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