GTAW feasibility study on medium-Mn

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lightweight steel via overlay welding and

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butt-welding operations
Giacomo Villa1, Silvia Barella1, Davide Mombelli1, Andrea Gruttadauria1, Carlo Mapelli1,
Francesco Pasqualotto1

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1Politecnico di Milano

Keywords
Welding; lightweight steel; tensile test; microstructure; oxide formation

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Abstract
Lightweight steels are under development aiming to application in automotive sector. Such
alloys are featured by high Mn and Al content, high mechanical properties (up to 800MPa
of yield strength and up to 55% of elongation at break) and low density (13% lower than
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conventional stainless steel). Especially because of the application sector, the alloy
weldability assessment is compelling.
Due to the high content chemical elements different criticalities are expected, as Mn
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evaporation and κ-carbides precipitation. The former may lead to inhomogeneous chemical
composition and so different microstructure and mechanical properties. The latter is usually
exploit as strengthening method, but it may lead to excessive ductility loss.
An austenitic with medium Mn lightweight steel alloy has been tested with Gas Tungsten
Arc Welding with different configuration and different material conditions. Microstructure and
mechanical properties of the welded joints has been investigated. Solid welded joints were
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obtained without porosity or hot-cracking. In the WZ, a dendritic duplex microstructure has
been observed, while in the HAZ coarse fully austenitic grains have been detected. In the
first area low hardness values have been measured, while in the second even lower
hardness was registered without any peaks related to κ-carbides, even though κ*-carbides
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were observed.
Oxide formation has been observed on the material in form of Al and Mn oxides.
Tensile test specimen showed similar results, but the DC samples failed prematurely and
showed Al oxides on the fracture surface.
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Regardless, the AC welding process was successful, and the samples respond flawlessly
to the mechanical testing.

Introduction
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Worldwide attention toward a reduction of emissions and energy consumption is

increasingly critical. In the automotive industry, weight reduction plays a pivotal role in
achieving significant energy savings [1], [2]. An innovative strategy for achieving this
objective is embodied by a recently developed category of steel materials. Such alloys are
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featured by low density (10% lower than high strength steels, 15% lower than Hadfield steels
and AISI 304, and 16% lower than AISI 316) and high mechanical strength (up to 1500MPa
Ultimate Tensile Stress -UTS- and 80% Elongation at break) [3], [4].
Such properties are a consequence of the combination and balance between the main
alloying elements: Mn, Al, and C. They point out ferritic, austenitic, or duplex microstructure

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 exhibiting distinct properties [4], [5]. The most performing austenitic microstructure is
obtained by Al concentration of ~5-12%, Mn of ~12-30% and C of ~0.6-2% and they have

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UTS of ~800-1500 MPa and TE of ~30-80% [4].
These alloys might experience the precipitation of a peculiar second phase: κ-carbides.
Such carbides possess an E21 structure, and they have been documented in stoichiometric

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(Fe,Mn)3AlC and non-stoichiometric formulation (Fe,Mn)3AlCx (x<1) [6]. Such cells are
coherent with austenite, because of 3% lattice mismatch, while semi-coherent with ferrite
because of 6% lattice mismatch [7], [8].
In austenitic steels, carbides can be κ' intragranular finely dispersed within the austenitic
matrix, thereby enhancing alloy properties. Alternatively, they may manifest as κ*

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intergranular second phase at grain boundaries, often characterized by a coarse and
elongated morphology, resulting in detrimental effects [9], [10], [11].
κ-carbides precipitation has been observed to occur from supersaturated austenite after
ageing treatments through spinodal decomposition and rapid ordering [12]. The ageing
temperature used are usually ~550°C [13], [14] and the precipitation studied conducted over

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holding time ranging from 1h to 13h. Intra-granular κ’-carbides were detected after holding
time up to 5h and inter-granular κ*-carbides after 13h [15]. Although such long times are
usually not observed during welding, the initiation of such transformations remains plausible.
Considering the future application in automotive applications, it is of the utmost importance
the weldability of these alloys. Some criticalities are expected as grain growth, leading to a
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local decrease in the strength of the material, and unwanted precipitation or growth of κ’-
carbides, κ*-carbides
Among the most utilized welding technique, Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) stands out
as a highly versatile method. It is characterized by a non-consumable tungsten electrode
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and the presence of shielding gas. GTAW allows to weld thick plates and to employ filler
material with uneven shape and obtained from different sources. Its configuration permits
the utilization of different current polarity: welding can be performed in direct current straight
polarity configuration or in direct current reverse polarity or alternated current. In the first
configuration, the majority of heat is concentrated on the weld, yielding good penetration
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and a narrow profile, usually recommended for steel. On the other hand, in reverse polarity
most of the heat it’s directed toward the tungsten electrode, resulting in inferior penetration
and often suggested for aluminium alloys [16], [17], [18]. Other welding techniques are
performed on thin metal sheet and others, like automated laser welding, deny the use of
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non-standard filler material.

. due to the richness of the chemical composition and the material’s susceptibility to
unwanted thermal treatments’ effects. The first effect is.
During the welding processes oxides may form on the material surface or may be found
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inside the weld pool [19], [20]. Such formation has been reported on duplex stainless steel
after GTAW welding by Westin et al. [20] and on high Mn steels by Kim et al. [19]. Although
the of GTAW technique, due to lightweight steel composition it’s very likely that also in this
case oxide may form and affect the weld quality.
Few studies on weldability have been conducted and they are about duplex steels, or the
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studied material undergoes thermal treatments to simulate the Heat Affected Zone
condition. In this study, it was preferred to perform real welding joints. In this fashion not
only the thermal treatments effect can be observed, but also the behavior of the material
inside the welding pool can be analyzed and the actual feasibility of such process can be
verified.
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Materials and methods

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 In this work a lightweight steel alloy, with nominal chemical composition of Fe-15Mn-8Al-
1C-40ppmB, was employed. The material has been produced by hot rolling (followed from

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water quenching) and it was studied in form of 5mm thick sheets. The chemical composition
has been tested throw OES (Optical Emission Spectrometry) and it was observed to be very
close to the nominal one (Table 1). Material density has been measured to be ~6.950 g/cm3,

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so significantly lower than traditional steels (-13% than AISI 304 or 316, -11% than HSS and
-15% than conventional austenitic steels).

Table 1 - OES chemical composition

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wt.% Fe Mn Al C B
Real 74.94 15.53 7.581 0.994 0.0044
Nominal balance 15 8 1 0.0040

To study the material weldability, GTAW technique was employed for two different welding

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configurations: overlay welding (OW) and double-V butt-welding (BW). In the first a welding
is performed on a plate depositing the filler material but without joining sheets together, while
in the second configuration the welding is performed to joint two plates, prepared previously.
Both types of welds were tested using both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC).
Rods of ~4mm diameter obtained from the same alloy were employed as filler material. The
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welding parameters for double V butt-welding configuration are reported in Table 2. During
these processes four passages (two per each side of the plate) were required to have a
proper filling.
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Table 2 - welding parameters

AC DC
Welding speed mm/sec 1.8 0.9
Current A 15 12
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Voltage V 110 82
Power kJ/cm 9.3 10.9
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To analyze the microstructure of OW samples, four cross-sections at different distances

along the weld beads were cut, two in the center and two at the material’s ends. To study
the BW joints, six cross-sections (three per each condition) were analyzed similarly and six
tensile specimens (three for AC and three for DC) were obtained from welded plates using
waterjet cutting. The specimens were cut in such a way to maintain the weld at the center
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of the gauge length.

The microstructural analysis via light optical microscope (LOM) and secondary electron
microscope (SEM) was performed on cross-section specimens chemical etched with
NITAL10 (10% nitric acid, 90% ethanol). Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) analysis
has been performed on a sample prepared with thoroughly polishing. The analysis has been
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performed on area of 100x80 m with a step size of 0.4 m.

In the same samples cross-section microhardness test have been performed via Vickers
testing with load of 300g. In OW samples the measures were taken along three radial lines
passing starting in the WZ, passing in the HAZ and finishing in the BM. In addition, measures
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were taken from the center of WZ and in the BM to have baselines of such zones. Similarly
in the BW samples, measures were taken along four different radial lines and in the WZ and
BM, too.
The tensile tests were conducted in agreement with the ASTM E8/E8M-21, ASTM A370-20
and ASTM A505-16 standards. The crosshead speed was set as 3 mm/min.

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 To study oxides that might form during welding, a sample of material underwent a thermal
treatment. The sample, in as hot rolled condition, was prepared via grinding to remove oxide

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previously formed in hot rolling. The thermal treatment is performed at 1000°C with 15 min
holding time, followed by water quenching.

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Results
The material, before any welding treatment, shows fully austenitic microstructure with
morphology typical of hot rolled material with and average grain size of 14.6  1.6 m and

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HV of 263.7  2.2. The grains appear randomly oriented and with an equiaxial morphology.

In general, in welded joints different zones can be observed: the Weld Zone (WZ), the Heat-
Affected Zone (HAZ) and the Base Metal (BM). The WZ is the region where the filler is
deposited, and the material fully melts and rapidly solidifies. The HAZ is adjacent to the WZ

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and refers to the area of the material that experiences heating (resulting in microstructural
alterations) without reaching the melting point, while the BM is the rest of the material not
affected by the welding process [21].

In figure1, the cross-sections of two overlay welds are presented. From the figure, a clear
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distinction between the weld zone and the rest of the material can be observed and
measured. The WZ dimensions are compared between the different current configurations
(Table 3), and it was noted that the WZ width and the WZ depth are very similar. Only the
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WZ height values showed a significant difference between the two current configurations:
the alternating current condition produces a weld bead with a higher profile.

Table 3 - WZ dimensions

AC DC
WZ width 7.15 ± 0.25 mm 7.65 ± 0.57 mm
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WZ depth 1.76 ± 0.23 mm 1.87 ± 0.23 mm

WZ height 1.65 ± 0.29 mm 0.98 ± 0.13 mm
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Figure 1 - Micrographs of the cross sections of weld cladding for AC and DC samples

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 In Figure 2, the cross-sections of two double-V butt-welds can be observed. From the figure,
as in the case of overlay welding, a clear distinction between the two fusion zones and the

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rest of the material can be observed.

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Figure 2 - Micrographs of the cross sections of double V butt-weld for AC and DC samples

Irrespective of the current polarity, the microstructure of the different zones is very similar.
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In the WZ, the microstructure is typical of material with fast solidification with high thermal
gradient: columnar and equiaxed dendrites have been observed (as in Figure 3). The first
type of dendrites is more visible in the proximity of the WZ border with the plate, while the
second type is more likely to be observed in the middle of the WZ or close to the upper
boundary of WZ.
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Figure 3 - WZ microstructure: columnar dendrites from DC welding cross-section (left) and equiaxed dendrites from AC
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welding cross-section (right)

The morphology of such features has been characterized measuring PDAS and SDAS in micrographs
from different sections (reported in Table 4). It is possible to note that the PDAS is much higher than
the SDAS and that the difference between the techniques is very limited.

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 Table 4 - PDAS and SDAS values

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PDAS SDAS
avg. [µm] dev [µm] avg. [µm] dev [µm]

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AC 34.16 12.11 7.53 0.98
DC 37.54 10.91 8.10 1.31

To better analyze the described zones, the WZ from a DC sample has been observed
through Secondary Electron Microscope employing also EBSD and EDS technologies. In

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this way, it was possible to better study the nature of the dendrites previously observed. In
Figure 4 such results are reported as phase and chemical concentration maps. Although the
base material was composed only by austenitic grains, the phase map shows that in
austenitic grains (in blue) some ferrite grains have been detected (in red). Such identification
it’s further sustained by the chemical analysis: ferrite grains are in correspondence of the

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highest Al concentration and lowest concentration of Mn.

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Figure 4 - EBSD and EDS results: phase map and element concentration maps

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 The welding procedure could have promoted evaporation of some alloying elements. Mn
evaporation temperature is 2060°C [22] and Al boiling temperature 2520°C [23], but it has

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been reported that Mn partial evaporation could happen also at lower temperature like
1600° C (like in steelmaking refining stage) [24]. EDS analysis has been exploited and a

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chemical analysis on the three different zones has been performed. Figure 5 shows that the
chemical composition is consistent in the different zones with only limited fluctuations, so
specific element evaporation it’s unlikely to happen.

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Figure 5 - chemical composition comparison between BM, HAZ and WZ

The HAZ has also very similar characteristic irrespective of the current polarity employed in
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the welding and the welding configuration performed. In Figure 6, HAZ from overlay welding
AC sample is shown as representative also of the other conditions. In the top right the border
with WZ is visible, in the center the grains appear much broader than in the BM visible in
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the bottom left corner. The grain coarsening has been measured and starting from an
average grain size of ~ 13 m, the grains in the OW AC samples’ HAZ have an average
grain size of about 43 m and in OW DC samples of about 37 m.
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Figure 6 - HAZ microstructure from AC welding cross-section

Also for what concern the BW samples, the average grain size values were calculated for
the HAZ in each analyzed cross-section and in the BW AC samples’ HAZ has an average
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grain size of 48 m and in BW DC samples of 50 m. So, between the two conditions no
significant variations are visible with both welding configuration.

Using the SEM, due to higher magnification, -carbides can be identified by their
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morphology as visible in Figure 7.
In the area closer to the BM, some precipitates have been observed at grain boundary and
their chemical concentration was observed to have higher concentration of C than the
surrounding grains. This is not an exhaustive proof of -carbides precipitation, but it’s the
most likely explanation and it’s sustained by literature [25], [26], [27].
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Figure 7 -*-carbides at austenitic grain boundary

From the welding parameters listed in Table 2, values about the thermal history of the
material have been computed. Knowing the welding geometry (double-V butt-welding) and
the thickness of the welded plates (5mm), it was possible to compute the cooling time from
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900°C to 500°C. Such computation was carried on considering an abacus developed by

IRSID. In this way, it was possible to obtain an estimation of the cooling speed. Through
equation 1, also an estimation of the maximum temperature reached in the weld was
obtained, knowing material characteristic, heat input and the plate thickness [28].

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 (𝐻𝑒 ) (𝑇
2
𝑉𝑟 = 2𝜋𝑘𝜌𝑐𝑝 𝑚𝑎𝑥 ― 𝑇0)3 (1)

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Where 𝑉𝑟 is cooling rate; 𝑘 heat conductibility; 𝜌 density; 𝑐𝑝 specific heat; 𝑒 plate thickness;
𝐻 energy input, 𝑇𝑚𝑎𝑥 maximum temperature; 𝑇0 preheat temperature. Through Thermocalc

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computation (Thermo-Calc Software TCFE13 Steels/Fe-alloys Database), it was possible to
obtain heat conductibility (10.8 K/m) and specific heat (0.66 J/gK).
The results from these computations are reported in Table 5, and they are similar irrespective
of the different conditions. A small difference is observed in the cooling speed: the DC
conditions have a lower cooling rate and it had reached an inferior maximum temperature.

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Table 5 - computation results about energy input, cooling speed and maximum temperature reached

Energy input [KJ/cm] Cooling rate [°C/s] maximum T reached [°C]

AC 9.3 50 1823.8

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DC 10.9 32 1748.2

Figure 8 presents the hardness values profiles relative to the OW samples divided by the
different current polarity, DC on the left and AC on the right.
In the DC samples it can be observed that the initial hardness in the WZ stabilizes around
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269 HV. Moving towards the HAZ, the hardness value decreases, reaching values of ~250
HV (at approximately 0.15-0.2 mm distance from WZ-HAZ boundary). This decrease is likely
attributed to the presence of larger austenitic grains in this zone. Starting from approximately
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0.8-1.0 mm, the BM is reached, where the hardness reestablishes to higher values
comparable to those of the base material tested in a region far from the weld (287 HV).
A similar situation was identified in the AC condition, with very similar values in the WZ and
the HAZ. The only significant discrepancy was observed in the BM adjacent to the HAZ
(approximately 1.5 mm distance from the initial point), where more scattered data are
observed: both points close to 300 HV and points close to 250-260 HV were recorded.
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Figure 8 - Hardness [HV] plot of the Alternate Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) samples as a function of the distance from the
reference line, obtained with a load of 300 mg and a dwell time of 10 seconds

Figure 9 presents the hardness profiles for BW cross-sections relative to the two welding
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conditions, DC on the left and AC on the right.

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Figure 9 - Hardness [HV] plot of the Alternate Current (AC) and Direct Current (DC) samples as a function of the distance from the WZ,
obtained with a load of 300 mg and a dwell time of 10 seconds

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In both cases a similar behavior of the material can be observed. Within the tested points in
the WZ, the hardness values are scattered between ~250-280 HV. Moving towards the HAZ,
there is a higher concentration of points at the lower end of this range and the hardness
seems to decrease even further, reaching minimum values at approximately 0.2-0.3 mm
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from the fusion zone. As we progress towards the Base Material (BM), the hardness
increases again, possibly due to the progressive reduction in size of austenitic grains. In the
BM region adjacent to the HAZ, hardness values are significantly higher (~300 HV) than the
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287 HV observed in the material's hot-rolled condition.

Investigating further the mechanical response of the material, the tensile strength of the
welds was assessed. Three specimens were prepared for BW DC and BW AC condition.
In Table 6, the results from two AC samples and three DC samples are listed, because AC
third test didn’t satisfy the standards’ requirement. On average, the AC sample had the best
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results both considering UTS (as displayed in Table 6) and the failure position (as observable
in Figure 10).
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Table 6 - tensile test results

AC1 AC2 DC1 DC2 DC3

YS 649 MPa 648 MPa 670 MPa 661 MPa 666 MPa
UTS 950 MPa 943 MPa 985 MPa 824 MPa 885 MPa
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Two of three DC specimens failed at the center of the weld, while in all three AC specimens,
the fracture point is outside the WZ. In two cases, happened away from the HAZ also, while
for AC2 sample the fracture was close to such zone.
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Figure 10 - tensile test specimen after break
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Although such difference in the fracture place, all AC samples are characterized by a ductile
fracture. On the other hand, DC2 and DC3 samples suffered by fragile fracture in the WZ,
as visible in Figure 11.
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Figure 11 - SEM Back scattered images of DC2 and DC3 fracture surface
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Such behavior could be associated to oxide formation and porosities were detected on the
fracture surfaces of both specimens. In particular, the oxides appear on the SEM as bright-
colored patches because they are non-conductive. These defects have been analyzed via
EDX (result in Table 7) and it’s possible to note a very high concentration of Al and O,
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suggesting the presence of alumina.

Table 7 - oxide chemical composition

O Al Mn Fe
DC2 oxides 27.00 41.49 8.42 23.10
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DC2 metal 8.72 17.12 74.16

DC3 oxides 27.23 42.22 7.27 23.27
DC3 metal 7.05 16.12 76.83

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 As anticipated in the introduction, oxide formation might be interesting especially
considering the tensile test results. After a thermal treatment meant to produce an oxide

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layer, a sample has been investigated to understand the composition of the different oxides
formed on the material surface. Via SEM-EDX analysis it was possible to examine specific
areas on the sample’s edge. In Figure 12, a SEM image of the studied area is reported along

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with the amount of the principal chemical elements.

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Figure 12 - EDS compositional map obtained from EBSD for the investigation on the oxide composition on the water quenched
specimen
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Two types of oxides are recognized: an inner layer of oxide composed of alumina and an
outer layer composed of mixed oxide, mainly of iron and manganese. The alumina layer
seems to be continuous, while the mixed oxide layer, despite occupying a larger thickness,
appears more discontinuous. Some veins of alumina in such second layer are observable
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too.
Also point-EDS chemical analysis confirms such results (Table 8). Inner layer shows higher
content of Al, while outermost layer higher Mn content. Comparing such results with the
base material, it’s possible to note that Al content is higher in both type of oxide, further
suggesting a blend of oxides.
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Table 8 - EDS analysis of oxide layer

Fe Mn Al C O

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 Base material 74.4 11.5 6.7 7.3 -
Inner layer oxide 19.0 8.2 28.7 8.1 36.0

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Outer layer oxide 40.1 28.4 16.8 6.0 28.4

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Discussion
As visible from the detailed analysis of the WZ microstructure in Figure 4, during
solidification a dendritic microstructure was formed. In external part of the weld track (up in

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OW and up and down in BW) equiaxed dendrites were visible while in the rest of the zone
columnar dendrites. Such difference is due to the difference in thermal gradient along the
welding pool depth, higher close to welding root (where the fused material is in contact with
the base metal) and the top (where the fused metal is in contact with metal with temperature
just under solidus temperature).

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After further investigation throw EBSD and EDS analysis, in the dendritic structure a BCC
phase has been detected. Such phase appears to be -ferrite. It has formed during
solidification as first solid nuclei. Austenite instead has solidified at lower temperature
encapsulating the original ferrite nuclei [21]. The calculated cooling rate (Table 5) is fast
enough to allow the ferrite presence also after cooling and, as a result, a microstructure
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named skeletal ferrite [29] or vermicular morphology aligned along a skeletal network [30]
is present.
PDAS and SDAS values collected in the centre of the weld (so in the columnar dendritic
region) agree on a high thermal gradient: dendrites appear very long and the PDAS values
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are low suggesting a high density of dendrite. Secondary dendrites are very short and SDAS
is very low, providing a very long and narrow columnar structure.
Usually, SDAS measures are related to different material properties [31]. In this studies
SDAS values are very similar between the different techniques, so it’s likely that material
characteristic (as cooling rate, growth rate, temperature gradient, and local solidification
time) and mechanical properties (as yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and average
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fatigue life) are very similar [32], [33], [34].

Similarly to most of previous studies on lightweight steels [25], [26], [35], [36], [37], [38], -
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carbides have been observed in the material after welding. While LOM wasn’t sufficient,
SEM analysis has given indication of *-carbides presence in the HAZ. Although such traces
have been detected, other indicators of carbides presence as micro hardness values
suggest otherwise: only limited increase of hardness is visible close to the HAZ/BM border.
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Considering calculations performed with Rosenthal equation for thin plate [39], here
reported as eq. 2, it was observed that the HAZ (considered to be at 5mm distance from the
center of the WZ) experienced very high temperatures but for a limited time.

𝑟2
𝑞 𝑣
( )
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𝑇 ― 𝑇0 = 𝑒𝑥𝑝 ― (2)
2𝜋𝜆𝑡 4𝑎𝑡

With 𝑞 𝑣 as heat input [J/m], 𝜆 as thermal conductivity [J/msK], 𝑟 distance from the welding,
𝑎 thermal diffusivity [m2/s] and 𝑇0 as initial temperature (25°C). The necessary material
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parameters have been retrieved from Thermocalc database [41].

As visible in Figure 13, temperatures higher than 900°C, in which grain coarsening is strongly
promoted, was computed for only ~90s in case of GTAW AC and ~110s in case of GTAW
DC. In addition, temperatures promoting carbides formation (800°-300°C) were calculated
for only 11 and 16 minutes for GTAW AC and GTAW DC, respectively.

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Figure 13 - temperature profiles in HAZ computed via eq. 2
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So, even if these calculations are meant for each pass, the time in which the HAZ was
affected by thermal treatments is limited in comparison to common thermal treatments [13],
[14]. Such computation endorsed the grain coarsening observed in a limited area and the
limited carbides precipitation. Even though second phase formation was observed, results
from eq.2 suggest that it’s unlikely that carbides grew enough to promote a significant effect
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on the material hardness.

Although a severe Mn evaporation was expected from the literature [22], [24], [30], [40], the
analysis performed suggested otherwise. In addition, no gas porosity that could be
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correlated to material evaporation. Considering the maximum temperature reached (Table

5), Mn or other elements evaporation wasn’t observed because the temperature reached
during the welding it’s inferior to the Mn and Al evaporation point, respectively of 2060°C
and 2520°C [22], [23]. On the other hand, Chu and Bao [24] observed Mn evaporation at
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1600°C, so temperature comparable with the welding process. But such results were
observed in vacuum and with long holding times (10-40minutes) much longer than those
experienced during welding. The absence of gas porosity could be also ascribed to the use
of filler material because it has provided additional material to fill any possible void that could
have formed by any possible base material evaporation.
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Considering the obtained results, the differences between AC and DC condition are limited under
several aspects. The microstructure and the microhardness profile are equivalent. Also the WZ
dimensions, measured in the overlay welding, are almost identical with the exception of the height
Pr

(measured from the material surface to the top pf the weld pool). Such difference could be ascribed
to the different current mode as they are known to concentrate the heat differently. In direct
current configuration most of the heat is focused on the weld and good penetration and a
narrow profile are obtained. Alternated current, instead, oscillates between that and reverse
polarity in which most of the heat it’ s focused on the tungsten electrode and the penetration

This preprint research paper has not been peer reviewed. Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4844533
 is more promoted [16], [17], [18]. In this study, the two techniques have the same penetration
depth, but the difference is visible in the amount of material deposited as the AC current

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present a higher WZ than the DC samples. So, the AC condition appeared to have deposited
more material than DC.
Also in the highest reached temperature and the cooling rate computation, the obtained

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result are almost equivalent.
The main difference it’s observed in the tensile test results. The DC samples have shown a
brittle fracture while the AC samples has shown a ductile fracture (Figure 10).
Such discrepancy is connected to the presence of oxides in the DC samples’ fracture
surface that are not present in the AC samples. Such oxides are mainly composed of Al

vie
(Table 7). It was observed that the studied alloy is able to form two oxides: one composed
mainly of Al and another composed mainly of a mix of Mn and Fe. As only the first has been
observed in the fracture surface it’s likely that both the current modes are able to destroy
the Mn/Fe rich one, but that DC condition is sensitive to Al rich oxide presence. On the other
hand, during the period of reverse polarity in AC, the breakdown of the oxide layer that

re
covers the surface of the material it’s promoted [18] and so Al rich oxide is destroyed.

Conclusions er
In this study, lightweight austenitic steel weldability has been tested via GTAW with BW and OW
configuration and two different current modes set up: AC and DC.
Solid welds were obtained without defects as porosity and hot cracking.
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In the WZ, it was possible to distinguish dendrites with vermicular skeletal morphology. Also ferrite
grains have been detected in the dendrites’ nuclei. No sign of a preferential evaporation among the
main chemical elements in the alloy has been observed by chemical composition analysis.
The hardness values measured in the WZ are lower than BM ones.
In the HAZ, grains appear coarser than in BM. Although limited precipitation of *-carbides was
ot

observed, no associated peaks in hardness have been measured and the microhardness
values were inferior to both WZ and BM.
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DC samples have worst performance in mechanical testing than AC samples, due to

presence of oxides that were instead avoided in the latter condition.

In conclusion, it is possible to join lightweight steels plates via GTAW leading to sound and
defect-free welds. Although the microstructure analysis didn’t show significant difference,
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mechanical testing suggest that the AC welding configuration should be preferred.

Acknowledgement
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The authors would like to thank prof. Andrea Casaroli and ML Scuola Saldatura for their
support in the realization of the welding process.

Funding
Pr

This project has received funding from the Research Fund for Coal and Steel under grant
agreement No 899332.

This preprint research paper has not been peer reviewed. Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4844533
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