THE HEAT AFFECTED ZONE

Nick Kostrikin
Liz Lehman

Objectives:
Analyze the heat affected zone (HAZ) created by
3 types of welding and 2 different cooling rates
Identify any changes in the properties of the
material characteristic of each type of welding
Identify any changes in the properties of the
material based on the method of cooling used
after welding

Parent metal:

Low carbon steel ASTM 569

Easy to form and weld
Max carbon content of 0.15 wt%
0.30 0.60 wt% Mg
Max phosphorous content of 0.04 wt%
55,000 psi tensile strength
30,000 psi yield strength
30% elongation

TIG welding:
Non-consumable tungsten electrode is used to
create an arc
Inert gas used to shield the weld zone from
contaminants
Temperature of electric arc exceeds 6500 F
The intense heat is focused on a very small area
The process is quick, clean, and free of slag and
sputter

A look at TIG welding

MIG welding:
A consumable wire is used to establish an arc
and as a filler material in the weld zone
Can be used with inert gas or flux cored filler
wire to shield the weld zone from contaminates
As with TIG welding, an intensely hot electric arc
is created with the filler wire
As with TIG welding, a minimum amount of
material is necessary to produce a weld of
maximum strength

MIG welding 101

More MIG

Gas welding:
Brazing is a process of gas welding
Oxygen and acetylene are burned at correct proportions
to create a flame ranging from 5800 to 6300 F
An alloy of a lower melting temperature is used to join
the parts of the base metal
Brazing typically takes longer to weld than either TIG or
MIG
The flame is not as intense or focused as an electric arc
Because of the inherently lower tensile strength of brass,
a proportionately larger amount of brass must be used in
the weld to provide sufficient strength

Ancient and modern forms of gas welding

alternative forms of gas welding

Getting the Right flame

Procedure:
Weld 2 sets of metal samples with TIG, MIG and
BRAZING
One set is to be AIR COOLED at room temperature
The other set is to be WATER QUENCHED
Conduct laboratory experimentation:
Rockwell hardness measurements at 2mm
increments.
Fatigue testing by bending the sample at the joint 60
in both directions
Collect and analyze data
Discussion of results

Examples of some TIG welds

Our TIG welded samples

Hardness plot of the TIG welded sample

Water quenched sample

97 cycles to failure, crack at 10mm
Air cooled sample
116 cycles to failure, crack at 18mm

Our MIG welded samples

Hardness plot of the MIG welded sample

Water quenched sample

72 cycles to failure, crack at 6mm
Air cooled sample
85 cycles to failure, crack at 16mm

Our Brazed welded sample

Air cooled sample

6 cycles to failure, crack at welded joint
Water cooled sample
4 cycles to failure, crack at welded joint

Inconclusive Results !!

Hardness comparison of TIG and MIG welding

Effects of different types of welding:

TIG welding created a very strong weld with good
hardness and ductility
MIG welding created a similarly strong weld with slightly
greater hardness values, less ductility, and a smaller
heat affected zone than TIG
Gas welding with brass created a weld of insufficient
strength hence its strength and ductility could not be
compared to the two types of arc welding

Effects of different methods of cooling:

Typically the grain structure adjacent to the weld has
relatively lower hardness and greater ductility associated
with a coarse grain size. Water quenching decreases the
size of the grain structure, thus raising the hardness.
The next zone consists of a band of finer grains at the
critical temperature. This zone is relatively harder and
less ductile than the first zone and is more prone to
cracking. Water quenching tends to harden this zone and
causes cracks to occur closer to the weld than air cooled
samples.
The third zone consists of a normal grain structure
resembling those of the parent metal and is furthest from
the weld.

THE END