Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of austenitic stainless steel sheet joints welded by gas tungsten arc (GTA) and ultrasonic–wave–assisted gas tungsten pulsed arc (U–GTPA)

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Archives of Civil and Mechanical Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Here, ultrasonic–wave–assisted gas tungsten pulsed arc (U–GTPA) welding is proposed as a new alternative welding process to gas tungsten arc (GTA) welding. To better understand the advantages of this new process, in this paper, the microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of GTA- and U–GTPA-welded joints of 316L stainless steel are systematically compared. These results show that the weld zone (WZ) depth-to-width ratio of the U–GTPA-welded joint increased, and the area of the equiaxed grain zone was larger than that of the GTA-welded joint. This results in finally increasing the strength and hardness for U–GTPA-welded joints, and the ultimate tensile strength and elongation of the U–GTPA-welded joints were 7.1% and 26.2% greater than those of the GTA-welded joint, respectively. For the U–GTPA-welded joint, under the action of the pulsed arc, the grain distribution with high-angle boundaries (HABs) was different from that of the GTA-welded joint. The minimum of the HAB fraction corresponded to the fracture position for both joints in tensile tests. It shows that a large number of HABs were beneficial in improving joint tensile properties. However, for electrochemical corrosion experiments of two WZs in 3.5% NaCl solution, despite this GTA WZ having a higher HAB fraction, the corrosion current density and corrosion potential of U–GTA WZ were lower and higher than those of the GTA WZ, respectively. The corrosion rate and corrosion sensitivity of U–GTPA WZ indicated good corrosion resistance.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Kang JH, Noh HS, Kim KM, Lee SC, Kim SJ. Modified Ni equivalent for evaluating hydrogen susceptibility of Cr–Ni based austenitic stainless steels. J Alloy Compd. 2017;696:869–74.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Babu KA, Mandal S, Athreya CN, Shakthipriya B, Sarma VS. Hot deformation characteristics and processing map of a phosphorous modified super austenitic stainless steel. Mater Des. 2017;115:262–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Xi T, Shahzad MB, Xu D, Zhao J, Yang C, Qi M, Yang K. Copper precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of Cu–bearing 316L austenitic stainless steel: a comprehensive cross–correlation study. Mater Sci Eng A-Struct. 2016;675:243–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Sun H, Sun Y, Zhang R, Wang M, Tang R, Zhou Z. Study on hot workability and optimization of process parameters of a modified 310 austenitic stainless steel using processing maps. Mater Des. 2015;67:165–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Lundberg M, Saarimäki J, Moverare JJ, Calmunger M. Surface integrity and fatigue behaviour of electric discharged machined and milled austenitic stainless steel. Mater Charact. 2017;124:215–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Mankari K, Acharyya SG. Failure analysis of AISI 321 stainless steel welded pipes in solar thermal power plants. Eng Fail Anal. 2018;86:33–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Hua Z, Zhu S, An B, Iijima T, Gu C, Zheng J. The finding of hydrogen trapping at phase boundary in austenitic stainless steel by scanning Kelvin probe force microscopy. Scripta Mater. 2019;162:219–22.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Yamaguchi T, Hagino H. Formation of a titanium–carbide–dispersed hard coating on austenitic stainless steel by laser alloying with a light–transmitting resin. Vacuum. 2018;155:23–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Xin J, Song Y, Fang C, Wei J, Huang C, Wang S. Evaluation of inter–granular corrosion susceptibility in 316LN austenitic stainless steel weldments. Fusion Eng Des. 2018;133:70–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Gao Z, Jiang P, Wang C, Shao X, Pang S, Zhou Q, Li X, Wang Y. Study on droplet transfer and weld quality in laser–MIG hybrid welding of 316L stainless steel. Int J Adv Manuf Tech. 2017;88:483–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Feng Y, Luo Z, Liu Z, Li Y, Luo Y, Huang Y. Keyhole gas tungsten arc welding of AISI 316L stainless steel. Mater Des. 2015;85:24–31.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Garcia C, de Tiedra MP, Blanco Y, Martin O, Martin F. Intergranular corrosion of welded joints of austenitic stainless steels studied by using an electrochemical minicell. Corros Sci. 2008;50:2390–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Tseng KH, Hsu CY. Performance of activated TIG process in austenitic stainless steel welds. J Mater Process Technol. 2011;211:503–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Sabzi M, Dezfuli SM. Drastic improvement in mechanical properties and weldability of 316L stainless steel weld joints by using electromagnetic vibration during GTAW process. J Manuf Process. 2018;33:74–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Thangapandian N, Prabu SB, Padmanabhan KA. Effects of die profile on grain refinement in Al–Mg alloy processed by repetitive corrugation and straightening. Mater Sci Eng A Struct. 2016;649:229–38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Xie RS, Chen XG, Lai ZW, Liu L, Zou GS, Yan JC, Wang WX. Microstructure, mechanical properties and mechanism of ultrasound–assisted rapid transient liquid phase bonding of magnesium alloy in air. Mater Des. 2016;91:19–27.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Xie W, Huang T, Yang C, Lin S. W, Xu, Comparison of microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion behavior of Gas Metal Arc (GMA) and Ultrasonic–wave–assisted GMA (U–GMA) welded joints of Al–Zn–Mg alloy. J Mater Process Technol. 2020;277:116470.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Han Q. Ultrasonic processing of materials. Metall Mater Trans B. 2015;46:1603–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Sun QJ, Lin SB, Yang CL, Zhao GQ. Penetration increase of AISI 304 using ultrasonic assisted tungsten inert welding. Sci Technol Weld Joi. 2009;14:765–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Xie WF, Fan CL, Yang CL, Lin SB. Effect of acoustic field parameters on arc acoustic binding during ultrasonic wave–assisted arc welding. Ultrason Sonochem. 2016;29:476–84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Xie W, Fan C, Yang C, Lin S, Zhang Y. Characteristics of acoustic–controlled arc in ultrasonic wave–assisted arc. Acta. Phys. Sin. 2015;64:095201.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Chinese standard GB/T 228.1–2010. Metallic materials–Tensile testing at ambient temperature (in Chinese), 2010.

  23. Chen S, Yan Z, Jiang F, Lu Z. The pressure distribution of hollow cathode centered negative pressure arc. J Manuf Process. 2016;23:21–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Zhao J, Wu S, Wan L, Chen Q, An P. Evolution of microstructure of semisolid metal slurry in ultrasound field. Acta Metall Sin. 2009;45:314–9.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Chen X, Li J, Cheng X, Wang H, Huang Z. Effect of heat treatment on microstructure, mechanical and corrosion properties of austenitic stainless steel 316L using arc additive manufacturing. Mater Sci Eng A-Struct. 2018;715:307–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Liu K, Li Y, Wang J. Microstructure and low–temperature mechanical properties of 304 stainless steel joints by PAW+ GTAW combined welding. J Mater Eng Perform. 2016;25:4561–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Yuan T, Luo Z, Kou S. Mechanism of grain refining in AZ91 Mg welds by arc oscillation. Sci Technol Weld Joi. 2017;22:97–103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Mao G, Cao R, Chen J, Guo X, Jiang Y. Analytical investigation of grain size dependence of microhardness in high nickel–containing reheated weld metal. Arch Civ Mech Eng. 2017;17:935–42.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Wang G, Croaker P, Dargusch M, McGuckin D, StJohn D. Simulation of convective flow and thermal conditions during ultrasonic treatment of an Al–2Cu alloy. Comput Mater Sci. 2017;134:116–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Feng X, Zhao F, Jia H, Li Y, Yang Y. Numerical simulation of non–dendritic structure formation in Mg–Al alloy solidified with ultrasonic field. Ultrason Sonochem. 2018;40:113–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Zhao Y, Wang Y, Tang S, Zhang W, Liu Z. Edge cracking prevention in 2507 super duplex stainless steel by twin–roll strip casting and its microstructure and properties. J Mater Process Technol. 2019;266:246–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Liu T, Li Y, Ren Y. Effect of Pr inoculation and crystal size on the hall–petch relationship for Al–30 wt%Mg2Si composites. Mater Lett. 2018;214:6–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Immanuel RJ, Panigrahi SK, Racineux G, Marya S. Investigation on crashworthiness of ultrafine grained A356 sheets and validation of hall–petch relationship at high strain–rate deformation. Mater Sci Eng A Struct. 2017;701:226–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Kurzynowski T, Gruber K, Stopyra W, Kuźnicka B, Chlebus E. Correlation between process parameters, microstructure and properties of 316L stainless steel processed by selective laser melting. Mater Sci Eng A-Struct. 2018;718:64–73.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Wasnik DN, Dey GK, Kain V, Samajdar I. Precipitation stages in a 316L austenitic stainless steel. Scripta Mater. 2003;49:135–41.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Bennett BW, Pickering HW. Effect of grain boundary structure on sensitization and corrosion of stainless steel. Metall Trans A. 1991;18:1117–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Sahlaoui H, Makhlouf K, Sidhom H, Philibert J. Effects of ageing conditions on the precipitates evolution, chromium depletion and intergranular corrosion susceptibility of AISI 316L: experimental and modeling results. Mater Sci Eng A-Struct. 2004;372:98–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Liu S, Liu Z, Wang Y, Tang J. A comparative study on the high temperature corrosion of TP347H stainless steel, C22 alloy and laser–cladding C22 coating in molten chloride salts. Corros Sci. 2014;83:396–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Wang J, Su H, Chen K, Du D, Zhang L, Shen Z. Effect of δ–ferrite on the stress corrosion cracking behavior of 321 stainless steel. Corros Sci. 2019;158:108079.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51705072), the Science Foundation for the Excellent Youth Scholars of the Science and Technology Department of Jilin Province (No. 20190103037JH), China, the Research Program on Science and Technology of the 13th Five–Year Plan of the Education Department of Jilin Province (No. JJKH20180428KJ), China and the Chinese Government Scholarship from China Scholarship Council (No. 201807790001).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical Engineering, Northeast Electric Power University, Jilin, 132012, China

    Weifeng Xie

  2. State Key Laboratory of Advanced Welding and Joining, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150001, China

    Weifeng Xie & Chunli Yang

Authors
  1. Weifeng Xie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Chunli Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Weifeng Xie.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical statement

This paper is an original work and has been neither published nor submitted for publication elsewhere.

Additional information

Publisehr's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (MP4 444 kb)

Supplementary file2 (MP4 288 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Xie, W., Yang, C. Microstructure, mechanical properties and corrosion behavior of austenitic stainless steel sheet joints welded by gas tungsten arc (GTA) and ultrasonic–wave–assisted gas tungsten pulsed arc (U–GTPA). Archiv.Civ.Mech.Eng 20, 43 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43452-020-00044-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s43452-020-00044-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation