| The microstructure and mechanical property variations across different regions of the heat-affected zone (HAZ) of a Grade 100 microalloyed steel were examined for a range of heat inputs from 0.5 to 2.5 kJ/mm. Autogenous gas tungsten arc welding was performed on plates of Grade 100 steel to create the HAZ. The weld thermal cycles were recorded by embedding thermocouples at different locations in the plates. Examination of precipitate alterations (dissolution, coarsening and reprecipitation) was carried out theoretically and/or experimentally using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Iron matrix phase transformations and grain size changes were examined with optical microscopy as well as TEM (both thin foils and carbon replicas). Hardness measurements (macro-, micro- and nano-hardness) were mainly used for examination of mechanical properties across the HAZ.; Hardness measurements across the HAZ showed hardening in 0.5 kJ/mm weld samples and softening in the 1.5 and 2.5 kJ/mm weld samples. This was mainly due to the difference in cooling rates, since fast cooling results in microstructures with finer structures (especially grain size) and higher levels of solutes and sub-structure in the matrix. The coarse-grained HAZ (CGHAZ) had a higher hardness relative to the fine-grained HAZ (FGHAZ), regardless of the heat input, due to the formation of bainitic and martensitic fine structures (laths/plates) inside large prior austenite grains. The CGHAZ-0.5 kJ/mm consisted of packets of untempered lath martensite and coarse regions of autotempered martensite or aged massive ferrite. Increasing the heat input to 1.5 and 2.5 kJ/mm resulted in mainly bainitic microstructures (e.g., granular bainite) with some acicular ferrite and grain-boundary ferrite in the CGHAZ. The FGHAZ was mainly made up of polygonal ferrite, with considerable amounts of bainitic ferrite in the case of the 0.5 kJ/mm weld sample. Nb-rich carbides mostly survived the thermal cycles experienced in FGHAZ, but were dissolved in the CGHAZ due to exposure to higher temperatures. Ti-rich nitrides mostly survived even in the CGHAZ, but they had limited contribution to grain growth control due to their coarse distribution in the base metal. Transformation twins were observed in some regions across the HAZ. Their formation is believed to relieve high thermal, solidification-induced and transformation-induced stresses, at places where deformation by slipping was not achievable. |
