Ducol W30 Material
Ducol W30 Material
Ducol W30 Material
t.i
CRANFIELD
INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
BY
Lh
by
D. Allen, D. A. E. . A. I. M,
E , Smith, B. S c ,
P h . D . , A. I. M.
R. L. Apps. B. S c ,
P h . D . , F . I. M . , M.Weld. L
SUMMARY
Notch toughness, tensile and h a r d n e s s p r o p e r t i e s of a n o r m a l i s e d
and tenipered M n - C r - M o - V s t e e l have been d e t e r m i n e d after t h e r m a l cycling
to 1275 C in simulation of t h e r m a l cycles e x p e r i e n c e d in the c o a r s e grained
region of the heat affected zone (HAZ).
The m e t a l l u r g i c a l s t r u c t u r e was
investigated by means of optical m i c r o s c o p y and e l e c t r o n m i c r o s c o p y of
carbon extraction replicas.
The c o a r s e grained HAZ was found to have
c o m p a r a b l e notch toughness, a s d e t e r m i n e d by the Charpy V-notch i m p a c t
t e s t , to the p a r e n t plate except for a d e d r e a s e in the upper shelf e n e r g y .
P o s t - w e l d heat t r e a t m e n t s for 100 min. in the range 450 - 650 C
r e s u l t e d in d e c r e a s e d notch toughness of the c o a r s e grained HAZ with
m a x i m u m e m b r i t t l e m e n t after heat t r e a t m e n t at 550 C and 600 C.
Heat
t r e a t m e n t for 100 min. at 675 C was n e c e s s a r y to o v e r c o m e this e m b r i t t l i n g
effect.
A brief examination was made of HAZ s t r u c t u r e s produced in
m u l t i p a s s welds by subjecting s p e c i m e n s to double weld t h e r m a l c y c l e s .
A second t h e r m a l cycle to a peak t e m p e r a t u r e of 765 C on a s p e c i m e n
initially cycled to produce a c o a r s e g r a i n e d HAZ s t r u c t u r e r e s u l t e d in a r e a s
of m a r t e n s i t e at the p r i o r austenite g r a i n boundaries with a slight d e c r e a s e
in notch toughness.
T e n s i l e t e s t s at 365 C w e r e a l s o conducted on the p a r e n t plate and
s o m e of the t h e r m a l l y cycled s p e c i m e n s .
The g r e a t e s t d e c r e a s e s in proof
s t r e s s and tensile s t r e n g t h at 365 C w e r e 11% and 16% r e s p e c t i v e l y for the
p a r e n t plate.
CONTENTS
Page
INTRODUCTION
EXPERIMENTAL
2. 1
2.2
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
Materials
Procedure
2. 2. 1 Simulation of the c o a r s e grained HAZ
2. 2. 2 P o s t - c y c l e heat t r e a t m e n t
2. 2. 3 Double cycle s i m u l a t i o n
2. 2. 4 Mechanical testing
2. 2. 5 Metallographic examination
RESULTS
3. 1
3.2
4
6
Mecheuiical p r o p e r t i e s
Metallographic examination
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS
10
REFERENCES
11
FIGURES
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
- 1 -
1.
INTRODUCTION
In a previous report (Ref, 3) it was shown that the weld HAZ of Ducol
W30 consisted of four distinct regions, (a) the region of grain coarsening,
(b) the region of grain refinement, (c) the intercritical region, and (d) the
spheroidised region. Evaluation of the Charpy V - notch impact properties
of these weld HAZ structures produced by a simulation technique employing
thermal cycles measured in a submerged arc bead-on-plate weld in 38 mm,
(1, 5 in, ) thick plate at a heat input level of 4, 2 KJ/mm, (108Kj/in. ) showed
that the coarse grained HAZ had the lowest notch-toughness with transition
temperatures 50 - 70 C above parent plate levels. Another Ducol steel
supplied to the Babcock and Wilcox specification B. W. 87A, was shown to
have similar notch-toughness in the coarse grained HAZ although the transition
temperature was only 5 - 10 C above the parent plate level due to the relatively
low notch-toughness of the latter which was associated with a coarse grained
structure,
Watkins et al. (Ref, 4) reported Similar levels of notch-toughness
in the coarse grained HAZ of a submerged arc weld (in which the heat input
was not recorded) in a Ducol W30 steel although in a manual weld the notchtoughness of the coarse grained HAZ was comparable to that of the parent
plate. Saunders and Dolby (Ref, 5), using the crack opening displacement
(C,O.D. ) test, showed reduced resistance to fracture initiation of three Ducol
steels in the coarse and fine grained HAZ, The specimens were extracted
from single run welds deposited automatically using a heat input of
1 KJ/mm (26 KJ/in, ).
Since pressure vessels in Ducol W30 are invariably stress - relieved
after welding, the effect of such a treatment on the notch-toughness of the
coarse grained HAZ is of interest. The recommended stress-relieving
temperature for such structures is in the range 620 - 660 C such temperature
2 -
to be held for 1 hour per inch of thickness of the thickest member. The
failure to achieve the desired stress-relieving temperature was a major contributing factor in the catastrophic failure of a pressure vessel at
John Thompson (Wolverhampton) Limited, (Ref. 6).
Watkins et al. have
shown that the notch-toughness of the coarse grained HAZ deteriorates after
stress-relieving at 450 C and 550 C for three hours and is not fully recovered
even after three hours at 650 C.
On the other hand Saunders and Dolby
showed that one hour treatments at 450 C, 550 C and 650 C improved the
notch toughness of both the coarse and fine grained HAZ as measured by the
C , 0 , D , test, although only the 650 C treatment restored the notch-toughness
to parent plate levels. Less improvement was observed after the 550 C
treatment than after the 450 C treatment and this effect was associated with
the precipitation of vanadium carbide,
The main objects of the present work was to examine the effects of
post-weld heat treatments in the temperature range 450 C - 675 C on the
coarse grained HAZ in order to ascertain the treatments which produced
maximum embrittlement and those which restored notch-toughness to parent
plate levels. A brief examination was also made of the effect of a second
0
thermal cycle to peak temperatures of 1275 C and 765 C on the initial coarse
grained HAZ structure such as may occur in multi-pass weldments.
2.
EXPERIMENTAL
2. 1
Materials
The Ducol W30 used for this investigation was in the form of 57 mm
(2, 25 in. ) thick plate.
The chemical analysis and mechanical properties of
material taken from the mid-thickness of the plate are shown below. The
mechanical test specimens were taken along the rolling direction,
Si
Mn
0. 11
0. 25
1.48
0. 018
0. 013
Specification
0. 17
maximum
0.30
1. 50
0. 050
0. 050
0. 30 0. 70 0. 28 0. 10
Composition
(Mechanical
properties
Longitudinal
0. 2% proof
stresa
(MN/m )
0. 2% proof
stress
(tonf/in'^)
478
31. 1
Specification
346 at 120C 22. 5 at 120C
(transverse)
Ni
Cr
Mo
Cu
U. T. S.
U.T.S.
Reduction oi
(MN/m^)
(tonf/in^)
Area (%)
626
553/646
40.7
36/42
69
- 3 -
2.2
Procedure
2. 2. 1
P o s t - c y c l e heat t r e a t m e n t
After simulation some of the s p e c i m e n s w e r e given furnace
t r e a t m e n t s at 450, 500, 550, 600, 620, 650 and 675C for 100 min, and
additionally at 620 C for 30 and 60 min, to s i m u l a t e the effect of post-weld
heat t r e a t m e n t ,
2, 2. 3
Mechanical testing
Seventeen simulated blanks w e r e p r e p a r e d for mechanical testing
for each condition described above. Ten of these w e r e machined into standard
Charpy V-notch impact t e s t pieces with the notch positioned in the throughthickness d i r e c t i o n with r e s p e c t to the parent p l a t e , and a t r a n s i t i o n curve
d e t e r m i n e d by testing over a wide range of t e m p e r a t u r e .
Six simulated
blanks w e r e machined into No, 13 Hounsfield tensile t e s t pieces with a
modified gauge length of 7. 6 m m (0. 3 in, ) so that the gauge length was
contained within the heat t r e a t e d zone at the c e n t r e of the blajiks.
Three
of these w e r e t e s t e d at r o o m t e m p e r a t u r e in a UnivQJsal Inslron testing
machine at a s t r a i n r a t e of approximately 2. 8 x lO" s e c , " .
The other
t h r e e tensile t e s t pieces w e r e t e s t e d at 365 C in a Hounsfield t e n s o m e t e r
using a s i m i l a r s t r a i n r a t e . The values of 0. 2% proof s t r e s s , tensile
strength, and reduction of a r e a w e r e r e c o r d e d .
The remaining simulated
blank was sectioned t r a n s v e r s e l y a c r o s s the c e n t r e and the h a r d n e s s
d e t e r m i n e d using a Zwick h a r d n e s s testing machine and a load of 5 kg.
2, 2. 5
Metallorgaphic examination
The section used for h a r d n e s s testing was reground and polished
to remove the h a r d n e s s indentations and an optical metallographic
examination
c a r r i e d out using a R e i c h e r t ' M e F ' projection m i c r o s c o p e .
Etching was
c a r r i e d out in 2% nital.
Carbon extraction r e p l i c a s w e r e then p r e p a r e d and
examined in a Siemens Elmiskop (model lA) e l e c t r o n m i c r o s c o p e .
- 4 -
3.
RESULTS
3. 1
Mechanical properties
The Charpy results for the parent plate and the coarse grained
HAZ before and after various post-weld lieat treatments for 100 minutes
are shown in Figs. 2 and 3 respectively for the energy and crystallinity
transitions. Apart from a drop in upper shelf energy from 134 to 88J
(98 to 65 ft, Ibf. ) the coarse grained HAZ had comparable notch-toughness
to the parent plate. Post-weld heat treatment in the range 450 C 620 C resulted in a reduction in noteh-toughness with maximum embrittlement at 550 C and 600 C.
At 650 C the notch-toughness was almost back
to parent plate levels, while at 675 C the notch-toughness was above the
parent plate level. The most embrittled structure had a transition
temperature about 55 C above the parent plate level. The three structures
produced by post-weld heat treatment at 620 C for 30, 60, and 100 min.
had similar notch-toughness properties so the curves are not shown.
The Charpy results for the coarse grained HAZ structures after
a second thermal cycle to peak temperatures of 1275 C or 765 C are shown
in Figs. 4 and 5 respectively for the energy and crystallinity transitions.
The second thermal cycle to a peak temperature of 1275 C produced
comparable notch-toughness properties to the single cycled condition but
with a slightly higher upper shelf energy.
The second thermal cycle to
a peak temperature of 765 C raised the transition temperature by about
20 C although the upper shelf energy was improved.
The hardness and room temperature tensile properties of all the
structures are shown in Table 1 together with transition temperatures and
upper shelf energies taken from the Charpy tests.
The tensile properties
at 365 C are shown in Table 2.
The hardness results show a secondary
hardening peak after post-weld heat treatment at 600 C.
This treatment
also produced the highest value of proof stress and coincided with the
maximum embrittlement in the Charpy test.
The tensile test results at
365 C, Table 2, showed that little loss in proof stress and tensile stress
occurs at normal service temperatures. The average drop in proof stress
was 6% with a maximum of 11% for the parent plate.
The corresponding
figures for the tensile strength were 12% and 16%.
Heat Treatment
1st
Cycle
0. 2 % Proof Stress
2
M N / m ^ tonf/in
.T.S.
2
M N / m ^ tonf/in %
Ft.
2 Oft.
Ibf.
50%
Fibrous
Ibf.
HV5
100 min.
479
31. 1
627
40,7
69
-16
+37
134
98
214
1275C
848
55. 1
1063
69. 1
61
-28
+13
92
67
352
1275C
450C
100 min
820
53.3
936
60.8
66
+ 5
+42
109
80
291
1275C
500C
100 min.
818
53. 2
920
59.7
61
+10
+46
92
67
306
1275C
550C
100 min.
839
54.5
941
61.1
61
+38
+67
98
72
296
1275C
600C
100 min.
882
57.4
993
64.5
65
+27
+75
94
69
333
1275C
620C
100 min.
816
53. 0
922
59.9
68
+12
+58
109
80
318
1275C
650C
100 min.
829
53. 9
900
58.4
67
+37
116
85
308
1275C
675C
100 min.
778
50.6
860
55.8
70
r28
+ 7
126
93
295
1275C
620C
30 min.
855
55. 6
945
61.4
62
+12
+58
102
75
304
1275C
620C
838
54.4
944
61.3
65
+12
+58
100
74
312
1275C
1275(2
60 min.
-
836
54. 3
982
63.9
68
-20
+21
107
79
321
1275C
765{:
804
52. 2
1000
65.4
64
+40
120
88
325
Table 1. Room temperature tensile, hardness, and Charpy properties of Ducol W30 specimens.
- 6 -
Heat Treatment
1 1st
Cycle
2nd
PostCycle weld heat
Temp.
Treatment
Time
1275C
0. 2% Proof
Stress
MN/
tonf/
2
in. 2
m
Reduction ofl
Area
U.T.S.
MN/
2
m
tonf/
in. 2
428
27.8
527
34.2
69
845
54. 9
948
61.6
52
1275C
600C
53,3
872
56.6
64
1275C
620C
50,5
832
54,0
65
100 min
772
50.1
795
51,6
65
46.6
747
48.5
67
ao min. 745
48.4
818
53.1
65
812
52. 7
832
54.0
64
763
49.6
915
59.4
53
772
50. 1
892
57.9
67
1275C
650 C
1275C
675C
1275C
620C
1275C
1275C
1275C
1275C
765C
Table 2.
3. 2
620C
60 min
Metallographic examination
- 7 -
the presence of martensite, which would account for the small increase of
25C in the transition temperature.
4,
DISCUSSION
Previous work has shown that the weld HAZ of Ducol W30 steel can
be divided into four regions (Ref. 3) viz. coarse grained, fine grained, intercritical, and spheroidised regions. Notch-toughness measurements on
simulated specimens representative of these regions showed that the lowest
notch-toughness was associated with the coarse grained HAZ, In addition
this region was the most severely embrittled on subsequent post-weld heat
treatment due to reprecipitation of molybdenum and vanadium carbides taken
into solution during the weld thermal cycle. For this reason the present
work was devoted entirely to an examination of the coarse grained HAZ and
in particular to the effects of various post-weld heat treatments on notchtoughness.
The work reported herein shows that in the coarse grained HAZ of
a submerged arc bead-on-plate weld made with a heat input of 2. 1 KJ/mm
(54 KJ/in. ) and a 120 C preheat the notch-impact properties are comparable
to those of the parent plate although there is some reduction in upper shelf
energy. .
In comparing these results with other published information on the
weld HAZ properties of Ducol W30 steel it is first of all necessary to compare the variations in parent plate properties that exist. In this respect the
Ducol W30 steels appear to fall into two categories viz. those with fine grained
structures with comparatively low transition temperatures, and those with
coarse grained structures and comparatively high transition temperatures,
The differences in transition temperature between these two categories can be
as much as 60 C as shown by McKenzie (Ref. 1) who published a range of
impact/temperature curves for 125 mm (5 in. ) plates of Ducol W30 steel. In
addition Smith et al. (Ref. 3) found a difference of 35 - 60C in the transition
temperature between a coarse and a fine grained Ducol W30 steel although the
simulated coarse grained HAZ of both steels had similar transition temperatures.
Since these steels also had similar compositions the variations in parent plate
properties are most likely due to variations in heat treatment procedures.
The steel used in this work was typical of the coarse grained variety of
Ducol W30. Although these steels are basically for use at elevated temperatures where there should be no danger of brittle fracture, the coarse grained
steel could well suffer brittle failure during construction when potential s t r e s s raisers are numerous or possibly even during the periods between high
temperature service. It is suggested, therefore, that heat treatment requirements should be modified to allow the sale of fine grained steel to the fabricators.
An examination of published information on the notch-toughness of the
coarse grained HAZ of Ducol W30 steel shows that this is very dependent upon
the welding conditions used and this may be rationalised in terms of the cooling
rate through the transformation range (i.e. 700 C to 300 C),
In order to use
a common criterion for comparison the 50% crystallinity transition temperature
in the Charpy V-notch impact test will be used as this value is quoted in most
of the papers. Smith et al. (Ref. 3) using a fine grained Ducol W30 steel and
a coarse grained one to the Babcock and Wilcox specification BW87A measured
a transition temperature of 56 C in the coarse grained HAZ of both steels using
-8-
- 9 -
- 10 -
5.
CONCLUSIONS
1.
The c o a r s e grained HAZ of a submerged a r c weld in Ducol W30
made with a heat input of 2. 1 K J / m m (54 KJ(in. ) and a preheat of 120 C
was shown to have comparable notch-toughness to c o a r s e grained parent
plate except for a slight reduction in the upper shelf energy.
2.
Post-weld heat t r e a t m e n t s for 100 min. in the range 450 C - 650 C
r e s u l t e d in e m b r i t t l e m e n t of the c o a r s e grained HAZ. Maximum e m b r i t t l e m e n t
0
REFERENCES
1.
MCKENZIE, I . M .
2.
NICHOLLS, D. M.
D. A . E . T h e s i s , College of Aeronautics,
Cranfield, 1966.
SMITH, E . , BROWN, L. J.
and A P P S , R. L.
WATKINS, B. ,
VAUGHAN, H,G.
LEES, G . M .
SAUNDERS, G.G.
DOLBY, R . E .
and
and
B r i t , Weld. J n l , ,
15
B . W . R . A.
SMITH,
E,
8.
COWARD, M. D. , and
APPS, R. L.
9.
CLIFTON, T . E . ,
GEORGE, M, J,
Metal C o n s t r , ,
10.
IRVINE, K . J . and
PICKERING. F . B.
&
J.I.S.L,
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TEHPeRATURE 1*0
Fig 2. Effect of lOOmln, post-weld heat treatments on the
coarse grained HAZ of Oucol W30-energy/temperature curves.
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