Strength recovery in a high-strength steel during multiple weld thermal simulations

  • Xinghua Yu*
  • , Jeremy L. Caron
  • , S. S. Babu
  • , John C. Lippold
  • , Dieter Isheim
  • , David N. Seidman
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

28 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

BlastAlloy 160 (BA160) is a low-carbon martensitic steel strengthened by copper and M2C precipitates. Heat-affected zone (HAZ) microstructure evaluation of BA160 exhibited softening in samples subjected to the coarse-grained HAZ thermal simulations of this steel. This softening is partially attributed to dissolution of copper precipitates and metal carbides. After subjecting these coarse-grained HAZs to a second weld thermal cycle below the A c1 temperature (at which austenite begins to form on heating), recovery of strength was observed. Atom-probe tomography and microhardness analyses correlated this strength recovery to re-precipitation of copper precipitates and metal carbides. A continuum model is proposed to rationalize strengthening and softening in the HAZ regions of BlastAlloy 160.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3669-3679
Number of pages11
JournalMetallurgical and Materials Transactions A: Physical Metallurgy and Materials Science
Volume42
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2011
Externally publishedYes

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