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SUPPLEMENT
TO T H E W E L D I N G
JOURNAL,
FEBRUARY
1971
W.
D.
DOTY
Introduction
Welding is the principal method for
joining steel. But even more significant, welding is vital as a practical
method for fabricating steel structures
and pressure vessels for modern living. From this point of view, welding
is as important to a fabricator as
oxygen cutting, forming, and machining. However, welding did not gain its
present position as the principal method for joining steel until World War II
when greater recognition was given to
the development of steels specifically
for welded fabrication rather than depending on the expanded use of steels
customarily joined by other methods,
such as riveting and bolting. As a
consequence, the past 25 years in the
USA have been a period, still very
much in progress, in which steel producers, electrode manufacturers, and
welding-equipment companies have
worked intensively to develop the required steels, weld metals, and welding procedures.
Examples of this progress in the
USA are found in the large family of
weldable constructional steels now
available to designers and fabricators.
WELDING RESEARCH
S U P P L E M E N T ! 49-s
The non-heat-treated weldable carbon steels generally exhibit ferritepearlite microstructures and have
minimum yield strengths in the range,
30 to 50 ksi (207 to 345 M N / m 2 ) .
The effect of increasing carbon content in these hot-rolled steels is to
increase the proportion of pearlite in
the microstructure, and thus to increase the strength. However, the use
of such an approach to obtain usable
higher strengths is not feasible for
steels intended for general constructional applications because of an associated decrease in toughness and
Composition
type
T h e r m a l history
Non-heat-treated
Normalized
Quenched and T e m p e r e d
Non-heat-treated
Normalized
Quenched and t e m p e r e d
Normalized
N o r m a l i z e d and t e m p e r e d
Quenched and t e m p e r e d
Carbon"
Low-Alloy 11
Alloy 0
Minimum
yield strength
(or point),
ksi ( M N / m 2 )
30- 50
30- 50
50-100
40- 70
50- 60
60-100
35- 50
50- 80
50-180
' 0.33% max C, C-Mn, C-Mn-Si, and C-Mn-Si with certain alloying elements.
' 0.26% max C with up to about 1% total Cu, Ni, Cr, V, and Cb.
:
0.25% max C with 0.5% or more of Ni, Cr, or Mo.
50-s I F E B R U A R Y
1971
(207- 345)
(207- 345)
(345- 689)
(276- 482)
(276- 413)
(413- 689)
(241- 345)
(345- 552)
(345-1241)
Composition type
(% by ladle)
Condition"
Thickness
range,
in. (mm)
Longitudinal
Charpy V-notch
energy
absorption1",
ft-lb (joules)
30 (207)
32 (221)
0.33 max C
0.23 max C-Mn-Si
HR
HR or N
to 8 (203)
to 2 (51)
32 (221)
to 2 (51)
36 (248)
maxC
max C-Mn
max C-Mn-Si
max C-Mn-Si
max C-Mn-Cb (V)
HR
to 8 (203)
38 (262)
42 (270)
0.26
0.25
0.29
0.27
0.21
HR
HR
to \y2 (38)
to 8 (203)
50 (345)
HR
to \yi (38)
d
50 (345)
HR
to % (19)
50 (345)
HR
to 4 (102)d
50 (345)
to 2 (51)
60 (413)
HR
to V/2 (38)
80 (552)
0.20 maxC-Mn-B
Q&T
to m (38)
90 (621)
0.20 maxC-Mn-B
Q&T
to VA (32)
Q&T
to I M (32)
100 (689)
Steel
designation
Typical
application
General
Ship hull
General
General
15 @ 40 F
(20 @ 4 C)
15 @ 40 F
(20 @ 4 C)
15 @ - 5 0 F
(20 @ - 4 5 C)
or 50 @ 14 F
(68 @ - 1 0 C)
15 @ - 7 5 F
(20 @ - 6 0 C)
15@-75 F
(20 @ -60 C)
15 @ - 5 0 F
(20 @ - 4 5 C)
FIFTY-N<-and ABS,
Gr. EH
Low-temperature
ship hull
Bridges and buildings
Mobile equipment
Bridges and buildings
Atmospheric-corrosion-resistant
structures
Ship hull
Mobile equipment
CON-PAC 90
Mobile equipment
Bridges, buildings,
and mobile equipment
Mobile equipment
S U P P L E M E N T | 51-s
1971
Susceptibility to Cracking
During Fabrication
Many different studies, including
extensive research projects sponsored
by the Welding Research Council with
funds from the American Iron and
Steel Institute, have been conducted
to define the composition limits for
susceptibility of steels to hot cracking
and cold cracking from welding. Hot
cracking in the heat-affected zone occurs at a high temperature, usually
just below the solidus temperature,
whereas cold cracking or delayed
cracking occurs below the Ma temperature.
The sensitivity of the heat-affected
zone to hot cracking is highly dependent on carbon, manganese, and sulfur content. Weldable structuralquality steels are customarily produced in the USA with a sulfur con-
tent less than 0.030%. Pressurevessel-quality steels are usually produced with a sulfur content less than
0.025%, and some, such as HY-130
and HP 9-4-20 steels, are produced
with a sulfur content not exceeding
0.010%. The manganese to sulfur ratio is generally greater than 30, so
that with a carbon content of about
0.20% or less, the susceptibility to hot
cracking is negligible. The susceptibility is also negligible for higher carbon
steels with a M n / S ratio greater than
about 40.
Susceptibility of structural and
pressure vessel steels to cold cracking
under conditions of high weld restraint decreases with increased Ms
temperature. This effect has been attributed to the self-tempering of the
martensite that formed at high M s
temperatures.
Furthermore,
cold
cracking is proportional to the hydrogen content of the welding atmosphere.
All of the weldable structural and
pressure vessel steels have a negligible
susceptibility to cold cracking provided suitable care is taken to limit
hydrogen in the welding atmosphere
to a tolerable amount. However, the
steels differ somewhat in the amount
of hydrogen tolerated, depending on
the carbon equivalent (CE) as calculated by the following expression,
which, to date, is applicable to steels
having the indicated composition limits:
%Cr
%Mo
%V
10
50
10
%Cu
40
Condition1
Thickness
range,
in. ( m m )
Steel
designation
30
(207)
0.28 max C
HR
to 2 (51)
32
(221)
to 8 (203)
37
(255)
to 6 (152)
37
(255)
to 2 (51)
38
(262)
to 2 (51)
13 @ - 1 5 0 F
(18 @ - 1 0 1 C)
15 (a), - 2 0 F
(20 @ - 2 9 C)
50
(345)
tolMd
(to 32)
15 @ - 7 5 F
(20 @ - 6 0 C)
15 @ - 7 5 F
(20 (a), - 6 0 C)
50
(345)
M m i n (6
min)
30 @ 10 F
(41 @ - 1 2 C)
ASTM A537,
Gr. A (CHARPAC)
ASTM A302,
Gr. B
50
(345)
Q&T
(413)
}4. m i n d
(6 m i n )
to 1-M (to
32)
30 @ 10 F
(41 @ - 1 2 C)
15 @ - 9 0 F
(20 @ - 6 8 C)
60
Q&T
to 2 (51)
Q&T
He m i n (5
min)
y1(, m i n (5
min)
25 @, - 8 5 F
(34 @ - 6 5 C)
35 @ 10 F
(47 @ - 1 2 C)
35 @ 10 F
(47 - 1 2 C)
ASTM A533,
Gr. B, C l . l
ASTM A537,
Gr. B (CHARPAC)=
ASTM A533,
Gr. B, C I . 3
ASTM A542,
Cl.l
ASTM A543,
Gr. B . . C I . 1
82.5 (168)
Q&T
85
(586)
85
(586)
85
(586)
0.13 m a x C - 9 N i
Q&T
to 2 (51)
100
(689)
0.20 m a x C - M n - N i Cr-Mo-V-Cu-B
Q&T
to iy2 (63)
130
(896)
Q&T
to 4 (102)
50 @ 0 F
(68 @ - 1 8 C)
180 (1241)
0.23 m a x C - 9 N i 4Co-Cr-Mo-V
Q&T
]4 m i n
(6.4)
40 @, RT
(54 @ 25 C)
Q&T
15 @. - 7 5 F
(20 @, - 6 0 C)
15* @ - 3 2 0 F
(0.381 @
- 1 9 5 C)
15@-50 F
(0.381
- 4 5 C)
50 @ 0 F
(68 @ - 1 8 C)
ASTM A285,
Gr. C
ASTM A515,
Gr. 60
ASTM A204,
Gr. A
ASTM A203,
Gr. D
ASTM A516,
Gr. 70
ASTM A553,
Gr. A
ASTM A517,
Gr. F ( " T -
vy
U. S. Navy
HY-130
HP 9-4-20'
Typical
application
General
Elev. t e m p e r ature
Elev. t e m p e r ature
Low t e m p e r ature
General and
low t e m p e r ature
General and
low t e m p e r ature
General and
elev. t e m p erature
Nuclear
reactor
General and
low temperature
Low t e m p e r ature
Hydro-crackers
Nuclear reactor
and hydrospace
Cryogenic
WELDING
RESEARCH
S U P P L E M E N T ! 53-s
Susceptibility to
Stress-Rupture Cracking
When welds in alloy steels are given
a postweld heat treatment above
about 950 F (510 C) intergranular
cracking may sometimes occur in the
grain-coarsened region of the weldheat-affected zone. The intergranular
cracking occurs by stress rupture, usually in the early stage of the stressrelief treatment. Those alloying elements that contribute most significantly to the attainment of high strength
and notch toughness in quenched and
tempered alloy steels for welded construction are usually the alloy elements that have an adverse effect
when such welded steels are postweld
heat treated. Chromium, molybdenum, and vanadium are major contributors to this crack susceptiblity,
but other carbide-forming elements
assist. The precipitation of carbides
during the elevated-temperature stress
relaxation alters the delicate balance
between resistance to grain-boundarv
sliding and resistance to deformation
within the coarsened grains of the
weld-heat-affected zone. Thus, stressrupture cracking may occur at the
toes of welds in such steels as ASTM
A542and A517.
Cracking has been prevented by
properly contouring the welds to minimize points of stress concentrations by
psening at the toes of the welds, or by
depositing weld metal having elevated
temperature strength significantly lower than that of the weld-heat-affected
zone of the steel during the stressrelief treatment. However, the need
for such a postweld heat treatment
should be thoroughly established for
each steel and application. Many of
the weldable constructional steels are
designed to be used in the less costly
as-welded condition when possible.
1971
(510649 C) may impair weldmetal and heat-affected zone toughness; the extent of impairment depends on chemical composition, treatment temperature, and time at temperature, and is greater with slow cooling
as in stress relieving. The impairment
in toughness is attributed to embrittlement occurring on holding at the
stress-relief temperature and to temper embrittlement.
Corrosion Resistance
The ASTM A242 and A588 steels
have atmospheric corrosion resistance
at least 4 times that of carbon structural steel without copper and are
used principally for structural applications requiring durability, minimum
maintenance, and reduced weight.
Some of these steels are often used in
the bare condition to provide a desired appearance after weathering or
to provide savings in maintenance.
For welded joints in such steels for
bare applications, the welding is done
with electrodes that provide weld metal of adequate alloy content so that
the weld has an appearance, after
weathering, similar to that of the bare
steel.
Resistance to s t r e s s - c o r r o s i o n
cracking, always a desirable property
for most materials, is of paramount
importance in certain applications.
For example, field trials with welded
structural and pressure vessel steels
support the observation long recognized in the oil industry that steel, at a
hardness of about Rockwell C22 or
greater, may be suceptible to stresscorrosion cracking in environments
containing hydrogen sulfide.
Most constructional steels may
have, as a result of welding, a hardness greater than Rockwell C22. For
some steels, such as ASTM A517
steel, the maximum hardness of the
steel, unwelded, is about Rockwell
C28. Thus, the application of the
weldable constructional steels for oil
storage tanks, marine oil tankers, and
pipe lines may result in stress corrosion, particularly in the heat-affected
zone of welds, if the environment
contains hydrogen sulfide. The previously mentioned modification of
ASTM A537 Grade B steel with
0.16% maximum carbon and 1.50%
maximum manganese offers promise
as a steel with reduced potential for
exceeding a hardness of Rockwell C
22 in the weld-heat-affected zone.
Specification of Weldability
Much is known about the effect of
chemical composition of steel on its
metallurgical response to the thermal
cycle from welding, as well as to that
from oxygen cutting and arc cutting,
Mn
Si
0.05 max
Cu
Cr
0.02/0.10
*Fine-grain practice
Plates over
Bars
Plates & Bars to 4 in. 4 to 5 in., incl; Plates
incl; Structurals
Structurals
over 5
over 4
in ASTM
in ASTM
to 8 in., to 9>/2 in.,
Group 5
Groups 1, 2, 3, 4
incl
incl
Thickness
50,000
46,000
42,000
45,000
70,000
67,000
63,000
66,000
21*
19
21*
21
21
Specified minimum yield point and tensile strength shall be reduced by 5,000 psi for
any annealed or normalized products.
'Elongation in 2 in. for WF shapes over 426 lb/ft is 19 percent m i n i m u m .
Test specimens, bend test requirements, procedures, and elongation modifications
conform to ASTM specifications.
S p e c i f i c a t i o n s U S S COR-TEN B steel can be produced to the requirements of
ASTM specifications A588 Grade A or A242 Type 2 when so ordered.
Suggested
min Preheat
or Interpass
Temp., F
Tol
Over 1 to 2
Over 2 to 9'/2
50
100
200
50
100
200
Electrode
For general structural applications:
AWS A5.1 low-hydrogen type mild-steel covered electrodes (E7016, E7018 or E7028) or
AWS A5.17 mild-steel bare electrodes and fluxes
AWS A5.18 mild-steel bare electrodes and gases
AWS A5.20 mild-steel flux-cored electrodes
For bare steel applications:
*Weld deposit, %: O.IO max C, 0.50/0.90 Mn, 0.03 max P, 0.04 max S, 0.35/0.80 Si,
0.30/0.75 Cu, 0.40/0.70 Ni, and 0.45/0.90 Cr.
Note 1Preheat temperatures above the m i n i m u m shown may be required for
highly restrained welds. For such welds, temperatures as high as 250 to 400 F may
be necessary.
Note 2No welding should be done when ambient temperature is below O F. If steel
temperature is below 50 F, preheating to 50 F m i n i m u m or to indicated preheat temperature, whichever is higher, should be performed.
Note 3Low-hydrogen electrodes for manual-arc welding, as well as fluxes for submerged-arc welding and gases for gas metal-arc welding, must be properly dry.
Fig. 1- -Excerpt f r o m properties card for USS COR-TEN steel showing suggested w e l d i n g practices
WELDING
RESEARCH
S U P P L E M E N T ! 55-S
18 to 26
28 to 30 x 108
28 to 30 x 10s
6.5 x 10-6
Fatigue Strength
Rotating beam endurance limit, polished specimen
Temperature, F
"T-1"
"T-1"type A
" T - 1 " type B
Vz to IVi
Vz to l'/4
1%
- 3 0 to - 1 3 0
- 5 to - 6 0
Temperature, F
Vz to 2
Vz to 1
- 4 0 to - 6 0
- 5 to - 6 0
-10t
Hi
Electrode
Shielded
Metal-Arc
Submerged-Arc
Mn-Ni-Cr-Mo wire and neutral flux (for example, tinde 100 wire and 709-5 flux) or
carbon steel wire and alloy flux (for example, Lincoln L61 wire and A1010 x 10 flux);
wire-flux combinations depositing lower strength filler metal may also be suitable,
depending on design stress.
Gas Metal-Arc
Mn-Ni-Cr-Mo wire and argon-02 gas (for example, Airco AX-110, Linde 120, or
Arcosarc HOT).
Minimum* Preheat or Interpass Temperature, F
Plate Thickness,
in.
Shielded
Metal-Arc
Process
Gas
Metal-Arc
Process
Submerged-Arc Process
Alloy or Carbon Steel
Carbon-Steel
Wire, Neutral Flux
Wire, Alloy Flux
Up to '/?, incl
Over Vz to 1, incl
Over 1 to 2, incl
Over 2
501
50f
50t
50+
50f
200
50f
50+
150
150
300
150
200
200
400
200
*A preheat t e m p e r a t u r e above the m i n i m u m shown may be r e q u i r e d for highly restrained w e l d s ;
tow-hydrogen electrodes for shielded metal-arc w e l d i n g , as well as fluxes for s u b m e r g e d - a r c
welding and gases for gas-metal-arc w e l d i n g , must be properly dry.
t/Welding at any initial t e m p e r a t u r e below IOO F will require extreme care to m i n i m i z e m o i s t u r e
on the steel being welded.
Maximum Heat Input: Per table for " T - 1 " Steel and table for " T - 1 " type A and B Steels in " H o w
to Weld USS ' T - 1 ' Constructional Alloy Steels," United States Steel C o r p o r a t i o n , latest e d i t i o n .
2
3
4
cations.
For the development of weldable
structural and pressure vessel steels,
extensive use is made of beadweld
underbead-cracking tests, fillet-weld
Heat Treatment
USS " T - 1 " C o n s t r u c t i o n a l Alloy
Steels are normally water quenched
from 1650/1750 F, and tempered
at 1100/1275 F.
Corrosion Resistance
Atmospheric corrosion resistance of
USS " T - 1 " Steel is 4 times that of
structural carbon steel, and " T - 1 "
type A Steel and " T - 1 " type B
Steel are about twice that of carbon steel. Specifying of 0.20/0.40
copper will increase a t m o s p h e r i c
corrosion resistance of " T - 1 " types
A or B to approximately three times
that of structural carbon steel.
Weldability
USS " T - 1 " Steels can be welded
satisfactorily by all major welding
processes when proper procedures
are used. (A booklet and welding
calculator, "How to Weld USS T - 1 '
C o n s t r u c t i o n a l Alloy S t e e l s , " is
available from your nearest U. S.
Steel Sales Office.)
Gas Cutting
" T - 1 " Steels can be gas cut using
good shop or field practices in accordance with those suggested in
the AWS Handbook. Cutting of this
material generally does not require
preheating in thicknesses up to and
including 4 in., b u t the steel temperature should not be lower than
50 F during cutting. For thicknesses
over 4 in., preheat temperatures between 300 F and 400 F (not higher)
are suggested.
Formability
U S S " T - 1 " S t e e l s c a n be cold
formed. However, suitable bending
radii and increased power has to be
e m p l o y e d b e c a u s e of t h e h i g h e r
strength of " T - 1 " Steels compared
to that of structural carbon steel a t
the same temperature. Suggested
minimum bending radii are given
in the accompanying table.
For brake press forming the lower
die span should be a t least 16 times
the plate thickness.
B H N Plates: moderate bending can
be accomplished on plates treated
to 321, 340 or 360 minimum B H N
by using a radius of lOt or greater.
Such forming should preferably be
done transverse to the final rolling
direction.
Fig. 2Excerpt from properties card for USS " T - 1 " constructional alloy steels showing suggested welding practices
56-s I F E B R U A R Y
1971
Summary
The present paper presents the USA
view on the question of whether and
to what extent the specification of
weldability should be incorporated in
materials specifications. Results of
weldability research are summarized
to show that substantial progress has
been made in the development of
steels specifically for welded fabrication rather than depending on the
expanded use of steels customarily
"Significance of Fracture Extension Resistance (R Curve) Factors in FractureSafe Design for Nonfrangible Metals,"
by W. S. Pellini and R. W. Judy, Jr.
WRC
Bulletin
No. 157
Dec. 1970
WELDING
RESEARCH
S U P P L E M E N T 1 57-s