Welding Superduplex

Superduplex Stainless Steels

Successfully

Graham Holloway
Metrode Products Ltd
UK

Jakarta, Indonesia
28th November 2006

Introduction Base materials

ƒ Base material. Min

CPT
ƒ Code & specification requirements. UNS Cr Ni Mo Cu W N PREN
°C
Proof
MPa
ƒ Welding consumables.
ƒ Procedural guidelines. 316L 17 12 2.5 - - - 23 15 170

ƒ Objectives of the welded joint. S32205 23 5 3.2 - - 0.18 36 30 470

ƒ Joint properties.
S32750 25 7 3.8 - - 0.26 42
ƒ Achieving code requirements. S32760 25 7 3.5 0.7 0.7 0.26 41
ƒ Realistic specifications. S32550 25 5.5 3.5 1.8 - 0.22 40
60 550

ƒ Conclusions. S32974 25 7 3 0.3 2 0.26 40

Duplex microstructure Welding processes

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Welding consumables Properties specified

GTAW 1.6, 2.4 & 3.2mm diameter cut lengths for

manual welding.
ƒ Strength.
GMAW 0.8, 1.0 & 1.2mm spooled wire for pulsed ƒ Toughness (Charpy test).
GMAW and mechanised GTAW.
SMAW 2.5-5.0mm coated electrodes - basic for ƒ Hardness.
ASME 5G/6G welding & optimum toughness,
rutile for optimum operability. ƒ Ferrite.
FCAW 1.2mm rutile wires for downhand welding
and all-positional pipework. ƒ Corrosion (G48A test).
SAW 1.6 & 2.4mm wire with fully basic
agglomerated flux. ƒ Other tests – NDT, bends etc.

Butt weld objectives Procedural control

ƒ Preheat:
ƒ Normally none.
ƒ Interpass:
ƒ 150°C maximum.
ƒ Forced air cooling has been used.
ƒ Heat input:
ƒ 0.5-2.5 kJ/mm.
ƒ Normally < 1.75 kJ/mm.
ƒ Normally > 0.75 kJ/mm.

Weld toughness
ƒ 40J average (30J min) at -50°C.
ƒ Duplex alloys do not have a
ductile-brittle transition like CMn
steel:
ƒ Gentle sloping transition.
ƒ Low scatter in individual sets of
Charpy’s.

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 MMA / SMAW toughness Weld toughness - superduplex

125
Approximate Charpy value at –50°C.

100
Process Superduplex
GTAW 150J
Absorbed Energy, J

GMAW 60J
75

50
SAW 50J
25
2507XKS
SMAW (basic) 50J
Zeron 100XKS

0
FCAW 30J
SMAW (rutile) 30J
-90 -80 -70 -60 -50 -40 -30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30
Temperature, °C

Effect of oxygen on toughness

200
Impact energgy at -50oC, J

MIG
FCW
150 TIG
SAW
MMA
100

50

0
0 0.02 0.04 0.06 0.08 0.1 0.12 0.14 0.16

Deposit Oxygen, %

Weld metal hardness -

Weld metal hardness
superduplex

ƒ Most operators have there own limits. ƒ Typical restrictions:

ƒ Many originate from NACE MR0175. ƒ NORSOK M601 – 330HV / 32HRC.
ƒ Ironically NACE MR0175 no longer ƒ Shell ES106 & 247 – 32HRC.
imposes a restriction (except for cold ƒ NACE MR0175 – None.
drawn tubulars – 36HRC).
ƒ TOTAL (GS PVV614) – 350HV.
ƒ BP Rhum – 330HV.

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 Weld hardness measurement TWI hardness conversion
50
ƒ Specifications often in Rockwell C. TWI
40 E140

H a rdness, H R C
ƒ Conversions from HRC into HV.
ƒ ASTM E140 HV-HRC conversion 30

applies to CMn.
20
ƒ Use TWI hardness conversion.
10
200 300 400 500
Hardness, HV

TWI hardness conversion Weld metal hardness

ƒ HRC = 0.091 HV – 2.4 ƒ Hardness higher in the root.

ƒ This is the result of strain hardening.

ƒ 28 HRC = 334 HV ƒ Fewer runs - lower hardness.

ƒ 32 HRC = 378 HV

Weld metal hardness Weld metal hardness

400

375
Weld Metal ƒ Superduplex stainless steels
HAZ
Hardness, HV(10)

350 are high strength.

325 ƒ Avoidance of stress corrosion
300 cracking (SCC) – limit hardness
275 to 36HRC.
250
0.25 0.5 0.75 1 1.25 1.5 1.75 2

Thickness / Number of Runs

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 Weld and HAZ ferrite

ƒ Typical oil & gas requirements:

ƒ 30-60%.
ƒ Ferrite not specified in standards.
ƒ Normally use point counts in
procedures.
ƒ Some codes have production
checks.

Ferrite measurement Point counting

ƒ Point counting: ƒ ASTM E562.

ƒ ASTM E562.
ƒ Round robin tests show
ƒ Magnetic measurement:
ƒ Ferritescope.
significant lab-to-lab variations.
ƒ Magnegage. ƒ Use sensible magnifications to
ƒ Prediction based on analysis: resolve microstructure.
ƒ WRC diagram. ƒ Carry out sufficient tests to get
ƒ DeLong.
true average ferrite value.
ƒ Espy.

Weld ferrite content Magnetic measurement

Area % Ferrite, Ferrite, ƒ Ferritescope or magnegage.

average Range
ƒ Calibrated against secondary
Parent 56 ±4 standards.
HAZ 54 ±18
Weld cap 61 ±8
Weld root 36 ±11

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Percent ferrite versus FN Lab-to-lab variation

Material finish Predictive methods

ƒ Used for estimation only.

ƒ The WRC diagram has shown
good correlation to
Ferritescope measurement.

WRC predicted ferrite Weld & HAZ ferrite content

ƒ Primary effect - Analysis.

ƒ Ferrite increases with:
ƒ > Cr equivalent
ƒ < Ni equivalent.

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Weld & HAZ ferrite content HAZ heating & cooling cycles

ƒ Secondary effect – Procedure:

ƒ Heat input.
ƒ Interpass temperature.
ƒ Preheat.
ƒ Joint thickness.
ƒ Faster cooling rate produces
higher ferrite.

Location of measurement Ferrite measurement location

ƒ As-deposited weld metal: ƒ Norsok M601 Rev 3 (Jan 2004).

ƒ Cap. ƒ Root:
ƒ Reheated weld metal: ƒ Higher dilution.
ƒ Reheated.
ƒ Root and mid-section.
ƒ Final bead:
ƒ Diluted / undiluted weld metal.
ƒ Not reheated.

Reheated weld metal Final bead ferrite

60
Reheated % ferrite

50

40

30

20

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Final bead % ferrite

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IIW position statement

ƒ 30-70 FN (~22-55%).
ƒ Ferrite should be secondary.
ƒ Toughness, G48A etc should be
primary factors.

Corrosion testing Corrosion testing

ƒ ASTM G48A ferric chloride pitting ƒ 20 mg weight loss on standard

test. size specimen = 4 g/m2.
ƒ No pitting (x20).
ƒ Maximum weight loss:
ƒ 4 g/m2 (NORSOK).
ƒ 20 mg (Shell & others).
ƒ 10 mdd = 1 g/m2/day (ASTM A923).

Passing the G48A test Purging

ƒ Correct root welding procedure. ƒ Argon.

ƒ Use Ar 1-2%N2 shielding gas.
ƒ Argon-Nitrogen.
ƒ Proper sample preparation:
ƒ Pickle sample if permitted.
ƒ Nitrogen.
ƒ 1200 grit finish on cut surfaces.
ƒ Realistic test temperature:
ƒ Maximum of 40˚C superduplex.
ƒ Control temperature ± 0.5˚C.

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 Purge
Purging
- argon versus nitrogen

Critical region of a pipe joint Root welding

Passing the G48A test

Gas Pickling Pitting Wt loss,

g/m2
Ar No No 31.9
Yes No 5.5
Ar+N2 No No 3.1
Yes No 0.1

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Microstructure Secondary austenite

ƒ No third phases.
ƒ Nitrides.
ƒ Carbides.
ƒ Sigma.
ƒ Intermetallics.
ƒ Not normally a problem.
ƒ Secondary austenite.

Ferrite – austenite (S32750) Sigma

Cr Mo N PRE
Austenite 26.6 3.3 0.52 45.8

Ferrite 27.4 4.0 0.07 41.7

2nd austenite 24.3 3.4 0.24 39.4

Conclusions

ƒ Superduplex stainless steel is readily

weldable.
ƒ Good quality stainless steel fabrication
practice.
ƒ Select correct process and consumable.
ƒ Welder guidance and training is essential.
ƒ Engineers & supervisors should be trained.
ƒ Consistent weld procedure control is
essential.

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 Welding
Superduplex Stainless Steel
Successfully

Graham Holloway
In Conjunction With:
PT Alfa Metalindo Indonesia
IWS
Komunitas MIGAS Indonesia

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