The influence of heat input and multiple welding cycles on the microstructure of the heat-affected zone in autogenously TIG-welded 6 mm 2507 type super duplex stainless steel plates was investigated. In order to produce multiple thermal cycles, one to four pass bead-on-plate welds were made with arc energies of 0.47 and 1.08 kJ/mm, corresponding to heat inputs of 0.37 and 0.87 kJ/mm. Several thermocouples were attached to record thermal cycles on the front and back sides of the plates. Finite element modelling was successfully done to map and correlate measured and calculated peak temperatures. Only minor changes were seen in the ferrite content at 1 and 2 mm from the fusion boundary. Nitrides formed in all passes of the low heat input samples in a region next to the fusion boundary, but only after the third and fourth passes of the high heat input samples. Sigma phase precipitated only in a zone heated to a peak temperature in the range of approximately 828 to 1028 °C. Multiple reheating was found to promote precipitation of sigma phase relatively more than slower cooling. A precipitation free zone was observed between the nitride and sigma phase bands. The precipitation behaviour could be understood from equilibrium phase diagrams, evaluation of local thermal cycles and by correlating results from the modelling and measurements of peak temperatures. It is suggested that the peak temperature, the accumulated time in the critical temperature range between approximately 828 and 1028 °C, and the number of thermal cycles are the most relevant criteria when evaluating the risk of sigma phase formation.

Nitrogen loss is an important phenomenon in welding of super duplex stainless steels. In this study, a super duplex stainless steel was autogenously TIG-welded with one to four bead-on-plate passes with low or high heat inputs using pure argon shielding gas. The goal was to monitor nitrogen content and microstructure for each weld pass. Nitrogen content, measured by wavelength dispersive X-ray spectrometry, was after four passes reduced from 0.28 wt% in the base metal to 0.17 wt% and 0.10 wt% in low and high heat input samples, respectively. Nitrogen loss resulted in a more ferritic structure with larger grains and nitride precipitates. The ferrite grain width markedly increased with increasing number of passes and heat input. Ferrite content increased from 55% in base metal to 75% at low and 79% at high heat inputs after four passes. An increasing amount of nitrides were seen with increasing number of weld passes. An equation was suggested for calculation of the final nitrogen content of the weld metal as functions of initial nitrogen content and arc energy. Acceptable ferrite contents were seen for one or two passes. The recommendation is to use nitrogen in shielding gas and proper filler metals.

This is a study of the effect of repetitive TIG (tungsten inert gas) welding passes, melting and remelting the same material volume on microstructure and corrosion resistance of 2507 (EN 1.4410) super duplex stainless steel. One to four weld passes were autogenously (no filler added) applied on a plate using two different arc energies and with pure argon shielding gas. Sensitization testing showed that multipass remelting resulted in significant loss of corrosion resistance of the weld metal, in base material next to the fusion boundary, and in a zone 1 to 4 mm from the fusion boundary. Metallography revealed the main reasons for sensitization to be a ferrite-rich weld metal and precipitation of nitrides in the weld metal, and adjacent heat affected zone together with sigma phase formation at some distance from the fusion boundary. Corrosion properties cannot be significantly restored by a post weld heat treatment. Using filler metals with higher nickel contents and nitrogen containing shielding gases, are therefore, recommended. Welding with a higher heat input and fewer passes, in some cases, can also decrease the risk of formation of secondary phases and possible corrosion attack.