Journal of Welding Science

This research studied the effect of two-stage over aging treatment on the pitting corrosion behavior and microstructure of the weld metals in the 17-4 precipitation hardening stainless steel. For this purpose, this steel was subjected to solution annealing heat treatment at 1035°C for one hour before welding. Then gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) was performed using ER630 similar filler metal. Subsequently, a section of the weldment was subjected to two-stage over aging treatment. The microstructure and corrosion resistance of the weld zone after the two-stage over aging treatment were investigated and compared with the weld zone behavior in the as-weld condition. Microstructural studies showed that the two-stage over aging treatment of the weld zone led to the tempering of the martensitic, the formation of more reversed austenite, and the formation of α-ferrite. The volume fraction of austenite in the as-weld condition was approximately %7 and increased to about %30 after two-stage over aging treatment, a four-fold increase. The pitting potential (EPit) of weld metal was -18.15 mv in the as-weld condition and reached 122.54 mv after two-stage over aging treatment, which also signifies an improvement in pitting resistance. The two-stage over aging treatment also reduced the potential differences between the different parts of welding zones reducing the galvanic corrosion occurrence. The assessment of mechanical properties through impact test revealed that impact resistance after

This study aimed to investigate the effect of diffusion welding parameters on the microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of the dissimilar joint between AISI 418 stainless steel and Inconel 738 superalloy using Ni interlayer with a thickness of 50 µm. The experiments were performed in a vacuum furnace at three temperatures of 1000, 1050 and 1150 °C for 45, 60, 75 and 90 min under the pressure of 5 MPa.The results show that voids and non-bonded areas are seen in the samples that were bonded at a lower temperature (1000 °C). By increasing the joining temperature from 1000 °C to 1050 °C, all micro discontinuities have disappeared, which shows that the microplastic deformation of roughness has improved. Then, by increasing the temperature to 1150 °C,non-bonded areas are observed in the joint due to the reduction of pressure on the contact surfaces. When pure nickel is used as an interlayer, intermetallic compounds of
γ' [Ni3(Al, Ti)] are formed in the γ matrix phase on the side of Inconel 738 superalloy while compounds of FeNi3 and γ (γFe, Ni) are formed on the side of AISI 418 stainless steel. According to the results of line scan analysis, the slope and penetration of elements in Inconel 738 superalloy is lower than AISI 418 stainless steel , which indicates less penetration in Inconel 738 superalloy. In the sample welded at the temperature of 1050 °C and the time of  90 Min, the penetration value of the nickel interlayer in AISI 418 stainless steel  and Inconel 738 superalloy was 40 µm and 35 µm, respectively. By comparing the maximum hardness, it can be concluded that the joint at the temperature of 1050 °C and the time of 90 Min has a lower maximum hardness than other samples. Therefore, it has better joint characteristics than other samples in terms of intermetallic compounds. The highest value of shear strength was obtained at the temperature of 1050 °C and the time of 90 Min, which is equal to 270 MPa.

In this study, 316L stainless steel and WC-10Co cermet were bonded by transient liquid phase process with BNi-2 interlayers with different thicknesses of 25 and 50 μm. The bonding process was conducted at 1050 °C for 1, 15, and 30 min. After bonding, the microstructure of the joints was examined using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Microhardness and tensile-shear tests were also performed to study the mechanical properties of the bonded samples. Microstructural analyses revealed that the formation mechanism of the solidified region in all samples was isothermal solidification, resulting in an isothermal solidification zone upon bonding. Additionally, the only phase present in the isothermal solidification zone was a nickel-based solid solution. In the diffusion-affected zone of the steel base material, complex borides formed regardless of the interlayer thickness. In the diffusion-affected zone of the WC-Co material, a brittle eta phase formed. Microhardness tests indicated that the maximum hardness in all samples was approximately 1100 Vickers, which was attributed to the presence of hard WC particles in the WC-Co base material. Furthermore, the highest tensile-shear strength, approximately 240 MPa, was observed in the bonded sample for 15 min with 50 μm thickness interlayer.

In this research, the effect of heat input on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the joint of two dissimilar steels D6AC and VCN 200 steel was investigated. For this purpose, the samples were welded with the current intensity of 130, 145 and 160 Ampers by GTAW process and using ER120 SG welding wire with a diameter of 2.4 mm. The metallographic results showed that the microstructure of the weld metal consisted of  lath martensite and acicular ferrite phases, which increased the volume fraction of ferrite from 5 to 32% with the increase of heat input, and the morphology of the ferrite changed from acicular to polygonal ferrite due to the decrease in the cooling rate. The HAZ area microstructure consist of bainite, lath martenrite and ferrite. The highest strength value was obtained in the welded sample with low heat input. With the increase of heat input, the tensile strength has decreased from 1154 to 965 MPa. Also, with the increase of heat input, the impact energy has increased in the welding zone due to the increase of stable phases, and in the HAZ zone due to the growth of the primary austenite grains and the reduction of the grain boundary locking effect. The results of the fracture analysis showed that the fracture occurred in the weld zone with low heat input, brittle fracture, and in the HAZ area, combination of ductil and brittle fracture occurred. With the increase in heat input, dutil fracture occurred in the welding zone and brittle fracture occurred in the HAZ zone due to grain growth.

Nowadays, in order to achieve the combined properties of multiple alloys for important applications such as automotive and marine industries, the use of cladding method is common. Cladding, which is a type of coating through welding, is one of the widely used methods for surface modification of metal parts and sheets in industry. AH36 low-alloy steel is a steel used in shipbuilding, known for its toughness and good corrosion resistance, making it a significant condidcate among other steels used in this industry. In this research, to enhance the corrosion properties of AH36 steel, the cladding process was performed using Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) with copper/nickel filler wire. Two samples, one from the coated (weld metal) and one from the uncoated (base metal) sections, were prepared and subjected to microstructural and corrosion investigations. The results indicated an increase in grain size in the heat-affected zone of the weld metal sample, leading to a reduction in mechanical properties. The cyclic polarization test showed that the base metal had higher susceptibility to pitting corrosion compared to the weld metal. Additionally, the weld metal exhibited a higher tendency for repassivation or repairing of the pits. The results of the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) test indicated that both the base metal and weld metal samples had a single-loop equivalent circuit. The larger diameter of the Nyquist semicircle for the base metal compared to the weld metal suggests better uniform corrosion behavior of the base metal relative to the weld metal.

Despite rapid advancement of additive manufacturing methods in recent years, sufficient research on bonding of additively manufactured materials to conventional alloys has not been conducted. This study evaluates the bonding between austenitic stainless steel L316 and Ti-6242 alloy, fabricated by electron beam melting, using the transient liquid phase (TLP) bonding method. The TLP bonding was achieved using a copper interlayer and processing in a vacuum furnace, examining the effects of process time and surface roughness on bond quality. The samples were characterized by optical and scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, shear strength testing, and surface roughness measurement. Results showed that reducing the surface roughness increased the shear strength. Additionally, processing time significantly affected the element diffusion, formation of intermetallic compounds like FeTi and TiCu, and the shear strength of the joints. The highest shear strength of 200 MPa was obtained with surface preparation by grinding and polishing and bonding at 980°C for 120 minutes.

This experimental-statistical study investigates the influence of laser cladding parameters—laser power (700–900 W), scanning speed (6–8 mm/s), and wire feed rate (70–80 mm/min)—on the geometric characteristics of single-pass coatings of 2507 duplex stainless steel on a VCN200 substrate. Experimental data were analyzed using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with a three-factor, four-level design matrix. Measurements including clad width (W), height (H), penetration depth (b), wettability angle (Z), and dilution percentage (D) were obtained via ImageJ software. Results indicated that increasing laser power from 700 to 900 W led to a 14% increase in clad width (from 1417 to 1744 µm), a 33% rise in clad height (from 450 to 594 µm), a 6% increase in penetration depth (from 88 to 93 µm), and a 3% improvement in wettability angle (from 71° to 69°). In contrast, increasing scanning speed from 6 to 8 mm/s reduced clad width by 12% (from 1513 to 1787 µm), clad height by 31% (from 650 to 573 µm), and wettability angle by 15% (from 67° to 78°), while enhancing penetration depth by 4% (from 85 to 84 µm) and dilution by 19% (from 58% to 53%). Moreover, raising the wire feed rate from 70 to 80 mm/min increased clad height by 13% (from 502 to 747 µm) and wettability angle by 4% (from 75° to 78°), but decreased dilution by 19% (from 59% to 48%).

In this study, the effect of friction stir welding on the microstructure and mechanical properties of Fe-24Ni-4Cr austenitic steel was investigated. For this purpose, a sheet with a thickness of 1 mm was subjected to friction stir welding using a WC-5%Co tool at a traverse speed of 100 mm/min and a tool rotational speed of 450 rpm. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis revealed that this process led to grain refinement and an increase in high-angle grain boundaries in the stir zone, attributed to dynamic recrystallization during welding. Phase maps indicated an increase in the BCC phase fraction in the stir zone compared to the base metal. Given the high strain rate and the presence of stabilizing elements, this phase was primarily strain-induced martensite. Mechanical property assessments showed a significant increase in the tensile strength of the stir zone (450 MPa) compared to the base metal (350 MPa). Moreover, the yield strength of the stir zone (388 MPa) was substantially higher than that of the base metal (145 MPa), which can be attributed to grain refinement, an increase in high-angle grain boundaries, a higher dislocation density, and martensite formation. However, the ductility of the stir zone decreased due to higher stress concentration and dislocation density in this region. These findings suggest that friction stir welding can be an effective method for enhancing the strength and hardness of austenitic steels, but process conditions must be carefully controlled to prevent reductions in toughness and ductility.

Unlike conventional welding methods, joining titanium alloys to steels using ultrasonic welding does not result in the formation of brittle intermetallic compounds and high torsion, causing a reduction in the mechanical properties of the joint. Ultrasonic welding of the St12-CP.Ti samples was performed at constant parameters of 7 bars, 2 s and 1 kW and variable parameter of interlayer material (Cu, 70B and Zn). The investigation of samples by OM, SEM, shear-tensile and microhardness tests revealed that Zn and Cu samples had the lowest and highest bond densities, with 42.2 and 80.6 percent, respectively. The bond density and the strength of the sample with greater interlayer deformability have higher values. Due to the high plastic deformation capability of copper, the Cu sample has generated more heat and deformation at the joint interface than in the other samples. As a result, the microstructure underwent recrystallization and grain growth after enduring severe plastic deformation. Also, the highest hardness of the steel side equal to

Wire-arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) is a prominent technique for producing large metallic components due to its high deposition rate. Utilizing austenitic stainless steels in this process not only reduces production costs but also provides greater design freedom. Among these steels, SS310, known as heat-resistant steel in the industry, offers excellent oxidation resistance and high-temperature performance. However, it is highly susceptible to hot cracking during welding and additive manufacturing processes. In this study, the microstructure and mechanical properties of SS310 fabricated using WAAM with Cold Metal Transfer (CMT) and Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) processes were compared. The results revealed that the CMT process, due to its lower heat input, effectively reduces the susceptibility of SS310 to hot cracking compared to the GMAW process. These findings emphasize the importance of selecting an appropriate process to achieve high-quality components and minimize structural defects.

In this study, 1 mm thick austenitic stainless steel 316L sheets were used for experimental testing. The experimental welding process was carried out using a Nd:YAG pulsed laser welding machine, and the welding simulation was performed using the SYSWELD software with a three-dimensional model for thermodynamic and mechanical analysis. The simulation results showed over 90% correlation with the experimental results. Analysis of experimental and numerical data revealed that at a constant voltage of 440 volts, decreasing the welding speed from 2 to 0.5 mm/s increased the overlap rate of pulses from 67% to 93% and the maximum average power density (EPPD) from 5963 to 21831 W/mm². Additionally, increasing the voltage from 440 to 480 volts at a constant speed of 1 mm/s raised the heat input from 114 to 138 J/mm and the weld depth from 0.56 to 0.66 mm. Due to the high cooling rate, the grain size of the weld metal became finer than the base metal (63% reduction in grain size). Two phases, austenite and ferrite, were observed in the weld metal, and the solidification mode was predicted to be FA.With an increase in welding speed from 0.5 mm/s to 2 mm/s at a constant voltage of 440 volts, the maximum tensile residual stress increased from 96 to 260 MPa due to reduced pulse overlap (from 93% to 67%), uneven heat distribution in the part, and the generation of thermal stresses. Furthermore, increasing the welding voltage from 440 to 480 volts at a constant speed of 1 mm/s caused the maximum tensile residual stress to rise from 124 to 152 MPa. The maximum hardness of the weld metal increased from 180 to 215 Vickers as the welding speed rose due to the prevention of carbon diffusion and an increased growth rate. However, with an increase in welding voltage and heat input (from 57 to 69 J/mm), the hardness decreased from 225 to 215 Vickers due to a reduction in thermal gradients and grain growth.

This research looks at how microstructure and mechanical properties change in resistance spot welds of QP980 advanced high-strength steel. It specifically focuses on the effects of zinc coating and how it influences weld nugget formation, mechanical properties, and fracture behavior. The study involved microscopic examinations, mechanical tests, and finite element simulations to determine the thermal history of different weld zones. A key finding was that rapid cooling during the welding process led to the formation of, metastable phases, such as martensite, in both the weld nugget and the heat-affected zone. A finite element model of the welding process was used to simulate heat distribution and analyze the microstructure in various weld regions. This model showed that reaching the peak temperature during four-pulse resistance spot welding is delayed. This delay, along with proper hold times, helps prevent the formation of voids. The simulated thermal history and the rapid heating/cooling conditions effectively predicted the evolution and transformation of the microstructure in different weld areas. It was found that the presence of a zinc coating, and the resulting reduction in electrical contact resistance, delayed the formation of the weld nugget at lower welding currents. However, at higher currents, the primary source of heat generation shifted from contact resistance to bulk resistance within the steel sheet. This led to larger weld nuggets in coated samples compared to uncoated ones. While uncoated samples showed higher weld nugget hardness (512 Vickers) and greater tensile-shear strength (with a maximum load-bearing capacity of 28.1 kN in uncoated samples versus 24 kN in coated samples), coated samples were able to achieve the critical weld nugget size for a change in fracture mode at lower welding currents (9 kA compared to 9.5 kA).

This study investigated the influence of resistance spot welding current intensity on the formation of liquid metal embrittlement (LME) cracks in galvanized advanced QP1180 steel. Galvanized steel sheets with a thickness of 1 mm were welded at currents of 6.5, 7, 7.5, and 8 kA. The results revealed that increasing the current significantly enlarged the weld nugget size, molten volume, electrode indentation, and the likelihood of LME crack formation. Microstructural analysis, elemental distribution, and crack characterization were conducted using optical and electron microscopy. The findings indicated that the weld zone microstructure primarily consisted of martensite, while the non-uniform distribution of zinc along grain boundaries facilitated the initiation and propagation of LME cracks. Cracks were predominantly observed at the periphery of the weld pool indentation and in the electrode-sheet contact area. This study demonstrates that controlling welding current intensity is a key factor in mitigating LME and improving the mechanical properties of joints in galvanized QP1180 steel. Optimizing welding parameters, particularly limiting current intensity, can prevent molten metal-induced cracking and enhance the durability and safety of automotive structures. Hardness profiling revealed peak hardness in the weld zone, followed by a gradual decrease toward the heat-affected zone (HAZ).

In this study, the effects of diffusion-bonding temperature and time on the microstructure and corrosion behavior of Al₀.₅CoCrFeMnTi₀.₅ high-entropy alloy coatings applied on A283 plain carbon steel were investigated. The coatings were produced by diffusion bonding using the spark plasma sintering method, in which high-entropy alloy powders were bonded to the substrate at temperatures of 850, 950, and 1050°C for holding times of 10, 15, and 20 minutes. Microstructural characterization performed by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) revealed that increasing the diffusion-bonding temperature and time led to reduced porosity and enhanced coating densification. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization tests conducted in a 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution demonstrated that increasing the bonding temperature and time resulted in higher charge transfer resistance (Rct) and corrosion potential (Ecorr values, along with a decrease in corrosion current density (icorr). The coating produced at 1050°C with a holding time of 20 minutes exhibited the highest corrosion resistance. The improvement in corrosion performance was attributed to the formation of a uniform and adherent oxide film, which effectively inhibited the penetration of corrosive ions into the steel substrate.

In the present study, AISI 1030 cast-steel samples were cladded using duplex stainless-steel wire ER2209 by the Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) process under different preheating temperatures and varying numbers of passes. The  degrre of dilution of the clad layers,affected by both  of the preheating temperature and the number of passes—was calculated, and was evaluated its influence on the adhesion and bonding integrity of the ER2209 clad layer on the cast-steel substrate. The results showed that by increasing the number of clad layers led to a lower dilution in the samples. Furthermore, a rise in preheating temperature also contributed to an increase in dilution. Among all conditions, the three-pass cladded sample with a preheating temperature of 100 °C exhibited the highest dilution degree. Bending test results demonstrated that the bending angle increased by the number of clad passes. Macroscopic examination confirmed  that complete interfacial continuity between the clad layer and the base metal. Phase analysis and microstructural observations revealed that the base metal consisted of approximately 80% ferrite and 20% pearlite; the heat-affected zone (HAZ) exhibited a ferrite–transformed pearlite structure with similar volume fractions; and the cladded samples in the final pass presented a duplex austenitic–ferritic structure with 10–20 Wt.% ferrite content. Microhardness test indicated that the two-pass cladded sample  that preheated at 200 °C had the highest hardness value, up to 355 HV.

In this study, the effects of welding current intensity (9 and 10 kA) and holding time (5 and 40 cycles) on the energy absorption and failure mode of a dissimilar joint between DP590 and HSLA440 steels in the resistance spot welding process were investigated. For this purpose, four parameter combinations were prepared, and a tensile–shear test was performed on each sample. The results showed that increasing the current from 9 to 10 kA at a holding time of 5 cycles led to an increase of about 1 kN in strength; however, at a hold time of 40 cycles, changing the current resulted in a decrease of approximately 1.6 kN in strength. Therefore, the role of current is limited and dependent on the saturation of the weld nugget diameter. In contrast, increasing the hold time from 5 to 40 cycles had the most significant effect, increasing the energy absorption by about 217 J. Failure mode analysis also revealed that samples with longer hold times predominantly exhibited pull-out failure (PF), absorbing significantly more energy compared to interfacial failure (IF). Overall, the results indicate that controlling cooling through increasing the holding time is the most effective factor in enhancing absorbed energy and altering the failure mode in DP590/HSLA440 joints.

Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) is one of the modern methods of fabrication parts by arc welding under shielding gas. In this research, the thin-wall of austenitic stainless steel 316L was fabricated via WAAM based on inter-pulse current; accordingly, a thin-wall was fabricated in 25-layers using two different strategies with a reciprocating torch movement pattern. Considering the equivalent chromium and nickel content in the Scheffler diagram, it was predicted that the microstructure solidification was done in the austenitic-ferritic (AF) state. Microstructural examination by optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of austenite matrix phase alongside ferrite dendrites (about 5%). The tensile test results showed that samples extracted in the vertical direction with an average tensile strength of 454 MPa had about 12% higher strain rates than horizontal samples with a tensile strength of 436 MPa. Also, examination of fine and coarse indentations on the fracture surface of tensile test specimens by scanning electron microscopy showed that the fracture of the specimens was of the ductile type. The hardness of the fabricated thin-wall was measured in the range of 200 to 265 Vickers with an average of 234 Vickers.

In this research, the influence of various forge pressure values and also the chemical composition of different carbon steels on rotary friction welding of SS 304 to carbon steels has been investigated. The steel rods of AISI 1015, 1030, and 1045 have been RFWed to SS 304 using 20, 40, and 80 bar forge pressure. Results indicated the 40 bar forge pressure as the optimum value, and by applying pressures below this number, the material flow in the weld interface would be tackled, resulting in improper mechanical values. By exceeding the optimum forge pressure, most of the viscoplastic material inside the weld interface would be rejected from that area in the form of flash, causing the weld to be done at a relatively low temperature. Microstructural investigation has been done by optical and scanning electron microscopes. Results showed that the weld zone is extremely fine due to DRX, and in the interface, a pro-eutectoid ferrite layer is formed, which has an increasing width when the heat input increases. Tensile test results showed that the optimum weld specimen is the RFW of AISI 1030 to SS 304 using 40 bar forge pressure, 40 bar friction pressure, 5s friction time, and 1500 RPM rotational speed. This specimen has shown 116 % joint efficiency and 715 MPa ultimate tensile strength.

Welding is one of the methods of surface repair of cast irons. In this study, surface repair of gray cast iron was first performed by gas metal arc welding method with ER70S-6 welding wire under inter-pulse current, heat input of 393 J/mm and dilution of 17%. Also, to compare the results, two samples were welded with ENi-CI and E6013 covered electrodes. Microstructural studies showed that the microstructure of the interface of the sample is composed of martensite with fine lathes and upper bainite. Despite the presence of cementite (Fe₃C) next to alpha iron (α-Fe) in the interface area, the formation of incomplete mixing zone with bainite lathes in the ferrite zone has led to increased toughness and prevented crack formation. The hardness of the ER70S-6 sample was similar to that of the E6013 sample at the interface, at about 809 Vickers, which is 334 Vickers higher than the hardness of the ENi-CI sample. The results of the open circuit potential and potentiodynamic polarization tests showed that the ER70-CI sample, with a corrosion potential and current of -653 mV and 6.8 μA/cm², had a higher polarization resistance and was more resistant to galvanic corrosion than the ENi-CI sample (-622 mV and 8.9 μA/cm²).

In the present study, 316L stainless steel walls were fabricated using the WAAM process under controlled primary parameters including welding current, voltage, torch travel speed, and wire feed rate. The solidification behavior, microstructural evolution, and mechanical performance of the WAAM-produced 316L stainless steel were systematically investigated. Microstructural observations revealed that the final structure consists of a γ austenitic matrix containing approximately 8.5% δ ferrite. Tensile testing demonstrated the simultaneous achievement of high strength and ductility. Specimens extracted perpendicular to the build direction exhibited an ultimate tensile strength of about 569 MPa, a yield strength of 378 MPa, and an elongation of approximately 69%. Mechanical anisotropy was estimated to be around 7.5%, attributed to the directional growth of columnar grains. The enhanced ductility compared to conventional cast steels is associated with the fully austenitic matrix, the controlled amount of δ ferrite, the refined dendritic microstructure, and the localized annealing effect resulting from the deposition of successive layers. Microhardness measurements along the build height indicated a gradual decrease in hardness with increasing distance from the substrate, caused by grain coarsening due to heat accumulation and the lower cooling rates in the upper layers. Overall, the findings demonstrate that the WAAM process is capable of producing 316L stainless steel with a balanced combination of high strength and ductility, provided that solidification behavior and thermal history are properly controlled. These results may serve as a basis for microstructure optimization and anisotropy reduction in industrial additive manufacturing applications.