Weld Joint Preparation

Weld Joint Preparation

ProperpreparationoftheweldjointisconsideredaveryimportantpartofweldingHASTELLOYand
HAYNESalloys.Avarietyofmechanicalandthermalcuttingmethodsareavailableforinitialweld
jointpreparation.Theplasmaarccuttingprocessiscommonlyusedtocutalloyplateintodesired
shapesandprepareweldangles.Waterjetcuttingandlaserbeamcuttingarealsopermissible.Edge
preparationcanbeperformedusingmachiningandgrindingtechniquesapplicabletoNiandCobase
alloys.Aircarbonarccuttingandgougingarepermissible,butgenerallynotsuggestedduetothevery
likelypossibilityofcarbonpickupfromthecarbonelectrode.Notcompletelyremovingcarbon
contaminationfromthesurfacecouldleadtometallurgicalissuesduringsubsequentweldingor
processing.Additionally,highheatinputduringarcgougingcouldpromoteexcessivegraingrowthand
reducematerialductility.Thus,plasmaarccuttingisgenerallyabetteralternativetoaircarbonarc
cuttingandgougingbecauseitdoesnotintroducecarboncontaminationintheresolidifiedlayerand
requiresminimalpostcuttingconditioning.Theuseofoxyacetyleneweldingandcuttingisnot
recommendedbecauseofcarbonpickupfromtheflame.

Itisnecessarytoconditionallcutedgestobright,shinymetalpriortowelding.Inadditiontotheweld
angle,generallya1inch(25mm)widebandonthetopandbottom(faceandroot)surfaceoftheweld
zoneshouldbeconditionedtobrightmetalwithan80gritflapperwheelordisk.Itisespecially
importantthatsurfaceoxidesberemovedpriortoweldingandbetweenpassesinmultipasswelds.
Sincethemeltingtemperaturesofthesurfaceoxidesaremuchhigherthanthebasemetalsbeing
welded,theyaremorelikelytostaysolidduringweldingandbecometrappedintheweldpooltoform
inclusionsandincompletefusiondefects.

CleanlinessisconsideredanextremelyimportantaspectofNi/Cobaseweldjointpreparation.Priorto
anyweldingoperation,theweldingsurfaceandadjacentregionsshouldbethoroughlycleanedwithan
appropriatesolvent,suchasacetone,oranappropriatealkalinecleaner.Allgreases,cuttingoils,
crayonmarks,machiningsolutions,corrosionproducts,paints,scale,dyepenetrantsolutions,and
otherforeignmattershouldbecompletelyremoved.Anycleaningresidueshouldalsoberemoved
priortowelding.Contaminationoftheweldregionbylead,sulfur,phosphorus,andotherlowmelting
pointelementscanleadtosevereembrittlementorcracking.ForCoandFebasealloys,surface
contactwithcopperorcopperbearingmaterialsintheweldregionshouldbeavoided.Eventrace
amountsofcopperonthesurfacecanresultincoppercontaminationcracking,aformofliquidmetal
embrittlement,intheheataffectedzoneoftheweld.

Surfaceironcontaminationresultingfromcontactwithcarbonsteelcanresultinruststaining,butitis
notconsideredaseriousproblemand,therefore,itisgenerallynotnecessarytoremovesuchrust
stainspriortoservice.Inaddition,meltingofsmallamountsofsuchsurfaceironcontaminationintothe
weldpoolisnotexpectedtosignificantlyaffectweldmetalcorrosionresistance.Whilesuch
contaminationisnotconsideredaseriousproblem,ifreasonablecareisexercisedtoavoidthe
problem,noparticularcorrectivemeasuresshouldbenecessarypriortoservice.

Stainlesssteelwirebrushingisnormallysufficientforinterpasscleaningofweldments.Thewire
brushesthatareusedduringweldingshouldbereservedforuseonNiandCobasealloysonly,and
shouldnotbeusedforcarbonsteel.Thegrindingofstartsandstopsisrecommendedforallarc
weldingprocesses.Ifoxygenorcarbondioxidebearingshieldinggasesareused,lightgrindingis
necessarybetweenpassespriortowirebrushing.SlagremovalduringSMAWwillrequirechippingand
grindingfollowedbywirebrushing.