• International Journal of Automotive Technology
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• v.7 no.5
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• pp.579-584
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• 2006

Aluminum Resistance Spot Weld(Al RSW) is an enabling technology for body assembly of low mass fraction vehicles. Due to the unreliable durability of spot-welded joints, applications of Al RSW are limited. This study presents experimental investigation on the use of a post-weld cold working process to improve the fatigue strength of Al RSW. The post-weld cold working process includes special shaped indenters that are pressed or driven into the structure to induce compressive residual stresses. The mechanical properties of the post-weld cold worked Al RSW were investigated, including the experimental results of fatigue and micro-hardness tests. Comparisons of the mechanical properties and qualitative results between the as-welded RSW specimens and the post-weld cold worked RSW specimens are discussed. The post-weld cold worked Al RSW samples had an increase in both microhardness and fatigue life.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2014

In the past, cold crack was commonly observed in the HAZ(heat affected zone) of high-strength steels. Applying to TMCP(thermo-mechanical controlled process) and HSLA(high strength low alloy) steels, cold crack tends to increase the occurrence in the weld metal. It is generally understood that cold crack occurs when the following factors are present simultaneously : diffusible hydrogen in the weld metal, a susceptible microstructure and residual stress. In particular, many studies investigated the microstructural effect on the cold crack in HAZ and the cold crack in weld metals starts to receive the special attendance in modern times. The purpose of the study is to review the effect of weld microstructures (grain boundary ferrite, Widm$\ddot{a}$nstatten ferrite, acicular ferrite, bainite and martensite) on cold crack in the weld metals. Among various microstructures of weld metals, acicular ferrite produced the greatest resistance to the cold crack due to the fine interlocking nature and high-angle grain boundary of the microstructure.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.46-54
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• 1995

The cold cracking susceptibility of a variety of weld metals deposited by GMAW with several kinds of commercial solid wires for high strength-toughness steel was investigated. G-BOP test and LB-TRC test were carried out to study the effects of preheat, chemical composition and hydrogen level on the weld metal cold cracking. The results obtained are as follows. 1) 10% CPT obtained by G-BOP test was the most valuable criteria for evaluating the cold cracking susceptibility of weld metals compared with percentage of cracking at room temperature and crack free temperature, and it had good correlation with the results of LB-TRC test. 2) Cold cracking susceptibility of weld metals was high in the row of MG100A, MG100C, MG100D and MG100B. Welds deposited with MG130 and MG80 showed similar icidents of cracking with MG100C and MG100B respectively, even though their strength levels were different. 3) Diffusible hydrogen level in weld metals which has good relation with hydrogen content in wire itself was the most critical factor for controlling the cold cracking susceptibility of weld metal.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.266-272
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• 2002

This study reviews the factors controlling the weld metal cracking and shows the difference from those of HAZ cracking. It further reviews the recent progresses made in consumable design for improving the crack resistance in the high strength weld metal. Previously the controlling factors for weld metal cracking were regarded as weld metal strength, diffusible hydrogen and weld metal height. However an overall review presented in this article shows that the cold crack resistance can be improve significantly through the microstructural control and that an increase in tensile strength is not necessarily related to a decrease in the resistance to cold cracking.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.33-38
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• 2012

The effects of the diffusible hydrogen content and hardness on the cold cracking in high strength weld metal were investigated. The diffusible hydrogen contents were influenced by welding parameters such as the voltage and contact tip-to-work distance (CTWD). The diffusible hydrogen content increased with an increase in voltage. However, it was decreased with an increase in CTWD. CTWD also influenced the weld metal hardness,especially when the wire used had a higher strength than the base metal. This showed that weld metal hardness had a more powerful effect on weld metal cold cracking than the diffusible hydrogen content in this experiment.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.58-67
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• 2020

This study presents cyclic stress-strain and tensile test results at room temperature (RT) and 316℃ using cold-worked TP304 stainless steel base and weld metals. By comparing the cyclic hardening/softening behavior and failure cycle of cold-worked materials with those of irradiated austenitic stainless steels, the feasibility of simulating the irradiation effect on cyclic deformation and failure behaviors of TP304 stainless steel base and weld metals was investigated. It was found that, in the absence of strain-induced martensite trasformation, cold-working could properly simulate the change in cyclic hardening/softening behavior of TP304 stainless steel base and weld metals due to neutron irradiation. It was also recognized that cold-working could adequately simulate the reduction in failure cycles of TP304 stainless steel base and weld metals due to neutron irradition in the low-cycle fatigue region.

• Laser Solutions
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.15-19
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• 2008

Electron beam (EB) weldability of pure grade Nb sheet was studied. One of Nb sheets was as-annealed and the other was cold rolled. Microstructures, Vickers hardness, and transverse weld tensile test were carried out for the base metal, the heat affected zone (HAZ) and weld metal. In the case of the EB welds made using the annealed Nb sheeet, fine equiaxed grains and coarse grains were dominant at the base metal and the HAZ, respectively, and columnar grains were observed at the weld metal. For the EB welds made using the cold rolled Nb sheet, elongated grains in the rolling direction at the base metal, and the microstructures of the weld metal and the HAZ are similar to those of the EB welds made using the annealed Nb sheet, respectively. For both annealed and cold rolled Nb sheet, the width of the HAZs are unusually wide in spite of using high density heat source, i.e. electron beam, and the grain sizes of both HAZs are similar. When tensile test was carried out using the transverse weld specimens, the failure occurred at the HAZ for both EB welds made using Nb sheets annealed and cold rolled, respectively and the tensile strengths of both specimens were 161MPa. Vickers hardness of EB welds made using annealed Nb was 56-57 Hv at both base metal and weld metal, 52-53 Hv at the HAZ. On the other hand, Vickers hardness of EB welds made using cold rolled Nb was 97-99 Hv at the base metal, but the hardness values of weld metal were similar to those obtained at the weld metal of annealed Nb.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.87-96
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• 1994

Correlation between microstructural features and segregation of elements (Si, Mn, P and S) near the mid of thickness in the base metal and the synthetic HAZ was investigated. Furthermore, the relationship between the degree of center segregation and weld cold cracking susceptibility in the thickness direction was also conducted by evaluating the effect of P concentration on the critical applied stress. The results obtained are as follows: 1) Pearlite band, containing the MnS type inclusion and a locally transformed structure with a higher hardness, was observed in the center segregation region. 2) By the weld thermal cycle, center segregation region was transformed to the white band which had a higher hardness than that of base metal due to a greater hardenability of concentrated Mn, P etc.. 3) Weld cold cracking susceptibility in the thickness direction was mainly dependent on the concentration of impurity elements rather than on the number of the segregated particles near the mid of thickness. 4) During welding, the higher concentrated region was easily changed into white band. Therefore, it could be predicted that the initiation and propagation of a cold crack would be promoted by increasing the restraint stress and hydrogen content.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.45-52
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• 1987

Generally the factors affected largely by the cold cracking sensitivity of the weld are the quantity of the diffusible hydrogen, the brittleness and hardness of the bond area and the tensile restraint stress. These factors have relation each other, and if we can reduce one of these factors, it becomes instrumental to the root cracks prevention of weld. This study deals with the gravity type-underwater-welding of KR Grade A-3 marine steel plate using E4303 welding electrode in order to compare wet-underwater-welding with in-air- welding, resulting in obtaining the tensile restraint characteristics, the hardness distribution, the quantity of diffusible hydrogen and the macro- and micro-crack properties in both underwater and in-air welds. The main results obtained are as follows: 1) The quantity of diffusible hydrogen measured for 48 hours is about 18cc/100g-weld-metal for the in-air-weld of one pass and about 48cc/100g-weld-metal for the underwater-weld of one pass which is about 3 times penetration of diffusible hydrogen compairing with the case of the in-air-weld. However, it was experimentally confirmed that, by the multi-pass welding of 2 to 5 passes, the diffusible hydrogen in the underwater weld metal can be reduced as much as 27 to 49%. 2) The hardness of the weld metal indicates the highest value in the heat affected zones of underwater weld for more rapid cooling rate, resulting in the higher sensitivity of cold cracking. So, it is desirable to soften the higher hardness in the HAZ by tempering effect such as the multi-pass welding in the underwater welding. 3) At the bond vicinity of the underwater weld HAZ, micro cracks were found as resulted by both more rapid cooling rate and more diffusible hydrogen and also by the stress corrosion cracking under the tensile restraint stress in the underwater. But this could be prevented by the tempering effect of the following weld bead such as the multi-pass welding.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.34-41
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• 1987

To explore the possible application of thermal analysis technique as a probe for finding weld defects, Hydrogen trapping phenomena in Heat Affected Zone (HAZ) of the AISI 5160 spring steel were investigated. HAZ was divided into five parts, which were used as thermal analysis specimens. Two types of trap sites were found in HAZ, ferrite/cementin interface and microvoid. The thermal analysis peak due to the ferrite/cementite interface increased its height toward the weld deposit. The thermal analysis peak due to the microvoid was the highest where the grain size was the smallest. The correspondence between the cold cracking and hydrogen trap nature is also discussed.