DISSIMILAR METAL

WELDING CRACKING AS
PER API 571
KPI PRESENTATION

BY : MOHD SYAFIQ
What is Dissimilar Metal Welding (DMW) ?
A weld joining two material from different alloy system.
Application?
Special applications in refineries, power plant and other process plants.
Why?
Equipment subject to multiple environment, minimize cost of fabrication and
etc.
 Creep damage

Dissimilar Metal Welding (DMW) Cracking Fatigue cracking

@high temperature
Sulfide stress cracking
Or hydrogen disbonding
Austenitic and Ferritic
300 SS
CS
Ni based LAS Stress/Load

Time Temperature

Cracking occurs this side

Affected MaterialsAustenitic and Ferritic joint widely different thermal expansion
coefficient

ASME B31.3
or any combination of material
Critical Factor
Thermal cyclic, filler metal, heating & cooling rate, metal temperature and
weld geometry.

Crack different coefficient of thermal expansion between CS/LAS & 300SS

which differ about 25 30% or more. Thus, lead to high stress at HAZ of
ferritic side.

Elevated operating temperature significant increment of thermal

expansion/fatigue stress at 510F (260 ).

Elevated operating temperature aggravated by diffusion of carbon from

HAZ into weld metal, reduce the creep strength. Carbon diffusion becomes
a concern at 800 - 950F (427 - 510 ).
Critical Factor
Stress are higher when using austenitic filler metal compared to nickel based
filler metal. Ni coefficient thermal expansion closer to CS.

DMW on CS/LAS with austenitic/Ni filler metal will cause narrow region of high
hardness at the weld toe near to fusion line on CS/LAS side. Thus, susceptible
to environ crack, SSC or H2 stress cracking.

DMW for high temp service in H2 environment must be carefully designed and
inspected to prevent H2 disbonding.

Poor geometry of the weld, excessive undercut and other stress intensification
factors will promote crack formation.
Affected Units or Equipment

All superheaters and reheaters that have DMW between ferritic materials (1.25Cr-
0.5Mo & 2.25Cr-1Mo) and austenitic materials (300 SS, 304H, 321H & 347H)

All DMW utilized for special applications in refineries and process

plants.
API 571
Appearance or Morphology of Damage

Most common crack at weld toe of HAZ of

ferritic side

Failure of DMW joining 1.25Cr-0.5Mo to High magnification of the crack showing

Alloy 800. Crack propagate due to high blistering and disbondment along the
temp 875 F and hydrogen pressure of weld fusion line interface.
280 psig.
Prevention and Mitigation

High temperature Ni based filler metals (close thermal

expansion coefficient to CS/LAS) may increase the life of joint.

300 SS weld should be located in a low temperature region

Buttering the ferritic side with SS/Ni based filler metal and
perform PWHT to minimize the hardness of the mixed weld one.

Buttered joint Thickness of weld metal should be minimum of

0.25 after bevel.
Inspection and Monitoring

100% PT after buttering and

completion
Butt weld 100% UT on butter layer after PWHT
100% RT
100% UT

For DMW in fired tube, RT & UT shear wave should be performed

WFMT or external SWUT for surface breaking cracks due to

corrosive environment