Revista de Ciências e Engenharia de Materiais

Effect of HF Welding Process Parameters and Post Heat Treatment in the Development of Micro Alloyed HSLA Steel Tubes for Torsional Applications

Abstract

Udhayakumar T and Mani E

The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of High frequency (HF) Electric resistance welding process parameters and post heat treatment on the torsional fatigue life of micro alloyed HSLA steel tubes. Micro alloyed grades exhibit higher strength and formability owing to the presence of fine recrystallized ferritic grains due to thermo mechanical treatment and presence of alloying elements like Vanadium, Niobium and Titanium. Welded tubular components made of micro alloyed HSLA steel grades are highly emerging and manufacturing them remains quite challenging. Weld bond width, HAZ width and bond angle are the significant factors that directly influences the Weld quality and strength. The effect of key welding parameters like Heat input, welding temperature, squeeze roll pressure, Vee-angle, Vee-length and Impeder diameter on the above mentioned significant factors was analysed. Narrow bond, Minimum HAZ width with pronounced Hour glass pattern and optimum bond angle resulted in superior bond strength and formability of HSLA tubes. Microstructural characterization of the samples was carried out using Light optical microscopy and Scanning electron microscopy. Residual stress was determined using X-ray diffract meter and tube slitting method. Higher tensile residual stress of magnitude 200 MPa was observed in the weld region. Since such high magnitude of tensile residual stress is detrimental to torsional fatigue life, stress relieving of the tubes was carried out at different subcritical temperatures 650°C and 700°C with soaking time of 45 minutes. Without significant drop in the tensile properties, compressive residual stress of magnitude 129 MPa was observed at a particular stress relieving cycle. As an effect of stress relieving heat treatment below Ac1 temperature, there is a significant improvement in the Torsional fatigue life of the HSLA steel. Thus, High Frequency welded micro alloyed HSLA steel tubes with enhanced torsional fatigue performance were successfully developed.