1224 Indian Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 3 No.

12 (Dec 2010) ISSN: 0974- 6846

Effect of initial elevated metal temperature on mechanical properties of an ARCwelded mild steel plate
S. M. Adedayo and S. O. Momoh

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ilorin, Nigeria

[email protected] Abstract The effect of metal initial elevated temperature on the microstructures and mechanical properties of a single pass arc welded steel plate were investigated. Hardness properties around the heataffected zone (HAZ) were found to increase with metal preheat at 200oC while toughness and tensile strength of metal are found to decrease with an initial elevated temperature of welded specimens. The effects of initial elevated temperature on the mechanical properties are more pronounced around the fusion zone as compared with the base metal, as evidenced by the welded steel microstructures.

Keywords: Microstructures, arcweld, heataffected zone, preheat, fusion zone.

Introduction A welded plate of mild steel consists of three regions, the fusion zone, heat-affected zone (HAZ) and unaffected base metal (Weisman, 1976). The fusion zone and heat affected zone normally undergo metallurgical transformations due to the weld heat thus consequently affecting the mechanical properties of the material. Depending on the material composition, an uncontrolled welding heat could result into metal cracks and reduce metal toughness around the heat affected zone (Ibhole & Billingham, 1983). The conventional post weld heat treatment such as stressrelief annealing often causes a reduction in hardness and residual stresses of the welded plates (Alexander & Brewer, 1963). In practice, regular rapid heating and cooling of metal is a major cause of brittleness, hardness and crack of the work-piece. Therefore it is better to preheat the welded plate in order to prevent failure of materials mechanical properties. Effect of metal preheat of welded aluminium plate shows that measured and simulated temperatures increase as preheating increases (Yeh et al., 2003). They observed however that the increase is not pronounced for small amount of preheating. In this investigation, prepared weld plate specimen of size 110 mm x 90 mm x 9 mm were welded at preheat temperatures 100oC and 200oC respectively. The effects of initial preheat on the mechanical properties and microstructures of the welded steel plate taken at different distances from the weld centre line were experimentally investigated and presented. Materials and methods support for all components of the rig to which is also welded a rolling frame track comprising of two parallel protruding 25.4 mm x 25.4 mm angle iron at a height 225 mm. This track guided the horizontal movement of the rolling frame during welding. In order to ensure a constant welding speed, a milling machine of horizontal sliding carriage was used. To the rolling frame of the welding rig, a guided wire was attached that was pulled by the milling machine sliding carriage during welding operation relative to a stationary electrode at a speed controlled on the milling machine (Adedayo 1998). A calibrated welding speed of 2 mm/sec was used throughout for this investigation.

Work materials Composition: The test piece material is mild steel of

composition 0.25% C, 0.05% S, 0.08% Si, 0.75% Mn and 0.06% P and the rest Fe.

Welding rig

The welding rig consisted of a support structure, rolling frame with a track, a pulling wire and track guides (Adedayo, 1998). The support structure comprised mainly of welded 25.4 mm x 25.4 mm angle iron, serving as Arc-weld http://www.indjst.org
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1225 Indian Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 3 No. 12 (Dec 2010) ISSN: 0974- 6846

Fig. 2. Layout of testpieces within the buttwelded

Toughness test pieces

Hardness test

work plate material was machined to specifications of 110 mm x 90 mm x 9 mm as shown in Fig.1. The welded edge of length 110 mm was further milled to a bevel angle of 30o. Two thermocouple probe holes of diameter 3 mm are located at 15 mm and 35 mm respectively from the weld centre. All test specimens were tackwelded in pairs at the edges and annealed at a Fig. 3. Toughness test specimen showing notch details. temperature of 900oC for 8 h before welding under initial preheat 60o 2mm 8mm conditions.

Preparation of work material: Each unwelded mild steel

x 8 mm were cut and machined at intervals within Tensile each zone of the welded strength piece (Fig. 2). Sharp V test pieces notches 2 mm deep average root radius of 0.167 mm were then milled into the specimens with a 60o angle cutter as in Fig. 3 in order to determine Izod impact values, using Izod testing machine.The energy Microstructure absorbed as indicated by the Izod testing machine was divided by the fracture area to give the crack extension force, Gc. (c).Tensile strength tests: Cylindrical rods of diameter 4.8 mm and 45 mm length with additional provision for tensile machine grip were prepared at similar locations as was done for toughness test (Fig. 2). Tensile tests were carried out using Monsanto Tensometer to obtain the yield stress and ultimate tensile stress (UTS).

Welding

pairs were arcwelded under the conditions such as: no initial metal preheat, 100oC initial metal preheat and 200oC initial metal preheat. The pairs of test pieces (as tackwelded) were preheated inside an electric furnace to about 250oC, which is a temperature slightly higher than the required weld preheat temperature. After attaining the required temperature inside the furnace, the work pieces was quickly clamped together to prevent angular distortion during welding, then subsequently supported on the rig. Thermocouples were connected at locations 15 mm and 35 mm from the weld centerline and welding commenced as soon as temperature dropped to 100oC or 200oC as required. At completion of welding, temperaturetime curves were monitored by chart plotters. The welded test piece was then removed and prepared for subsequent mechanical tests and micro-structural examinations. Mechanical tests: (a). Hardness tests: Hardness tests were done on each zone of the welded plate at equidistance spacings of 10 mm along a line perpendicular to the weld centre line. The Brinell hardness number (BHN) with a 60 Kg F ball indentor was used for the hardness measurement (Fig. 2). (b). Toughness tests: Test pieces of sizes 70 mm x 10 mm Research article
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Experimentation Welding procedures: The prepared test specimens in

Welding current = 120 A, Welding voltage = 80 V, Electrode specification = 2.5 mm (Gauge 10), Welding speed = 2 mm/sec.

operation

parameters:

70 mm

10mm
Microstructure

The microstructure at a distance 5 mm from weld centre line were examined by cutting through the metal thickness and the exposed crosssections prepared for micro-structural examination involving specimens prepared from each welded preheat condition and a reference specimen that was not subjected to any welding process. Prepared surfaces were ground, polished and etched with 5% Nital (Momoh, 1998). Results and discussion Fig. 4, 5 and 6 show the effects of initial preheat temperature on thermal history and temperature gradient at 15 mm and 35 mm from the centre line in the heat affected zone (HAZ) of the welded steel plate respectively. At a distance 15 mm from the weld centerline, peak temperatures of 238oC, 308.4oC and 343.6oC under no preheat (i.e. 25oC), 100oC and 200oC welding preheat conditions respectively are attained as shown in Fig. 4, while Fig. 5 shows that at a distance 35 mm from the weld centreline peak temperatures attained are 160oC, 232oC and 282oC under no preheat, 100oC and 200oC welding preheat conditions respectively.
Adedayo & Momoh Indian J.Sci.Technol.

Effect of preheat on temperature history:

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1226 Indian Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 3 No. 12 (Dec 2010) ISSN: 0974- 6846

This shows increases of peak temperatures of 72oC and 122oC under 100oC and 200oC initial metal preheat respectively. Increases in peak temperatures due to weld plate preheat are not proportionate to the preheat temperatures. The higher the weld preheat temperature, the lower the peak temperature incremental rate (Adedayo, 1998). The observed lower incremental rate of Research article
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attainable peak temperatures at distances 15 mm and 35 mm from the centreline is attributable to a reduction in thermal conductivity of plate with temperature (Rohsenow & Hartnett, 1973). Fig. 6 shows thermal gradients between points A and B in the HAZ, as recorded immediately after welding. Thermal gradients of 2.75oC/mm and 1.62oC/mm were observed under no preheat and 200oC initial weld preheat conditions immediately after welding. These values dropped and assumed a uniform value with commencement of cooling. Table 1 shows the maximum cooling rates with and without initial weld plate preheat. Metal hardness: Fig. 7 shows the effect of preheat temperature on metal hardness between the weld centre line and base metal boundary. A 200oC metal preheat resulted in an increase in metal hardness while lower preheat temperature of 100oC and the no preheat plate showed identical hardness values except at a distance 30 mm from the weld centreline. Maximum hardness values of 126 BHN and 121 BHN observed for 200oC preheat and no preheat weld plate respectively occur around the fusion zone and gradually decrease across the heat affected zone until it attains a constant value in the parent metal. High hardness values close to the fusion zones are attributable to microstructural transformations such as bainite formation resulting from high weld temperature development and instantaneous heat dissipation in the fusion and heat affected zone. Tensile strength: Fig. 8 shows the variation of yield strength between the fusion zone and the unaffected parent metal boundary under conditions of plate preheat and no preheat. The yield strength is found to decrease with increasing values of initial preheat temperatures. High values of yield strength exist for all conditions of welding in the fusion and heataffected zone and gradually reduce to the unaffected base metal value at further distances from the weld line. This variation of yield strength
Table 1 Maximum cooling rates with and without initial weld plate preheat
Point A Max.Cooling o rates ( C / Sec) 1.55 1.60 1.45 Point B Max. Cooling rates (oC / Sec.) 0.7 1.3 1.25
Adedayo & Momoh Indian J.Sci.Technol.

Welding Condition No initial metal preheat 100oC metal preheat 200oC metal preheat

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1227 Indian Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 3 No. 12 (Dec 2010) ISSN: 0974- 6846

preheat is attributable to the annealing effect resulting from a slower cooling rate between the weld line and other weld zones during welding operations. Fig. 9 shows the effect of initial metal preheat on ultimate tensile strength across the zones of the weld plate. The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) reduces with increasing initial metal preheat. This follows the same trend as the yield strength values. This trend can also be explained in terms of the annealing effect of a preheat on final metal properties. Toughness: Fig. 10 shows that initial metal preheat of mild steel before welding reduces its toughness. With no initial metal preheat, a maximum toughness value of 865 KN/M is observed while at 200oC initial metal preheat toughness value is 690 KN/M.

Specimen microstructure

Fig.11a-d shows the microstructure of the heataffected zone under all welding conditions as stated and in as received base metal states. The as received base metal, Fig. 11d consist of ferrite and pearlite because of low carbon content and the initial annealing carried out on all work pieces. Comparing Fig.11a, 11b and 11c with Fig. 11d, the microstructures of welded plate has finer grains often associated with rapid cooling. Weld preheat work pieces show signs of existence of a lamellae structure often associated with precipitation of bainite (Fig. 11a & 11b). Conclusion Mechanical properties of hardness, tensile strength and toughness in arc welded mild steel plates are found to be higher in the heat affected zone and reduce to the base metal value under all the welding conditions. Impact of initial metal preheat on mechanical properties diminishes with increasing temperature in the heat affected zone. Microstructures of preheated specimens differ from the no preheat specimen, showing traces of precipitation of bainite. Acknowledgement The author acknowledges the University of Ilorin for making their facilities at the Department of Mechanical Engineering available for this research.
Adedayo & Momoh Indian J.Sci.Technol.

can be explained in terms of the differences in cooling rate values at different positions within the weld zones. The reduced yield strength values with initial metal Research article
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1228 Indian Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 3 No. 12 (Dec 2010) ISSN: 0974- 6846

4. Ibhole SD and Billingham J (1983) Effect of heat input on HAZ toughness in HSLA steels. Metal Technol. 10, 363-367. 5. Momoh SO (1998) Effect of preheat temperature on heataffected zone (HAZ), microstructures and mechanical properties in a singlepass arcwelded mild steel plate. Engg. final year project, University of Ilorin, Nigeria. 6. Rohsenow WM and Hartnett JP (1973) Handbook of heat transfer, McGraw Hill Book Co., London. 7. Yeh RH, Liaw SP and Yu HB (2003) Thermal analysis of welding on aluminium plates. J. Marine Sci. Technol. 11(4), 213-220.

Fig.11.a. 200 0C preheat; b. 100 0C preheat; c. No preheat; d. As-received base metal

References 1. Adedayo SM (1998) Temperature and residual stresses distribution in arcwelded steel plates. Ph. D Thesis, Univ. of Ilorin. 2. Alexander JM and Brewer RC (1963) Manufacturing properties of materials, Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., London. 3. Weisman C (1976) Welding handbook (Fundamentals of welding), ASM publication, 7th Edn., Vol.1. Research article Arc-weld
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Adedayo & Momoh Indian J.Sci.Technol.