Effect of composition, cooling rate, and solidification velocity on the microstructural development of molybdenum-bearing stainless steels

A series of Mo-bearing stainless steel compositions ranging from 0 to 10 wt% Mo were analyzed over a range of laser welding conditions to evaluate the effect of composition, cooling rate, and solidification velocity on microstructural development. Of particular engineering interest are alloys expected to solidify as primary delta-ferrite and transform in the solid state to gamma-austenite. Such compositions are essentially immune to solidification cracking and can potentially eliminate microsegregation (due to primary ferrite solidification) while still having high toughness and no magnetic signature at room temperature (transformation to austenite). A total of 64 Fe-Ni-Cr-Mo compositions were chosen based on multi-component phase stability diagrams calculated using the CALPHAD method. Alloys were created using the arc button melting process and laser welds were prepared on each alloy at constant power and travel speeds ranging from 4.2 mm/s to 42 mm/s. The cooling rates of these processes were estimated to range from 10 °C/s for are buttons to 105 °C/s for the fastest laser welds. Microstructural analysis was completed to determine primary solidification mode and the nature of solid state transformation behavior. Good agreement was observed between experimental observations and predictions from thermodynamic calculations. No shift in solidification mode was observed from primary delta-ferrite to primary gamma-austenite in the range of welding conditions studied. Metastable microstructural features were observed in many laser weld fusion zones, as well as a massive transformation from delta-ferrite to gamma-austenite in many of the alloys exhibiting primary delta-ferrite solidification. Evidence of epitaxial massive growth without nucleation was also found in primary delta-ferrite alloys with intercellular gamma-austenite already present from a solidification reaction. The resulting single phase gamma-austenite in both cases exhibited a homogenous distribution of Mo, Cr, and Ni, and Fe at nominal levels. This demonstrates the ability of primary ferrite solidification to produce fully austenitic fusion zones with elemental distributions similar to that of the base metal.