Properties of a Fully Austenitic

Stainless Steel W e l d Metal for Severe

Corrosion Environments
Development
is successfully carried out on a new
material for urea plants and on a corresponding
filler
metal which is available as a bare wire, covered
electrode or strip
BY A. BACKMAN A N D B. LUNDQVIST

Introduction
There are many instances involving
the chemical industry where the c o m mon standardized stainless CrNiMosteels do not have satisfactory corrosion resistance for economical operation of the equipment. This is so in the
most critical parts of reactors for the
production of the important fertilizer
urea.
For many years AISI Type 316L stainless steel has been used as construction material for such parts. The
rapidly increasing demand for urea has
forced producers to increase the
production
considerably.
Besides
building further production plants, it
was evident that a better construction
material could contribute to increased
production by giving the plants a
longer service-life.
Against this background a new
material was developed. The material
is fully austenitic and has the composition C max 0.020%, Cr 25%, Ni 22%, M o
2.1%, N 0.12%. -Nowadays it is widely
used as stripper tubes in urea plants.
Since welding is extensively used in
plant fabrication it is necessary that
the construction material has good
weldability. This was proved by several
tests which showed that the heat-affected zone (HAZ) did exhibit properties equal to those of base metal. This
is due to:
1. Low carbon content minimizing
the risk for carbide precipitation
during welding.
2. High nickel content and nitrogen
addition minimizing the ferrite formation.
3. Low
contents
of
impurities

(P < 0.015%, S < 0.015%) which counteracts cracking.

Since a chain is not stronger than its
weakest link, it is evident that a material having excellent corrosion resistance has to be welded w i t h a filler
giving a weld metal w i t h comparable
properties. In a case like this, where for
corrosion reasons ferrite practically is
not allowed in the weld metal, the
w e l l - k n o w n difficulties to get crackfree welds are likely to arise. The
development work of a filler metal for
gas tungsten-arc welding (GTAW) and
covered
electrodes
for
manual
shielded metal-arc welding (SMAW)
giving weld metal w i t h corresponding
corrosion resistance and strength
properties is described in this paper;
also described is how its cracking
resistance was optimized.
Austenitic ELC filler metals of the
type 19Cr/16Ni/Mn are used for surfacing in urea plants. However, the
corrosion resistance of the material is
not as good as that of the above
mentioned higher alloyed base metal.
Therefore, the filler metal developed
was also manufactured as strip for
submerged-arc surfacing. The tests
w i t h this are described, and the results
are presented and discussed.
Resistance to Cracking
A w e l l - k n o w n characteristic of cornPaper presented at the AWS 57th Annual
Meeting held in St. Louis, Missouri, during
May 10-14, 1976.
A. BACKMAN is Manager, Wire Laboratory;
B. LUNDQVIST is Manager, Welding Department; Sandvik AB, Sandviken, Sweden.

mon fully austenitic weld metal is its

sensitivity to cracking. Two types of
cracking, solidification cracking and
micro-cracking in reheated weld metal
of multipass weldments are reported.
The composition of the weld metal
does indeed influence the crack sensitivity and the following statements
have been published (Ref. I):
1. Carbon should be below 0.1%.
2. Silicon should be below 0.3%.
3. Manganese should be between 3
and 6%.
4. Phosphorus and sulphur should
each be maximized to 0.015%.
5. Molybdenum should be between
2 and 3%.
6. Nitrogen should be between 0.1
and 0.2%.
7. Trace impurity elements should
be avoided.
The base metal fulfills these requirements except in the case of manganese. Also, since raw materials of very
high purity are used, trace impurity
elements are at very lowest level
w h i c h is practically possible. The same
authors have also shown (Ref. 2) that
the crack sensitivity has a minimum in
the manganese range 4 to 5%Fig. 1.
Also, another paper (Ref. 3) shows that
nitrogen counteracts cracking.
Evidently, to obtain a filler metal
with an analysis matching that of the
base metal the manganese content
should be increased in order to
minimize the risk for cracking. Therefore, filler metals of the type 25Cr/
22Ni/2.1Mn/N
were
manufactured
with three different manganese levels
(namely 1.6%, 4.1% and 6.4%) and

W E L D I N G RESEARCH S U P P L E M E N T I 23-s

TCL, mm (inch)
8
(0.315)

Number of c r a c k s
per weld run
3.0

Electrode 1
2
3
4

2.5

0.48 - Mn
2.28
Mn
6.68 % Mn
9.28 %Mn

1o

(0.230)

3P

-J-'
5,

2.0

(0.079)

1.5

/ rf/
0.5

i
i

i
/

1.0

2.0

1.5

25

c,%

1.0
Note
0.5

The curves are drawn on the mean values of three

tests

Filler metal

10

Fig. 2Total crack length

incidence

of cracking

(TCL) vs. elongation

threshold

t e s t e d . V a r e s t r a i n t t e s t i n g (Ref. 4) w a s
c h o s e n as test m e t h o d , a n d t h e trials
also i n v o l v e d a 2 0 C r / 1 6 N i / 2 . 8 M o / N
f i l l e r m e t a l w i t h 8.3% m a n g a n e s e a n d a
f i l l e r m e t a l c o r r e s p o n d i n g t o A W S ER
310. T h e c o m p o s i t i o n s o f t h e all w e l d
m e t a l s f r o m t h e fillers u s e d are g i v e n
in T a b l e 1 .
T h e test m a t e r i a l w a s p r e p a r e d in
t h e f o l l o w i n g w a y . A n 8 m m ( 5 / 1 6 in.)
d e e p 90 d e g V - g r o o v e w a s m a c h i n e d
in t h e 10 m m (0.4 in.) t h i c k base m e t a l
w h i c h then was c o m p l e t e l y
filled

in weld

Remelted material

Reheated material
0.60 <

3. 25/22/2.l/N/4. lMn

not p r e d xc t a b l e
0.451'
0.551'

4. 25/22/2.l/N/6. 4Mn

0.701'

1.70

5. 20/16/2.8/N/8, 3Mn

0.851'

e > 2.20

12
Mn,%

Fig. I-Relationship
between
and manganese
content

Cracking threshold, %

pads

(E) and cracking

in Varestraint test

1. AWS ER 310
2. 25/22/2.1/N/l, 6Mn

1}

0.85 < e
1.15 < e
< e

< 0.85
< 1.15
< 1.70
< 2.20

extrapolated value from curve

using G T A W in 5 runs w i t h the filler

m e t a l t o be t e s t e d . T h i s w e l d i n g w a s
c a r r i e d o u t at 180A, 14V a n d 120 m m /
m i n (4.5 i p m ) . T h e c o m p o s i t i o n w a s
c h e c k e d in t h e t o p layer ( T a b l e 1), a n d
t h e test p l a t e s w e r e m a c h i n e d t o t h e
size 50 X 9 X 250 m m (2 X 0.35 x 12
in.). T h e V a r e s t r a i n t test w a s c a r r i e d
o u t as m e l t i n g o f t h e t o p layer i n t h e
test w e l d b y G T A W w i t h o u t
filler
metal
and
simultaneous
bending.
W e l d i n g d a t a c o n s i s t i n g o f 250A, 17V
a n d 150 m m / m i n (6 i p m ) w e r e u s e d .

T h e test p l a t e s w e r e p i c k l e d , a n d t h e
p r e s e n c e a n d sizes of cracks w e r e
i n v e s t i g a t e d u n d e r m i c r o s c o p e at 40
times magnification.
In Fig. 2 t h e t o t a l c r a c k l e n g t h in t h e
r e m e l t e d w e l d m e t a l vs. e l o n g a t i o n o f
t h e t o p layer o f t h e test p l a t e is g i v e n .
T h e e l o n g a t i o n (E) is d e f i n e d as:
E = [t/(2R + t)][100(%)]
w h e r e t = t h i c k n e s s of test
plate
( m m ) , and R = b e n d i n g radius ( m m ) .
T h e c r a c k i n g t h r e s h o l d , i.e., t h e
e l o n g a t i o n l i m i t w h e r e cracks appear,

Table 1Materials Used for Crack Tests

Test
Varestraint
Varestraint
Varestraint

Varestraint

Varestraint

Varestraint

Examination
of surfacing

24-s I I A N U A R Y

Chemical c o m p o s i t i o n , %
P
Cr
S

Type of material

Si

Mn

Ni

Mo

Base metal
W e l d metal
AWS ER 310
W e l d metal
25/22/2.1/N/1.6Mn
Check in Varestraint
specimen
W e l d metal
25/22/2.1/N/4.1Mn
Check in Varestraint
specimen
W e l d metal
25/22/2.1/N/6.4Mn
Check in Varestraint
specimen
W e l d metal
20716/2.&7N/8.3Mn
Check in Varestraint
specimen
W e l d metal
25/22/2.1/N/4.5Mn

.014

.22

1.6

.011

.003

25.0

22.0

2.07

.13

.094

.52

1.7

.013

.006

25.5

20.4

<.06

.047

.019

.16

1.6
1.6

.012

.010

24.6
24.7

21.5
21.8

2.14

.119

.014

.16

4.1
3.7

.009

.011

24.3
24.6

21.8
21.8

2.20

.104

.018

.08

6.4
5.5

.013

.012

23.6
23.9

21.8
21.8

2.06

.068

.016

.38

8.3
7.6

.010

.010

19.7
20.4

16.0
16.8

2.84

.106

.020

1.09

2.58

.010

.009

23.3

22.1

2.16

.16

1977

Table 3Welding Data for Corrosion and Tensile Test Specimens

Table 2 - W e l d i n g Data for SAW Strip

Surfacing

Type of strip
25/22/2.1/N/4.5Mn
60 x 0.5 mm
20/16/2.8/N/8.3Mn
60 X 0.5 mm
(a) O t h e r c o n d i t i o n s held
V; speed100 m m / m i n ;
m m ; neutral flux (Messer
(b) Interpass t e m p e r a t u r e

Bead
no.

Current,
A""

1
2""
1

650
700
650
700

2(bl

constant as f o l l o w s : v o l t a g e - 2 8
stickout30 m m ; overlap7-8
G r i e s h e i m LW 412).
150 C (302 F)

is also g i v e n in Fig. 2 f o r r e m e l t e d as
w e l l as r e h e a t e d m a t e r i a l . T h e t h r e s h o l d v a l u e s for r e m e l t e d m a t e r i a l are
extrapolated f r o m the curves but for
p r a c t i c a l r e a s o n s , v e r y s h o r t t o t a l crack
l e n g t h , t h e v a l u e s for r e h e a t e d m a t e rial are g i v e n as i n t e r v a l s in w h i c h t h e
t h r e s h o l d is l o c a t e d .
T h e tests s h o w very c l e a r l y t h a t t h e
c r a c k s e n s i t i v i t y is d e c r e a s e d w h e n t h e
m a n g a n e s e c o n t e n t is i n c r e a s e d . T h e
c r a c k i n g t h r e s h o l d f o r r e m e l t e d as w e l l
as r e h e a t e d m e t a l is i n c r e a s e d w i t h t h e
m a n g a n e s e c o n t e n t , a n d all t h e w e l d s
m a d e of t h e s p e c i a l f i l l e r m e t a l s are far
b e t t e r t h a n t h o s e f r o m A W S ER 310. It
is i n t e r e s t i n g t o n o t e t h a t t h e f i l l e r
metal w i t h 4 . 1 % manganese gives t h e
l o w e s t t o t a l c r a c k l e n g t h at e l o n g a t i o n
values a r o u n d 1 % a n d that t h e filler
m e t a l s w i t h 6.4 a n d 8.3% m a n g a n e s e
e x h i b i t a l m o s t c o n s t a n t t o t a l crack
l e n g t h at e l o n g a t i o n s a b o v e 1.5%.
T h e d i f f e r e n c e s in c r a c k i n g t h r e s h o l d are s m a l l as a b s o l u t e values.
H o w e v e r , it has b e e n s h o w n (Ref. 5)
that this is t y p i c a l f o r V a r e s t r a i n t
testing of material belonging to the
s a m e g r o u p . T h u s t h e results s h o w n in
Fig. 2 s h o u l d b e c o n s i d e r e d as s i g n i f i cant for different cracking behavior.
T o f u r t h e r c o n t r o l t h e c r a c k sensit i v i t y c i r c u l a r g r o o v e tests w e r e c a r r i e d
o u t w i t h S M A w e l d i n g as w e l l as w i t h
G T A W . C o v e r e d e l e c t r o d e s , 2.5 m m
d i a m e t e r ( 3 / 3 2 in.) o f t h e t y p e 2 5 C r /
22Ni/2.IMo/N
and
with
different
m a n g a n e s e c o n t e n t s , 1.5%, 4.5%, 5%
a n d 6%, w e r e u s e d in S M A w e l d i n g ,
w h i c h w a s c a r r i e d o u t in o n e layer at
80 A , 25 V a n d 150 m m / m i n (6 i p m ) .
N o cracks w e r e f o u n d in w e l d m e t a l

\
*^^*>

r>g

N.

X's * s
W

NfctFig. 3Structure of weld metal from Varestraint test with filler metal type 25/22/2.1/
N/4.5Mn. X800 (reduced 46% on reproduction)

Method''1
GTAW
SMA

Filler metal
diameter, mrr

Current,
A

1.6
2.5

90-100
80-85

Voltage,
V

Speed,
mm/min

11-12
25

240
250

(a) The same w e l d i n g data w e r e used for all filler metals tested.

f r o m t h e e l e c t r o d e s w i t h 4.5%, 5% a n d
6% m a n g a n e s e , b u t s o m e s m a l l c r a c k s
a p p e a r e d in w e l d m e t a l w i t h 1.5%
manganese. One-layer G T A W
was
p e r f o r m e d at 200 A , 14 V a n d 50 m m /
m i n (2 i p m ) w i t h 2 5 C r / 2 2 N i / 2 . I M o / N
filler metals having manganese c o n t e n t s 1.6%, 4 . 1 % , 6.4% a n d 8.3%. N o
cracks w e r e f o u n d in these welds.
This is f u r t h e r e v i d e n c e that i n creased m a n g a n e s e c o n t e n t is b e n e f i c i a l . T h e a b s e n c e o f cracks d e s p i t e
h i g h e r h e a t i n p u t in G T A W w i t h 1.6%
m a n g a n e s e f i l l e r m e t a l is p r o b a b l y d u e
to the l o w e r p h o s p h o r u s and sulphur
c o n t e n t s (Ref. 6).
Special c r a c k tests are s p e c i f i e d in
c o n n e c t i o n w i t h s u r f a c i n g . O n e of
t h e s e (Ref. 7) w h i c h is i n v o l v e d in a
p r o c e d u r e test f o r t h e s u r f a c i n g of urea
p l a n t e q u i p m e n t has b e e n c h o s e n f o r
crack testing of submerged-arc strip
weldments.
T h e w e l d i n g w a s c a r r i e d o u t in t w o
layers w i t h 60 x 0.5 m m (2.36 x 0.019
in.) s t r i p f i l l e r m e t a l o f t h e t y p e 2 5 C r /
2 2 N i / 2 . I M o / N / 4 . 5 M n o n a 50 m m (2
in.) t h i c k m i l d steel p l a t e . W e l d i n g
d a t a are g i v e n i n T a b l e 2.
A test p i e c e 130 X 80 m m (5.12
X 3.15 in.) c o n t a i n i n g m a t e r i a l f r o m
f o u r d i f f e r e n t w e l d layers a n d t h u s
t h r e e t r a n s i t i o n s b e t w e e n layers w a s
c u t o u t . A f t e r g r i n d i n g p a r a l l e l to t h e
s u r f a c e a n d e t c h i n g t h e w h o l e surf a c e , t h e test p i e c e w a s i n v e s t i g a t e d
w i t h respect to cracks u n d e r m i c r o s c o p e at X24 m a g n i f i c a t i o n . T h i s w a s
m a d e at surfaces l o c a t e d 0,1,2 a n d 3
m m (0, 0.039, 0.078 a n d 0.118 in.)
b e l o w t h e original w e l d surface.
N o cracks c o u l d be f o u n d at t h e 1 , 2
a n d 3 m m levels. At t h e z e r o l e v e l o n l y
t w o very s m a l l c r a c k s w e r e f o u n d , o n e
o n each side o f a transition b e t w e e n
t w o layers. T h e l e n g t h o f t h e c r a c k s
w a s o n l y 0.35 m m (0.0137 in.) a n d 0.1
m m (0.0039 in.) r e s p e c t i v e l y . A c c o r d ing to the present r e q u i r e m e n t s , cracks
of a l e n g t h o f m a x 0.6 m m (0.0236 in.)
are i g n o r e d .

w e l d metal structure and the mechan i s m l o r t h e c r a c k f o r m a t i o n in t h e

V a r e s t r a i n t test.
M a t e r i a l f r o m V a r e s t r a i n t tests a n d
strip surfacing was e x a m i n e d . T h e
i n v e s t i g a t e d m a t e r i a l is o f t h e t y p e s
25/22/2.1/N/1.6Mn,
25/22/2.1/N/
4.1Mn, 2 5 / 2 2 / 2 . 1 / N / 6 . 4 M n and 20/16/
2 . 8 / N / 8 . 3 M n . T h e analyses of w e l d
m e t a l are g i v e n in T a b l e 1 .
There
are
several
investigations
(Refs. 8, 9, 10) w h i c h h a v e s h o w n that
M n increases t h e t e n d e n c y o f a - p h a s e
f o r m a t i o n . M o r l a y et al (Ref. 9) i n v e s t i gated a fully austenitic 25Cr20Ni-steel
w i t h 0 . 1 % C. T h e a d d i t i o n of 4% M n
doubled the a-phase content.
In
fully
austenitic
welds
of
25Cr20Ni-type, so-called segregation
cracks a n d h o t d u c t i l i t y cracks h a v e
b e e n r e p o r t e d (Ref. 12) o f w h i c h t h e
f o r m e r t y p e is t h e m o s t c o m m o n o n e .
These cracks are n o r m a l l y f o r m e d at
h i g h t e m p e r a t u r e s , a b o u t 1300 C (2372
F), o w i n g t o s e g r e g a t i o n s a n d t h e
f o r m a t i o n o f phases h a v i n g l o w m e l t i n g t e m p e r a t u r e . As s h o w n in Fig. I, a
M n c o n t e n t b e t w e e n 2 a n d 6% s e e m s
t o decrease the t e n d e n c y to
hot
c r a c k i n g (Ref. 1). A p o s s i b l e reason for
this may be the f o r m a t i o n of manganese s u l f i d e s ( m e l t i n g p o i n t 1530 C or
2786 F) i n s t e a d o f t h e l o w - t e m p e r a t u r e
m e l t i n g phases FeS a n d NiS ( m e l t i n g at
1190 C a n d 992 C o r 1994 a n d 1818
F).
Structure Studies
T h e s t r u c t u r e o f t h e w e l d s has b e e n
s t u d i e d in a l i g h t m i c r o s c o p e a n d e l e c tron microscope. All the welds made
in t h e V a r e s t r a i n t test h a v e a h e a v i l y
segregated structure c o n t a i n i n g a primarily solidified austenite w i t h
a
s e c o n d a r y p h a s e in t h e i n t e r d e n d r i t i c
areasFig. 3 . W i t h l i n e a r analysis t h e

These results i n d i c a t e g o o d crack

resistance for t h e filler m e t a l
in
c o n n e c t i o n w i t h strip s u r f a c i n g . T h e
c r a c k s e n s i t i v i t y o f this f u l l y a u s t e n i t i c
w e l d metal may be considered c o m p a rable to ferrite-containing austenitic
s u r f a c i n g o f AISI 304 t y p e .
Metallographic

Investigations

The metallographic
investigations
w e r e m a d e in o r d e r to d e t e r m i n e t h e

Fig. 4Sigma phase determined

in the
structure of the Varestraint test with filler
metal
25l22l2.1INI4.5Mn.
X21000
(reduced 46% on
reproduction)

WELDING

R E S E A R C H S U P P L E M E N T I 25-s

Weight %

Weight %
Interdendritic phase

Dendrite

-Cr
o n Ni
o = Mo
A = Mn

40

30

30

20

20

10

10

o
D
a

40

5
6
Mn-content,weight %

=Cr
=Ni
= Mo
= Mn

5
6
Mn-content,weight %

Fig. 5Cr, Ni, Mn and Mo content as a function of the weld metal Mn-content determined in microprobe analysis. Samples from
tests. Continuous lines give results from microprobe analyses; broken lines give average values from wet chemical analyses
c o n t e n t s of t h i s p h a s e w e r e d e t e r m i n e d t o 0.4, 0.6, 0.5 a n d 0.2% r e s p e c tively. The a m o u n t of magnetic phase,
i.e. f e r r i t e , w a s d e t e r m i n e d b y a
m a g n e t i c b a l a n c e to 0.4, 0.4, 0.4 a n d
0.3%.
W h e n c o m p a r i n g the values m e a s u r e d by l i n e a r analysis w i t h t h o s e
o b t a i n e d w i t h t h e m a g n e t i c b a l a n c e it
is o b v i o u s t h a t t h e s e c o n d a r y p h a s e
m a i n l y c o n s i s t s of f e r r i t e . By e l e c t r o n
m i c r o s c o p e d i f f r a c t i o n s t u d i e s it w a s ,
however,
determined
that
small
a m o u n t s of
a - p h a s e e x i s t e d in all
samplesFig. 4. F r o m t h e a b o v e it c a n
be c o n c l u d e d that t h e a m o u n t of op h a s e is in t h e o r d e r of 0 . 1 % .

a n d in t h e i n t e r d e n d r i t i c phases w a s
d e t e r m i n e d . T h e results are g i v e n in
T a b l e 4 a n d Fig. 5. As c a n be s e e n , M n
is t h e least s e g r e g a t e d e l e m e n t o f t h e
f o u r e l e m e n t s d e t e r m i n e d (Cr, N i , M o
and M n ) . W i t h increased M n c o n t e n t
the segregation of M o seems
to
d e c r e a s e . As M o is c o n s i d e r e d t o
increase the t e n d e n c y to
a-phase
f o r m a t i o n m o r e t h a n M n d o e s (Refs.
911), o n e c a n e x p e c t t h a t t h e t e n d e n cy t o a - p h a s e f o r m a t i o n w i l l d e c r e a s e
w i t h an i n c r e a s e i n M n c o n t e n t .

T h e w e l d m e t a l o b t a i n e d in s t r i p
s u r f a c i n g has a s i m i l a r
segregated
structure
but
without
secondary
phases s u c h as a - p h a s e or f e r r i t e .

T h e analysis v a r i a t i o n s in t h e d e n d r i t i c a n d i n t e r d e n d r i t i c areas w e r e
d e t e r m i n e d . T h e results in T a b l e 5
s h o w t h a t t h e S A W w e l d s in c o m p a r ison w i t h t h e G T A W s a m p l e s h a v e
l o w e r Cr, M n , M o c o n t e n t s a n d h i g h e r
N i - c o n t e n t , b u t t h e segregations seem
t o be of t h e s a m e m a g n i t u d e .

M i c r o p r o b e Analysis

Fracture Studies

By m i c r o p r o b e analyses t h e c o m p o s i t i o n in t h e m i d d l e o f t h e d e n d r i t e s

T h e c r a c k s o b t a i n e d in t h e V a r e s t r a i n t tests w e r e s t u d i e d in a s c a n n i n g

Table 4Microprobe Analysis of Varestra nt Test Sam pies

Type

Cr

25/22/2.1/N/1.6Mn
25/22/2.l/N/4.5Mn
25/22/2. l / N / 6 . 4 M n

23.3
35.5
24.0
34.9
23.7
32.5

Dendrite
Phase
Dendrite
Phase
Dendrite
Phase

Varestraint

e l e c t r o n m i c r o s c o p e . T h e cracks f o u n d
in t h e r e m e l t e d w e l d m e t a l are o f a s o c a l l e d l i q u a t i o n or s e g r e g a t i o n t y p e
(Fig. 6 ) . T h e f r a c t u r e s u r f a c e s a n d t h e
s u r r o u n d i n g s of t h e cracks w e r e invest i g a t e d by m i c r o p r o b e analyses a n d
Guinier determinations. Neither could
i n c r e a s e d c o n t e n t s o f S a n d P be d e t e r m i n e d a r o u n d t h e c r a c k s a n d in t h e
cracks, nor c o u l d manganese
sulfides or i r o n s u l f i d e s be f o u n d . T h i s
d o e s n o t necessarily m e a n t h a t t h e s e
phases are a b s e n t s i n c e t h e y n o r m a l l y
o c c u r as v e r y t h i n f i l m s a n d h a v e t o b e
traced w i t h more advanced methods.
A l l i n v e s t i g a t e d c r a c k s that w e r e
c r e a t e d in t h e V a r e s t r a i n t test w e r e
f o u n d in t h e i n t e r d e n d r i t i c areasFig.
7. In all cases t h e c r a c k s w e r e f o u n d in
connection w i t h the a-phase a n d / o r
the ferrite phase.
In t h e r e h e a t e d w e l d m e t a l f r o m t h e
V a r e s t r a i n t test s a m p l e s also cracks of
the ductility-dip type were found.
Those cracks f o l l o w t h e grain b o u n d a r i e s a n d are l o c a t e d t o t h e i n t e r d e n d r i t i c areas.
Solidification Behaviour

Composition , wt-%
Ni
Mn
1.4
1.9
3.1
3.9
5.0
7.0

21.3
14.0
20.4
13.5
20.5
15.0

Mo
1.4
8.2
1.5
6.1
1.5
4.7

As t h e s t r u c t u r e o b t a i n e d in w e l d i n g
is d e t e r m i n e d a m o n g o t h e r t h i n g s by
t h e c o o l i n g rate, s o m e studies w e r e

Table 5Microprobe Analysis of W e l d Metal

Method

Type of filler

GTAW"'

25/22/2.1/N/4.5Mn

SAW""

25/22/2.1/N/4.5Mn

(a) Sample f r o m Varestraint lest.

(b) Sample f r o m strip surfacing.

26-sl JANUARY

1977

Cr
Dendrite
Interdendrite
Dendrite
Interdendrite

24.0
26.3
21.4
24.0

Composition, wt-%
Mn
Ni
3.1
4.3
2.5
3.1

20.4
22.8
26.3
27.3

Mo
1.5
2.2
1.1
1.9

Fig. 6-Fracture
surface obtained
in the
Varestraint test with filler metal type 251221
2.1/N/4.5Mn.
X800 (reduced46% on reproduction)

Table 6Ferrite Content in Quenched Samples With Varying Mn-Content

Fig. 7-Liquation cracks obtained in the

Varestraint test with filler metal type 251221
2.1/N/4.5Mn. X800 (reduced46% on reproduction)

made in order to determine the solidification behavior of the three investigated fillers. Samples of the three
wires were quenched from a temperature approximately 5 C (9 F) below the
liquidus temperature. By micro-studies
it was found that all samples primarily
solidified as austenite which was
followed by a ferrite solidification in
the interdendritic areas. A similar
structure as the one shown in Fig. 3
was determined.
The ferrite content in the three
samples was determined by a linear
analysis. The results given in Table 6

Type

Mn, %

Quench
temperature,
C

25/22/2.1/N/1.6Mn
25/22/2.1 / N / 4 . 5 M n
25/22/2.1/N/6.4Mn

1.6
4.5
6.4

1405
1386
1379

show that M n acts as a ferrite former at

the temperatures investigated. The
fact that M n acts as ferrite former in
chromium-nickel steels w i t h high M n
or N contents has earlier been shown
among others by F.C. Hull (Ref. 13).

Summary of the Metallographic

Investigation
The metallographic investigations
revealed that the structure obtained
with filler metal of type 2 5 / 2 2 / 2 . 1 / N /
M n is austenitic w i t h nil or a very small
amount of ferrite. The quenching tests
indicated that an increased M n - c o n tent may increase the tendency to
ferrite formation. In order to avoid
such a tendency in this type of weld
metal, the Mn-content should consequently be as low as possible.
The absence of ferrite in the SAW
samples may be explained by the

Ferrite,

2
3.2
3.5

somewhat more stable austenitic c o m position. The difference in cooling rate

between SAW and GTAW samples
may also have contributed to decreased ferrite content. This will be
further investigated. The weakest part
of the structure has been determined
to be the segregated interdendritic
areas.
Corrosion Resistance and
Mechanical Properties
Sample Preparation
For tensile tests as well as for corrosion tests of welded joints 4 mm (0.157
in.) thick strips in 25Cr/22Ni/2.1Mo/N
material were prepared w i t h a 60 deg
V-groove and butt-welded in two layers. The welding data are given in
Table 3. For the corrosion tests of allweld metal, 4 mm (0.157 in.) thick test
pieces were cut out in the upper part

Table 7-Chemical Composition of Material for Corrosion and Tensile Tests

Type

Form

25/22/2.1/N/1.6Mn"
25/22/2.1/N/4.5Mn""
25/22/2.1/N/5Mn""
25/22/2.1/N/6.3Mn'
25/22/2.1/N/4.5Mn""
25/22/2.1/N/4.5Mn>"
20/16/2.8/N/8.3Mn"'

Wire
Wire
Wire
Wire
Electrode
Strip
Strip

Mn
.012
.014
.016
.018
.040
.020
.022

.14
.10
.14
.06
.33
1.09
1.35

1.61
4.50
5.00
6.32
3.42
2.58
6.1

.013
.010
.018
.010
.018
.010
.010

.019
.010
.007
.007
.005
.009
.008

Cr

Ni

Mo

25.2
24.8
24.7
24.1
24.9
23.3
19.3

22.2
22.8
22.4
21.7
21.0
22.1
16.1

2.10
2.16
2.10
2.10
2.28
2.16
2.80

.11
.11
.12
.11
.12

.16
.13

(a) Filler metal.

(b) Weld metal.

Table 8Corrosion Test Results (Corrosion Rat e in mm/year)

Huey test""
Material
tested
Base metal
25/22/2.1/N
GTAW w e l d metal
25/22/2.1/N/4.5Mn
G T A W welded joint
25/22/2.1 / N / 4 . 5 M n
SMA weld metal
25/22/2.1/N/4.5Mn
SMA welded joint
SAW w e l d metal, strip
25/22/2.1/N/4.5Mn
SAW weld metal, strip
20/16/2.8/N/8.3Mn
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)

Not heat
treated

Heat treated
at 580
C/4h + 650 C/IOh

40% HjSO,
25 C ( 1 + 3 + 3 ) x 2 4 h

60% H,PO.,
boiling
(1+3 + 3)x24h

99% H N O ,
60 C
(1+3 + 3)x24h

0.10""

0.07""

0.10""

0.70 (0)""

0.09""

0.08""
0.16""

0.73 (0)""

0.26""

0.54""

1.87"-'

0.65

0.05

0.48

_
0.06 (0)""

0.13 (8)""

0.39 (50)""

0.30 (20)""

ASTM A262 Practice C 5x48h, average value given.

Decreasing corrosion rate.
Increasing corrosion rate.
Values in brackets indicate selective attack in ^m.

W E L D I N G RESEARCH S U P P L E M E N T I 27-s

Table 9-Mechanical Properties

Type of filler
25/22/2.1/N/1.6Mn
25/22/2.1/N/4.5Mn
25/22/2.1/N/5Mn
25/22/2.1/N/6.3Mn
25/22/2.1/N/1.5Mn
25/22/2.1/N/4.5Mn
25/22/2.1/N/6Mn

Weld method

Tested part

N/mm-'

o'

Reduction of
area, %

GTAW
GTAW
GTAW
GTAW
GTAW
GTAW
GTAW
GTAW

Welded joint
Weld metal
Welded joint
Weld metal
Welded joint
Weld metal
Welded joint
Weld metal
Welded joint
Weld metal
Welded joint
Weld metal
Welded joint
Weld metal

685
685
650
760
683
765
701
713
626
687
618
669
599
704

54

SMA
SMA
SMA
SMA
SMA
SMA

Elongation,'*'

Location of
fracture
Base metal

65

Base metal

56
73

Weld metal

37
69

Weld metal

21
69

Fusion line

46
66

Fusion line

49
50

Fusion line

38
39

(a) Elongation of h o l e 3.5 m m (0.138 in.) diameter.

of 15 mm (0.6 in.) thick w e l d pads. For

corrosion tests of SAW weld metal
from surfacing, 4 mm (0.157 in.) thick
specimens were also used. According
to the specification they were cut out
so that one of the specimen surfaces
was the untreated weld metal surface.
Tensile testing was performed on 20
mm (0.78 in.) wide specimens cut
across the weld. For testing the weld
metal t w o 3.5 mm (0.137 in.) diameter
holes were drilled in the weld in order
to predetermine the location of the
failure.

Corrosion Test Results

The welded specimens have been
corrosion tested in 40% H,S0 4 at 25 C
(77F), 60% boiling H 3 PO v 99% H N O a
at 60 C (140 F) and in Huey-test. The
weld metal compositions are given in
Table 7 and the results obtained in

Table 8.
Weld metals from GTAW and SMA
show corrosion rates almost of the
same magnitude as those obtained for
the base metal. The corrosion rate data
are relatively low compared with what
is obtained w i t h ordinary stainless
steels. The corrosion rates for the SAW
weld metals are somewhat higher than
for the base metals but are still very
low.
The difference is explained by the
difference in chemistry. The difference
in corrosion rate between the 25/22/
2.1/N/4.5Mn and type 2 0 / 1 6 / 2 . 8 / N /
8.3Mn should be noted. When corrosion properties of weld metal from the
different filler metals w i t h varying M n
content were determined, no influence whatsoever of the M n content
could be found.

28-s I JANUARY 1977

Mechanical Testing
Tensile Testing
The results from the tensile tests are
given in Table 9. As can be seen the
tensile strength is at a fairly high level,
about 700 N / m m " . It can also be noted
that the best ductility (reduction of
area and elongation values) is shown
by a filler metal of 25/22/2.1/N/4.5Mn
type.
Bend Tests
Bend tests were performed on 20
mm (0.78 in.) wide GTAW specimens
w i t h the weld placed across the w i d t h
of the specimens and over a mandrel
with a radius of 2.5 times the 10 mm
(0.39 in.) thickness. For each filler
three face-bend and three root-bend
tests were carried out. No cracks were
detected.
Conclusion
O n the basis of the test results
reported here and information in the
literature, it was possible to design an
optimal filler metal composition w i t h
regard to corrosion and crack resistance, mechanical properties and
structure stability, namely: C max
0.020%, Cr 25%, Ni 22%, M o 2.1%, N
0.12%, M n 4.5% and P and S max 0.015%
each.
Acknowledgement
The authors of this paper want to
thank Mr. Axel Bernstein for valuable
suggestions, Mr. L.G. Lundell for making the metallographic investigations,
Mr. UIf Ekstrom for organizing and
carrying out the Varestraint tests and
Mr. Stig Forsberg for organizing the
strip surfacing tests.

References
1. Honeycombe, ]., and Gooch, T.G.,
"The effect of compositional and process
variables on microcracking in fully austenitic stainless steel and weld metal," The
Welding Institute Research Report, M/74/
73.
2. Honeycombe,)., and Gooch, T.G., "Effect of manganese on cracking and corrosion behaviour of fully austenitic stainless
steel weld metals," Metal Construction and
British Welding lournal, December 1972, p
456 to 460.
3. Bernstein, A., and Areskoug, M.,
"Properties of filler metals of type AISI 316L
with increased nitrogen and/or silicon
content," Australian Welding lournal, September 1971, p 84 to 87.
4. Savage, W.F., and Lundin, CO., "The
Varestraint Test," Welding lournal, 44(10)
Oct. 1965. Research Suppl., 433-s to 442-s.
5. Canonico, D.A., Savage, W.F., Werner,
W.|., and Goodwin, G.M., "Effects of minor
additions on weldability of Incoloy 800,"
Welding Research Council, luly 1969.
6. Bernstein, A., Carlen, J.C, and Rick, L.,
"Influence of Phosphorus and Sulphur on
the Properties of the Weld Metal in Certain
Austenitic Stainless Steels," Welding lournal, 44(11), Nov. 1965, Research Suppl., 504s to 508-s.
7. "Examination of weld deposits on
analysis,
ferrite
content,
corrosion
resistance, structure and cracks in urea
resistant overlay welds," Specification
54035, Stamicarbon n.v.. The Netherlands
8. Krainer, H., Archiv fur das Eisenhuttenwesen, 28(1957)2, p 81 to 89
9. Morley, ).L, Kirkby, H.W., IISI, oktober
(1952), p 129 to 142
10. Shortsleave, F.J., Nicholson, M.E.,
Trans. ASM, 43(1951) p 142
11. Nicholson, M.E., et al., Trans. ASM,
44(1952) p 601
12. Gooch, T.C, Honeycombe, J., Metal
Construction, March (1975) p 146 to 148
13. Hull, FC, "Effect of Delta Ferrite on
the Hot Cracking of Stainless Steel," We/ding lournal, 46(9), Sept. 1967, Research
Suppl., 399-s to 409-s.