012064 94M274 94M274 95M308 013902

Drop -Weight NDT Terr iperature, F -40 -80 -80 -40 -40

Transverse -90 > 0 >20 -72 20 -100 80 -95 38 -75

592-s I D E C E M B E R

1972

"T,"
inches

"A;1 inches

1 2

20 30

-CRACK-STARTER WELD BEAD

A\
E H R A D I U S *.

UNWELDED SPECIMEN

-CRACK-STARTER WELD BEAD WELD CENTERLINE WE1.D

"\
TEST

rfeinches
2

H:
A B 12 18

j
G

"T i.
D : M E N S I O N S IN iNC HES C D E 3 4 15 3 2 5 3 2 3 2

PLATE TH 1 CKNESS,

20 30 STAND

OFF D I S T A N C E , nches 15

P E N T O L l T E .VE GHT, pounds 7 28

WELDED SPECIMEN
2

i 5

F/<7. 7 Orientation of crack-starter welded explosion-bulge specimens.

beads

on

unwelded

and

Fig. 2Explosion-bulge-test

die dimensions

and

conditions.

butt weld. In addition, side, face, and root bend tests were conducted in accordance w i t h A W S D2.0-69, except for the face and root bend tests for welding conditions E and F, w h i c h were omitted because of limited material availability. Weld-metal dropweight (NDT) specimens were prepared from butt welds made by submerged arc welding (conditions B, C, and D). ASTM standard 1-in. thick P-1 drop weight specimens w e r e machined w i t h the butt w e l d centered at the midlength of the specimen. Two crack-starter type explosionbulge specimens w e r e prepared from each of five weldments (conditions A, D, E, F, and G) in accordance w i t h procedures suggested by the NRL. 1 2 The dimensions of these specimens and the orientation of the crack-starter weld beads w i t h respect to the final rolling direction of the plate are s h o w n in Fig. 1. The w e l d reinforcement was left in place on all welded specimens. The explosion-bulge testing was conducted at Southwest Research Institute in accordance w i t h test procedures specified by the NRL.1.2 Details of the die dimensions and test conditions are s h o w n in Fig. 2. The specimens for each plate or welding process were tested w i t h a single shot at t w o different temperatures in the vicinity of the fracturetransition-elastic (FTE) temperature, w h i c h is defined as that temperature at w h i c h cracks w i l l propatage completely through the plastically deformed region (bulge), but w i l l not propagate into the elastically loaded

region (hold-down). After testing, the location and extent of cracking were noted and the thickness reduction of the base metal was measured.

All bend tests were satisfactory. This indicates that this steel can be readily fabricated and that the w e l d ing procedures investigated can produce sound welds in this steel. R e s u l t s of I m p a c t T e s t s The results of the Charpy and dropweight tests on the weld metal and the heat-affected zone of the butt joints welded w i t h the various processes are summarized in Table 9. These data provide a comparison of the effects of various processes and filler metals on notch toughness. Shielded metal-arc welding w i t h mild steel E7018 electrodes (condition A) produced a weld metal w i t h Charpy Vnotch results essentially as good as those obtained in the longitudinal direction of the base plate and superior to those in the transverse direction of the base plate. These results were better than anticipated inasmuch as the specification for this electrode (AWS A5.1-69) has a m i n imum V-notch impact requirement of 20 ft-lb at -20 F. (Although nickelcontaining electrodes such as E801 6C3 or E8018-C3 were not tested, it is assumed that they would also be suitable.) The heat-affected zone of this weldment was not evaluated; however, on the basis of data from the higher heat-input processes it would be expected to have adequate toughness. Submerged arc welding w i t h manganese-molybdenum filler metal (conditions B and C) produced weld RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT! 593-s

R e s u l t s of T e n s i o n , H a r d n e s s , and Bend Tests The data in Table 7 show that 100% joint efficiency was obtained by all welding procedures. A l l tension test specimens fractured in the base metal away from the w e l d area w i t h tensile strengths above 71 ksi m i n imum specified for unwelded plates. The results of the hardness measurements, Table 8, indicate that all the weld metals w e r e overmatching. This was confirmed by allweld-metal tension tests on the electroslag weld (condition G), w h i c h showed a yield strength of 68.9 ksi and a tensile strength of 100 ksi. The heat-affected zone hardnesses show that as the heat input was increased, both the maximum and minimum hardness decreased. (For example, compare low heat-input condition A w i t h high heat-input condition F.) The minimum heat-affected zone hardnesses of the high heat-input electrogas and electroslag welds (conditions F and G) approached those of the base plate; however, they were sufficiently high that heat-affected zone tensile failures were not observed. The maximum hardness (350 dph) near the face of the lowest heat-input welding process (condition A) is not objectionably high.

WELDING

*Si*iS!V/wA^.w*Swwi Tandem Submerged Arc (Condition E)

I E t . i

7*

^*^s.?t^'

Electroslag

(Condition G

F/g. 3 Photomacrographs of butt welds (actual size, reduced 28%)

Electrogas (Condition F) f/<7, 4 Microstructure of grain-coarsened heataffected zone of butt welds (X250, reduced 35%)

Electroslag (Condition G)

140

ONGiTUDINAL

V^ ^07
_

MIDTHICKNESS
^ - ^ " Q U A R T E R -

120

WT
5 100 FIE <-20 F FTE >30 F

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iff

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THICKNESS

, /-

LONGITUDINAL

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/ /

80

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ts

//
^ ^ ^ ^

MIDTHICKNESS

1
f TRANSVERSE 40

i j

QUARTERTHICKNESS

~~

/ / *5^ TRANSVERSE

20

/yjr
-120 -80 -40 0
c

-160

-120 TEST TEMPERATURE, F

6C

-:

i SO

120

TEST TEMPERATURE,

Fig. 5 Charpy V-notch impact steel (heat No. 95M308) 594-s I D E C E M B E R

curves for 1-in thick USS

Fifty-N

F/g'. 6 Charpy V-notch impact curves for 2-in. thick USS Fifty-N steel (heat No. 013902)

1972

Table 5Summary of Welding Conditions Used

Plate thickness, in. 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 ButtWelding joint process <a) geometry SMAW SAW SAW SAW TSAW EG EW Double Vee Double Vee Double Vee Double Vee Double Vee Square Square Fluxu Preheat or gas temp, F 100 (x) (y) (y)
(X)

Code A B C D E F G

Heat no. 95M308 94M274 94M274 95M308 95M308 95M308 013902

Electrode
b Type < > E7018

Diam, in. 1/8, 5/32

3/16 5/32 5/32 5/32 5/32 1/16 1/8

Interpass temp, F 200 200 200 200 200

Heat input range, kJ/in. 22.4-72.5 76.5-122.0 76.5-122.0 48.8-54.2 57.0-87.2 675 2290

No. of weld passes 15 6 6 8 10 1 1

Mn-Mo Mn-Mo 3Ni 3Ni MIL 1 0 0 S MI-88

100 100 100 70

2
7 0

A + CC (z)

70

{a} S M A W - s h i e ! d e d m e t a l - a r c w e l d i n g ; S A W = s u b m e r g e d a r c w e l d i n g ; T S A W - t a n d e m s u b m e r g e d arc w e l d i n g ; E G - e l e c t r o g a s m e t h o d ; E W - e l e c t r o s l a g w e l d i n g |b) See Table 6 for n o m i n a l filler m e t a l c o m p o s i t i o n . (c) A l l fluxes used are c o m m e r c i a l l y available; (x) a n d (y) are n e u t r a l and d e s i g n e d for multipass w e l d i n g , w i t h (y) being a p r e m i u m type; (z) is designed for electroslag w e l d i n g . (d) 8 single and 2 t a n d e m passes. Heat inputs are for s i n g l e passes.

metals w i t h notch toughness inferior to that of the base plate. The Charpy V-notch properties of the w e l d made w i t h the premium flux (condition C) were somewhat better at temperatures above 50 F than those of the weld made with the other manganese-molybdenum filler metal (condition B). However, neither w e l d ing procedure is recommended for this steel, even though the w e l d metal drop-weight test results were reasonably good. Much better notch toughness was obtained w h e n a 3% nickel filler metal was used (condition D). The Charpy V-notch properties of the weld metal were not as good as those of the base plate in the longitudinal direction; however, they w e r e superior to those of the base plate in the transverse direction. The NDT of this weld deposit (-50 F) was as good as that of the base plate. Thus, the 3% nickel filler metal produces submerged arc welds w i t h adequate notch toughness for most applications. For specimens oriented in the transverse direction, the Charpy Vnotch properties of the heat-affected zone (condition D) were essentially identical w i t h those of the base plate. The tandem submerged arc butt w e l d (condition E) had w e l d metal notch toughness essentially identical w i t h that of the previously discussed submerged arc butt w e l d (condition D). Also, the heat-affected zone of this weld had longitudinal Charpy Vnotch properties essentially identical w i t h those of the base plate. Relatively poor notch toughness was exhibited by the weld metal in the electrogas welded plate (condition F), w h i c h had a 15 ft-lb transition temperature of about 0 F. The poor impact properties of this weld metal were attributed to the oxidizing characteristics of the carbon dioxide in the shielding gas. The heat-affected

Table 6Typical Chemical Compositions of Filler Metals Used for Weldability Evaluations (al Electrode E7018 b Mn-Mo 3Ni MIL 100S-1 MI-88 C 0.08 0.10 0.09 0.05 0.04 Mn 0.90 1.15 0.53 1.65 1.60 Chemical P 0.012 0.017 (c) 0.007 0.010 max composition, percent S Si Ni 0.60 (c) 0.020 0.03 0.024 (c) 0.01 2.92 (c) 0.35 1.80 0.008 1.70 0.30 0.010 max Cr (c) (c) (c) 0.25 (c) Mo (c) 0.53 (c) 0.40 0.30

(a) Data f u r n i s h e d by e l e c t r o d e s u p p l i e r s (b) A l l - w e l d - m e t a l deposit. (c) Not r e p o r t e d .

Table 7 Results of Tension Test s of Transversely 3utt-Welded S pecimens Plate thickness, in. Heat no. 95M308 94M274 94M274 95M308 95M308 95M308 013902 Welding condition A (SMAW) B (SAW) C (SAW) D (SAW) E (TSAW) F(EG) G (EW) Tensile strength, ksi 75.3 88.3 89.3 76.6 76.5 78.3 74.4 Location of failure Base Base Base Base Base Base Base metal metal metal metal metal metal metal

(a) See Table 5 for weld ng c o n d i t i o n s (b) W e l d r e i n f o r c e m e n t r e m o v e d .

Table 8 Hardness Measurements of Butt-Welded Plates Diamond pyramid h ardness Plate thick nesS, in. 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 Base Heat no. 95M308 94M274 94M274 95M308 95M308 95M308 013902 Welding condition Location metal, avg. 181 185 199 191 191 192 173 176 172 168 175 178 175 180 Heat-affected zone min 193 203 190 203 195 201 192 180 190 175 178 190 180 160 max 350 262 254 223 241 229 246 214 230 225 225 240 238 220 Weld metal. avg. 198 197 225 216 215 214 188 182 195 190 195 200 230 230

A ( S M A W ) Near face Quarter-thickness B (SAW) Near face Quarter-thickness C (SAW) Near face Quarter-thickness D (SAW) Near face Quarter-thickness E (TSAW) Near face Mid-thickness F(EG) Near face Mid-thickness G (EW) Near face Mid-thickness

WELDING RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT!

595-s

r
140

'

IT

fW^)

i
BASE PLATE (LONG!

r~~

\A)
77^

120

"

100

C E FT E < 20F / WELD METAL

60

"
/

40

1 I 1 1

**
^ BASE P L A T E (TRANS) HAZ (TRANS)

t *jr t^

20

i
160

i
40

1
80

1
I 20

-120
TEST TEMPERATURE,

-160

- 120

-80

-40 0 TEST T E M P E R A T U R E , F

Fig. 7Charpy V-notch impact curves for welded 1 -in. thick USS Fifty-N steel (heat No.

shie/ded-metal-arc 95M308)

Fig. 8Charpy V-notch impact curves for submerged welded 1-in. thick USS Fifty-N steel (heat No. 95M308)

arc

HAZ

(LONG)

'

WELD

METAL

160

-120
TEST TEMPERATURE, TEST TEMPERATURE,

Fig. 9Charpy V-notch impact curves for tandem welded USS Fifty-N steel (heat No. 95M308)

submerged

arc

Fig. 10Charpy V-notch impact curves for electrogas in. thick USS Fifty-N steel (heat No. 95M308)

welded

1-

zone of this w e l d also showed a loss in notch toughness, w i t h values similar to those in the weld metal. These values are similar to those that would be expected in a high strength low a l loy steel of this type in the hot rolled (unwelded) condition. Contrary to expectations, the notch toughness of the coarse-grain weld metal of the electroslag weld (condition G) was excellent. The 15 ft-lb and 15-mil lateral-expansion transition temperatures ranged from -70 to 596-s I D E C E M B E R 1972

-100 F. Also, the impact properties were relatively uniform at the various positions tested. The heat-affected zone notch toughness of the electroslag weld was relatively poor, like that of the electrogas weld. The microstructural causes of the poor heat-affected zone notch toughness for the electrogas and electroslag welds are illustrated in Fig. 3 and 4, w h i c h show photomacrographs of welds and microstructures of the grain-coarsened heat-affected zone

respectively, for tandem submerged arc, electrogas, and electroslag welds (conditions E, F, and G). The microstructure of the coarse-grain heat-affected zone in the tandem submerged arc welded butt joint consisted of relatively fine acicular ferrite and pearlite, w i t h very little proeutectoid ferrite at the prior-austenite grain boundaries. Similar microstructures were also observed in shielded metalarc and submerged arc welds. However, because of the higher heat input

and slower cooling rate of the electrogas and electroslag welds, these heat-affected zones exhibited coarser structure and considerable proeutectoid ferrite outlining prior-austenite grain boundaries. R e s u l t s of E x p l o s i o n - B u l g e Tests Schematic diagrams of the singleshot explosion-bulge tests conducted on 1 and 2-in. thick base plate and on shielded metal-arc, submerged arc, tandem submerged arc, electrogas, and electroslag welded specimens (conditions A, D, E, F, and G) are shown in Fig. 5 through 1 1 . For comparison, these figures also show the respective Charpy V-notch energyabsorption curves for the base plate, the heat-affected zone, and the w e l d metal. Table 10 summarizes the detailed test results and FTE determinations. Salient observations from these tests are described below. Base Plate The FTE temperatures for the 1-in. thick base plates w e r e < - 2 0 and -5 F. As shown in Fig. 5 for the tests on heat No. 9 5 M 3 0 8 , some pieces were punched out of the bulge area and the crack propagation did not show preference to the " w e a k " direction (based on Charpy results) in this straightaway-rolled product. The test results for heat No. 9 4 M 2 7 4 were similar except that one crack in the specimen tested at -20 F extended into the hold-down at an angle of about 45 deg to the rolling direction. For the 2-in. thick plate, the FTE temperature was slightly above 30 F, w i t h some indication of slightly greater crack propagation in the " w e a k " direction, Fig. 6.

-80

-40 0 TEST TEMPERATURE,

Fig. 11Charpy V-notch impact steel (heat No. 013902)

curves

for electroslag

welded

2-in.

thick

USS

Fifty-N

Electrogas Welded Plate

Shielded Metal-Arc Welded Plate

The shielded metal-arc welded plate has an FTE temperature of about -5 F and performed similarly to the unwelded plate, w i t h no preference to crack propagation in the vicinity of the weld, Fig. 7.
Submerged Arc Welded Plates

Both the single-wire submerged arc welded specimens (condition D) and the tandem submerged arc welded specimens (condition E) had FTE temperatures below -20 F, and behaved similarly to the base plate, Fig. 8 and 9. Again, there was no preference to cracking in the weld metal or the heat-affected zone. The explosion-bulge test performance of the 1-in. thick base plates and of the shielded metal-arc, submerged arc, and tandem submerged arc w e l d ments is considered excellent.

As s h o w n in Fig. 10, one crack in the electrogas welded specimen (condition F) tested at 10 F progressed into the hold-down along the heat-affected zone at the toe of the weld. Note that in this welded joint the Charpy V-notch values for both the weld metal and the heat-affected zone were relatively low. For the specimen tested at 3 0 F, the cracking was confined to the bulge area in the base plate away from the weld area. The FTE temperature of the electrogas welded specimens was about 2 0 F. Although this performance is not as good as that of plates welded by lower heat-input processes, it is still considered satisfactory for many applications.

affected zone had very low notch toughness. This performance is considered good.

Conclusions The welding characteristics of normalized high strength low alloy (0.20% C max, 1.10/1.50% Mn, 0 . 1 5 / 0 . 5 0 % Si, and 0.02% Cb min) steel plates were investigated, and the results may be summarized as follows: 1. These plates can be produced to meet the requirements of ABS Section 43 Grades DH and EH and have an excellent combination of strength and low temperature notch toughness. 2. Only low hydrogen welding practices are suitable for this steel, and w h e n these practices are used, the steel is relatively free of susceptibility to restraint cracking. 3. This steel can be readily welded by a variety of welding processes including the electrogas and electroslag processes. Commercially available filler metals, gases, and fluxes w i l l produce weldments w i t h 1 0 0 % joint efficiency and satisfactory bendtest ductility. For applications in RESEARCH SUPPLEMENT! 597-s

Electroslag-Welded Plate

The electroslag welded 2-in. thick specimens (condition G) had an FTE temperature of about 25 F, w h i c h w a s slightly better than that for the unwelded 2-in. thick specimens. A s s h o w n in Fig. 1 1 , the cracks progressed in the base plate w e l l away from the weld, even though the heatWELDING

Table 9 Results of Charpy V - N o t c h ,and Drop- Weight Tests Drop weight NDT V 1 5 mil temp, F
F

Plate thick ness, in. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2

Heat no. 95M308 95M308 94M274 94M274 94M274 95M308 95M308 95M308 013902 013902

Welding Condition

Test Specimen Loca- O r i e n tion(a) tation BM BM WM BM BM WM WM HAZ WM HAZ WM HAZ WM BM BM HAZ WM Trans. Long. Long. Long, Trans. Long. Long. Trans. Long. Trans.

Charpy V-notch energy absorbed, ft-lb, at indicated test tern peratures, F -70 30 15 30 31 18 (c) (c) 16 12 17 12 5 3 45 18 (c) 15 30 -40 8C 20 65 40 25 (c) (c) 25 20 35 28 8 5 75 25 (c) 30 45 -10 102 27 35 55 38 9 9 35 35 90 42 12 12 100 35 6 8 45 65 +14 115 33 100 63 48 10 10 38 47 108 50 20 18 115 42 8 12 55 75 +30 125 40 (c) 66 53 14 13 40 55 115 55 28 20 120 47 10 15 60 85 +50 130 44 (c) 68 57 19 26 45 60 118 60 40 28 125 52 15 25 65 95 +70 135 48 (c) (c) (c) 21 38 45 67 120 63 55 38 130 60 18 35 65 100

Transition temp r(b) V15 -100 -75 -92 -128 -100 40 30 -77 -62 -80 -70 -5 0 -100 -75 20 40 -100 -80 -30 15 V50 -30 10 -12 -40 -20 95 95 -19 15 -15 -35 >80 40 -30 -10 80

A (SMAW)

-90 -65 -85 (c) (c) 15 20 -70 -70 -75 -85 15 -20 -95 -80

-40 (c) (c) -80 (c) -40 -20 (c) -50 (c) (c) (c) (c) -40 (c) (c) (c)

B (SAW) C (SAW) D (SAW) D (SAW) E (TSAW) E (TSAW) F(EG) F(EG)

G(EW) G(EW)

_?o
45 -75 -70

(a) BM =base metal; WM =weld metal; HAZ = heat-affected zone. (b) V1'5 = 15 ft-lb temperature; V50 = 50% shear-fracture temperature; V1 5 mil - 15 mil lateral-expansion temperature. (c) Not determined.

Table 1 0 - -Results of Crack-Starter Explosion -Bulge Tests Plate thick ness, in. 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 Maximum base-metal thickness reduction, % 2.0 0.5 2.0 1.2 2.0 1.0 6.5 1.7 3.0 1.0 2.0 1.5 2.7 2.2 2.7 1.9 Maximum length of diametric crack, in. 12V 2 17(a) 14 14 12 17 1 / 2 | a | 131/2 131/2 10 12V2 10V2 14(a) 26 1 / 8 (a> 26V4 |a)
20

Heat no. 94M274 95M308 95M308 95M308 95M308 95M308 013902 013902

Welding condition Unwelded Unwelded A (SMAW) D (SAW) E (TSAW) F(EG) Unwelded G(EW)

Test temp, F 10 -20 10 -20 10 -20 10 -20 10 -20 30 10 30 10 30 10

FTE temp, F -5 <-20 -5 <-20 <-20 20 >30 25 25

29V4 (a)

, ,

(FTE) temperatures o f < - 2 0 and -5 F. Shielded metal-arc, submerged arc, and tandem submerged arc welded specimens of the 1-in. thick plates had FTE temperatures of - 5 , < - 2 0 , and < - 2 0 F, respectively, w i t h no evidence of preferential cracking in the w e l d metal or the heat-affected zone. One electrogas welded specimen showed a preferential heat-affected zone crack w h e n tested slightly below the FTE. The FTE of this w e l d m e n t w a s estimated to be 20 F, because a specimen tested at 30 F showed no elastic crack propagation and no cracks in the vicinity of the weld. 6. The 2-in. thick plate had an FTE temperature slightly above 30 F, and an electroslag w e l d m e n t fabricated from this plate had an FTE temperature of approximately 25 F, w i t h no cracking in the vicinity of the w e l d or the heat-affected zone. Acknowledgments

(a) Crack extended into elastically loaded material.

w h i c h Charpy V-notch toughness values approaching those of the base plate are required, mild or low alloy steel electrodes are suitable for the shielded metal-arc process; however, only alloy steel electrodes are suitable for the submerged arc, electrogas, and electroslag processes. The notch toughness of the electrogas w e l d metal w a s lower than that of the other w e l d metals, presumably as a result of the oxidizing effects of the C 0 2 in the electrogas shielding. 4. The notch toughness of the w e l d heat-affected zone, as measured by Charpy V-notch specimens, is essen598-s DECEMBER 1972

tially identical w i t h that of the base plate in weldments made by the shielded metal-arc, submerged arc, and tandem submerged arc processes. There w a s a deterioration of the heat-affected zone notch toughness of welds produced by the higher heat-input electrogas and electroslag processes. These latter values w e r e similar to those that would be expected in a high strength low alloy steel of this type in the hot rolled (unwelded) condition. 5. Explosion-bulge tests of 1-in. thick base plate from t w o heats showed fracture-transition-elastic

Acknowledgment is given by the author to Messrs. E. N. C. Dalder, W. D. Doty, C. G. Interrante, H. S. Link, R. C. Little, and P. E. Masters for assistance and advice on various portions of this program. References 1. Puzak, P. P., and Pellini, W. S., "Standard Evaluation Procedures for Explosion Bulge Testing (Weldments)," NRL Memorandum Report 1255, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, December 1961. 2. "Standard Procedures for Preproduction Testing Materials by the Explosion Bulge Test,"NAVSHIPS 0900-005-500, Revision 1, Bureau of Ships, Navy Department, Washington, D C , November 1965.