Title: The weldability assessment of modified E316-15 stainless steel welding electrodes

Authors: G. Srinivasan, A.K. Bhaduri, V. Shankar

Addresses: Materials Technology Division, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102, India. ' Materials Technology Division, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603102, India. ' Maxval-IP Limited, Coimbatore 641035, India

Abstract: Nitrogen-added Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) electrodes of a modified E316-15 austenitic stainless steel have been developed for the welding of 316L(N) stainless steel structural components for service at 673°K–823°K. The specifications for these welding electrodes include several modifications of the AWS/ASME SFA 5.4 specifications, including the chemical composition, ferrite content and mechanical properties. The delta-ferrite content in the weld metal has been specified in the range of 3-7 FN. The minimum ferrite content is specified to ensure crack-free welds during fabrication, while the maximum ferrite content is restricted for limiting the formation of embrittling secondary phases during high-temperature service. The weldability of these modified E316-15 electrodes, with stringent control of the chemical composition and ferrite content, has been evaluated using Varestraint tests.

Keywords: Varestraint test; austenitic stainless steel; weld metal; hot cracking; weldability assessment; welding electrodes; nitrogen; shielded metal arc welding; SMAW; ferrite content.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNEST.2009.027044

International Journal of Nuclear Energy Science and Technology, 2009 Vol.4 No.3, pp.232 - 242

Published online: 13 Jul 2009 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article