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6 Creep-resistant steels
Welding consumables
The following table gives examples of various Bhler welding consumables for welding creep
resistant steels:
Materials
Designations
16Mo3
13CrMo4-5
10CrMo9-10
X10CrMoVNb9-1
BHLER FOX C 9-MV, Thermanit CrMo 9V, BHLER C 9 MV-IG, Thermanit MTS 3, BHLER C 9 MV-UP
P92, NF 616
X20CrMoWV12-1
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This means that it is possible to distinguish between ferrite-forming and austenite-forming elements,
as follows. Ferrite-forming elements: chromium, silicon, aluminium, molybdenum, niobium, titanium,
tungsten and vanadium.
Austenite-forming elements: nickel, manganese, carbon, cobalt, copper and nitrogen. If sufficient quantities of nickel are added to a ferritic iron-chromium alloy, it converts to the austenitic state.
The most important groups of stainless steels are listed in the following table. They are divided according to the microstructure.
Microstructure
Material types
Pearlitic-martensitic
X30Cr13
Semi-ferritic-ferritic
X8Cr17
Soft martensitic
X5CrNi13-4
Ferritic-austenitic
X2CrNiMoN22-5
Austenitic
Austenite with ferrite
Austenite without ferrite
X5CrNi18-9
X8CrNiNb16-13
These steel groups differ both from the metallurgical and the physical point of view, and suitable
measures must be taken when welding to allow for their special features.
%C
%Cr
%Mo
Welding suitability
X12Cr13
0,15
13,0
limited
X20Cr13
0,20
13,0
very limited
X39CrMo17-1
0,42
16,5
1,2
none
Basically this group of steels must be considered as having only limited suitability for welding. As the
carbon content rises, the risk of cold cracking increases, and joint welding should be avoided as far as
possible.
The most important alloying element is chromium which, when the content is about 12%, lends its passivity, and therefore its corrosion resistance in oxidising media, to the steels. As a ferrite-forming element,
chromium restricts the austenite region of the iron; with about 13% chromium it is entirely choked off.
Steels with chromium contents of greater than 13% and with very low carbon contents (< 0.1%) do not
undergo any conversion as they cool from the solidification temperature to room temperature. These
are the ferritic Cr steels.
The group of hardenable steels begins at chromium contents above 12% and carbon contents of about
0.1 to 1.2%. These are the martensitic chromium steels. As a result of the higher-carbon content, the
austenite region is extended, and this creates the possibility of hardening.
Welding martensitic chromium steels
The austenitic component in the heat affected zone of the base material is always converted to martensite with air cooling, since the formation of pearlite and intermediate phases is heavily delayed by the
high chromium content.
Due to the high chromium content of the steel, the conversion to pearlite, in which the delta-ferrite and
the carbide are precipitated from the gamma solid solutions, only begins after a very long time. As a
result, the weld metal, and the heat affected zone (HAZ), effectively always convert to the martensitic
phase, unless it is heated above the martensite conversion temperature.
If we consider the increasing hardness of this kind of steel in relation to the carbon content, their unfavourable or inadequate suitability for welding can easily be understood.
Increase in hardness for various carbon contents:
Carbon content
Hardness
0.10% C
0.15% C
0.20% C
0.25% C
0.40% C
0.70% C
1.00% C
ca. 40 HRC
ca. 46 HRC
ca. 50 HRC
ca. 53 HRC
ca. 56 HRC
ca. 58 HRC
ca. 60 HRC
At the same time we can also understand that, in practice, martensitic Cr steels with less than
0.15% carbon are almost the only ones used for welded constructions.
The role played by hydrogen during welding represents a further disadvantageous factor.
Particularly when brittle martensite is present, higher hydrogen contents can lead to a strong tendency
to hydrogen-induced cold cracking in the welded joint.
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