WELDING METALLURGY OF

CARBON STEEL
• EFFECT OF WELDING HEAT
• Change in microstructure
• Change in hardness
• Weld Bead Sectioning consists of:
• Weld Metal (WM)
• Heat Affected Zone (HAZ)
• Base Metal (BM)
• Zone 1) WM – Metal melted & solidified to austenite and then to ferrite
(course grain structure, pro-eutectoid ferrite in GB with bainite at
centre, lower hardness)
• Zone 2) HAZ - Metal heated above UCT but not melted (area of grain
growth, Austenite changes to Martensite or Troostite (fine ferrite +
cementite) in high rate of cooling, region of underbead cracking due to
hydrogen solubility)
• Zone 3) HAZ- Metal heated between LCT and UCT (Grain refinement,
hardness increases as compared to BM)
• Zone 4) BM – heated below LCT & cooled (no structural change)
THE IMPORTANCE OF PREHEATING
& INTERPASS TEMPERATURE
• To control rate of cooling
• To minimise the formation of hardening
structure s.a. cementite
• To avoid hydrogen trapped
• To avoid cracks
 SPECIFICATION OF STEELS
• By Chemical Composition
• By Mechanical Characteristics
• By Standard Specification
• By an industrial accepted practice
• By end product
 PREFERRED ANALYSES
COMPOSITION FOR STEELS
ELEMENT PREFERRED HIGH*
• C 0.06 - 0.25% 0.35%
• Mn 0.35 – 0.80 1.40
• Si 0.10 or less 0.30
• S 0.035 or less 0.05
• P 0.030 or less 0.04

*Additional care required

 EFFECT OF COMPOSITION
ON WELDABILITY
• CARBON
- main hardening element
- increase strength
- decrease ductility, brittle
- contributor to crack
= LOW WELDABILITY
>0.25% - HAZ becomes hard & brittle
• MANGANESE
- <0.35% promote internal porosity
& cracks at weld bead.
- >0.80% promote crack
- For good weldability Mn:S ≥ 10:1
- MnS less dangerous
- FeS causes hot short cracks in WM
• SULPHUR (SULFUR)
– Increase Machinabilty
– Decrease transverse ductility
– Decrease Impact Toughness, brittle
– Promote hot short cracks
= LOW WELDABILITY
- Acceptance up to 0.035%
- >0.05% serious threat s.a. layers of FeS on fusion line

• SILICON
• Acts as Deoxidiser (e.g. Si + MnO → SiO + Mn)
• Stimulate cracks on high C content
• For good weldability keep 0.10% or less
• PHOSPHORUS
– In welding P acts as impurity
– Decrease ductility & impact strength
– >0.04% causes brittleness, cracks
– Lower surface tension of molten WM
– LOW WELDABILITY
 WHERE CAN WE OBTAIN STANDARD
SPECIFICATION ON STEEL?
• AISI (American Iron and Steel Institute)
• SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers)
• ASTM (American Society for Testing and
Materials)
• AISI/SAE → sheet, strip and bar product
• ASTM → Plate & Structural Shape
 SAMPLE OF AISI
DESIGNATION OF STEEL
• E.g. AISI Grade 1035
• 35 = 0.32 - 0.38%C
• 10xx = Non resulphurised
• 11xx = Resulphurised
• 12xx = Resulphurised, Rephosphurised
• Exxxxx = Electric Furnaced Steel
• Bxxxxx = Acid Bessemer Steel
• No prefix = Basic Open Hearth, Basic Oxygen,
Electric Furnaced Steel
• xxLxx = Leaded Steel
• xxBxx = Boron Treated Steels
• xxHxx = Steel with narrow chemical hardenability ranges
 SPECIFICATION OF STEEL
BASED ON END PRODUCT
• Formable Steel
• Drawable Steel