Welding duplex and superduplex stainless steel An update of the guide for industry by L. van Nassau, (Lincoln Smitweld, the Netherlands), H. Meelker, F. Neessen en J. Hikes Keywords: duplex stainless steel, super duplex stainless steel, welding, properties, applications Abstract The 1992 guide for welding duplex stain- ess steel has been updated. The growth in the application of duplex stainless steel has been substantial. The current status of engineering aspects of the mostly used base material has been re- viewed. New welding processes such as the GMAW-STT process have been di scribed, The new AWS and EN standards for welding consumable standards with their requirements for the chemical com- position have been listed. Extensive mechanical testing of weld- ments in DSS and SDSS has been per- formed and show that the modern weld- ing consumables meet enhanced requirements such as CVN 40 J at 46°C. In addition CTOD tests and even wide plate tests have been reported in the lit- erature. Those tests demonstrated the liability of various welding procedures. Engineers express their confidence in ap- plying DSS grades. 1 Introduction In 1993, in the IIW journal Welding in the World a paper was published with the “Welding of duplex and superduplex stain- less steel’, which was to be used as a guide for industry (IW document, agreed upon in 1992, ref. 1). After that the 4th duplex con- ference has been held (Glasgow 1994). The material engineers in the petrochemical in- dustry and chemical tanker shipbuilding be- came convinced that the combination of the higher strength and increased corrosion properties, compared to the common auste- nitic stainless steel grades offers a real and reliable advantage. The use of both, duplex (DSS) and superduplex (SDSS) stainless steel, increased significantly. A growth in sales of 22%Cr duplex stainless steel in particular, has been spectacular and is still increasing with over 20% per year. The cur- rent world wide consumption has been esti- mated to be within 100,000-150,000 ton. Many projects have been completed and new projects with 22%Cr duplex and 25%Cr superduplex (approx. 5-10% of the duplex stainless steel volume) are in the de- sign or already in the fabrication phase. The grade UNS $31803 has now reached the third place in stainless steel consumption. The progress in material technology includ ing base material manufacture and handling as well as welding technology has been evi- dent over the last four years. Rather than expanding the number of spe- cific grades one can observe a certain con- centration on those grades with proven records. Generic grades are standardised in UNS and EN 10088 specifications. These materials have become re available in most product forms. No specific attention has been given to the Mo-free 23% Cr DSS and to 25% DSS with its PREN below 38. Their use is rather limited. With the growing application also the in- crease in severity of properties is notice- able. Only 4 years ago most of the authori- ties and oil companies limited the allowable design temperature to -20°C and a material thickness of 25mm. Application research work in various countries showed the relia~ bility of welded joints, also at lower temper- atures and heavier thicknesses. Recent re- quirements in the oil and gas industry refer to ~46°C for impact toughness. In some cases CTOD properties at -20°C or 40°C have been required for information. With reference to the 1992 guide this paper reviews the subjects where the develop- ments in welding technology provided the basis for the compliance with the increased requirements, in some cases even com- bined with an increased productivity. Regarding the corrosion properties, refer- ence is limited to the pitting corrosion test- ing which should be considered as suitable for ranking and QC purposes only. 2 Base materials 21 Material grades The combination of properties such as high proof strength and high resistance to pitting and crevice corrosion makes the DSS and SDSS most attractive for installations in the il & gas industry. In particular the pittingcorrosion resistance is determined by the Standard 22%Cr DSS has been applied chemical composition. Two pitting resis- mainly in the transport and handling of nat- tance indices are in use: ural gas with condensates. Examples of im- portant applications are certainly the Dutch PREy = %Cr +3,3x %Mo+16x 9%6N and NAM underground natural gas storage proj- ects, the ARCO transport pipe line: PREw = %Cr +3,3x (%Mo+0,5x %W) Alaska, the process equipment of the Statoil +16x %N (ref. 2) platform Sleipner West, and under prepara- tion the piping and fiowlines of the Oman Under the common 2296Gr duplex stainless LNG project. Additionally, numerous appli- steel grade with the classifications UNS cations in the pulp and paper industry, in $31803 stee! manufacturers present their chemical tankers and flue gas desulphurisa- steels in compliance with a pitting index tion projects have been recorded. PREy > 82 up to PREy > 35. The modern ‘Specifying bodies in the oil & gas industry steel grades typically contain 22.5%Cr, tend to ‘enhance’ the material requirements 5.5%Ni and Mo varying between such as impact toughness CVN ~46°C of 3,0-3,5%. The nitrogen content N=0,14- average 35 to 45J, depending on the opera~ 0.20% with the average being 0,169. The tor, and a proof strength Rp0,2 min. 500 PREx value is controlled mainly by the Mo- N/mm?, These requirements have been ful- content. Table 1 shows the best known filled with generic UNS $31803 products. commercial 22%Cr duplex stainless steel Three standard 25%Cr superduplex stain- grades. less steel grades (wrought products) are on The stabilisation of the duplex microstruc- the market, One grade typically contains ture with the austenite (}-promoting ele- 25%Cr, 6,5- 7,59%6NI, 3,5-4,09%6Mo and ment N proved to assure good properties, N=0,22-0,26% (UNS $32750). The other particularly in the HAZ. grades are additionally alloyed with 1.5% Cu (UNS $32550) or with 0,6%Cu and 0,69 Manufacturer Gnée Cr Ni Mo ON Cu other PRE, PRE, product forms 22%Cr Duplex Stainless Steel ‘UNSS31803 EN X2 CrNiMoN 22.5-3 Avesta 2205 ‘Creusot Loire Ind. UR ASN & 45N+ 1 PREN >32/34 I Fabr. de Fer. Fafer 4462 I PREN >33/35 ‘Thyssen Krupp Nirosta Fale 223 220 55 28 O15. - 3237 all product forms, Sandvik SAF 2205 28 34 "018 depending on ‘Nippon Kokan NKcr22 i manufacturer Sumitomo SM22Cr i 25%Cr Super-Duplex Stainless Steel Pressner 9ae2s 2673S 02S. 06 a castings CreusotLoieIniustie URS2N@S2NY2S 60-32. 022 16 peal plat, forgings, bars, Langley Alloys Fert255/SD 40 63 37 028 castings IMS S32750 EN X2 CrNOMON 28-7-4 ‘Avesta / Sandvik SAF207 25740027 2s (late, forgings, { tes, Creusot Loire Industrie URAIN+ 25738028 iting, castings UNS $22760 EN 2 CeNiMoCHWN 25. 293380 teas Weir Materials 2eron 100 plate, forgings, { tubes, 2S 78 36022 07 WOT >40 41S ( itings, casings abr. de Fer UNS 32760 plate last Sumitomo Dpsw, 25730027 wee 3922S pipes C max 0.03 oF 0.04% ‘Table 1. Well known trade names and products in 2296Cr DSS and 25%Cr SDSS; typical chemical compositions,W (UNS $32760) with PREy/=40-41 and PREy=41,5-42,5, Table 1 lists the main commercial grades of this type. The increase crevice, pitting and stress cor- rosion of the superduplex grades (viz. UNS 32760) showed substantial benefits in se- vere conditions such as: Gas/condensate transport pipe lines (viz. King Fisher...), platform process equipment (Maersk, Phillips Petroleum), swivel stack buoyings on vessels (SBM) and reactors in the chemical industry (Hoechst). 22 Surface condition The surface condition of the plates and pipes have been improved. For 22%Cr du- plex stainless steel is standardised as an- healed, blasted & pickled, sufficient for most engineering conditions (ref. 3). Nevertheless the fabricators occasionally come across surface problems which can be traced back to hot rolling conditions. It is stated that duplex material manufacture requires special rolling and heat treatment procedures which make the products gener- ic, despite a common classification accord- ing UNS and EN standards. 2.3 Forming and straightening In the further processing of plate material cold forming is applied for products such as vessel heads, bends and longitudinal weld- ed pipes. The understanding today is that sound plate material can accommodate a substantial amount of plastic deformation (max. 15%) before an unacceptable loss of toughness occurs. When weldments are in- cluded in the plate a limit of 10% should be respected (ref. 3). Hot forming always requires an annealing solution heat treatment. Flame straightening is a subject of discus- sion and research (ref. 4). In practice it is al- most impossible to weld complex plate structures without the need to correct flat- ness or dimensions. Flame straightening should not be applied but is often the only way. Knowing the detrimental effects to the material when exposed to temperatures in the range of 700-1000°C, limitation to short but effective heating and fast cooling is re- quired. A rule could be to allow the flame straightening only once on a specific spot by heating the non corrosion side of the base material, with a high energy oxidising burner to a red hot temperature for max 1-2 minutes, immediately followed by quench- ing with water. Flame straightening of weld- ments must be avoided completely. 3 Weld metal metallurgy 3.1 Transformation and precipitation reactions Review of physical properties including ba- sic metallurgic transformation processes in general is beyond the scope of this paper. ‘The past years further extensive fundamen- tal research has been executed on then var- ious base materials. For the transformation of structures in the weld metal an extensive review of the literature has been executed by Karison (ref. 5, plenary conference pa- per). The formation and the effects of deleterious phases in DSS and SDSS and the associat- ed weld metals have been reviewed. The erature indicates that the precipitation of termetallic phases such as (Mo rich Fe-Cr-Mo) and (Fe-Cr-Mo) effect significant- ly the toughness of the base and weld met- al. 25% Cr SDSS is more prone than DSS to form these phases when cooling down from temperatures > 100°C. In the austenite-fer- rite structure a level of intermetallic phases of 0% at the surface and 1-2% in the mid thickness zone of plate material and weld metal has been considered as acceptable. 32. Ferrite The balance of the phase components fer- rite and austenite, also in the weld metal, re- mains basic issue. No major changes in the acceptance limits have been observed. It is now a common understanding that the base material as delivered contains 40-60% aus- tenite in an originally ferric matrix whereas the as welded weld metal may show varia~ tions between 25 to 70%, or in measurable terms: 35 to 100 FN (Ferrite Number ac- cording draft ISO 8249;1997 or AWS A 4.2- 92). The international standardisation for the de- termination of ferrite has made progress. The ISO and AWS standard incorporated the need to cover the high ferrite contents occurring in DSS and SDSS. 4 Welding processes and procedures 4.1 Arc welding processes Over the last number of years developments in the arc welding processes for DSS and ‘SDSS have been reported. These develop- ments are in particular regarding the GMAW process, With recently invented controls of the weld- ing arc characteristics, it is possible to pro- gram the current supply and metal transfer.Figure 1. GMAW-STT wire electrode current and volt- ‘age wave forms for a typical welding cycle. ‘Table 2. Critical pitting corrosion temperature for root welds; GMAW-STT versus GTAW. Lincoln Smitweld Procedure Specification lease materia! Welding processes Manual or machine Duplex SS Grade 1.4462 ACGMAW-STT B:SAW ‘Manual and machine Weicing position Fier metal (race) Fix Fie meta caesie ‘5G down and 1G (PG/ PA) YLuMaes2 2: LNS 4462 2000 EN 760: AF 263 DC EN 12072:G 293NL Welding Procedure Approval Record |Radiographic Examination: Accoptable Visual Examination: ‘Goos [Reduced-section tr [Tensile strength MP) Fracture cation ports 77 ‘Base material lairwere-metal tension teat ZEN taore 62203NL a pore nao} ; Shading gas iin) @8A's2% CO: Flow 15 __[Tenatesrengh (MPs] — cing (ons) STT-AroEo0% Flow 12-18. [Clongton Aa fe |Purging gas SAW = N2 ry |Reduction, Z_ Ta SHISET eure platy 0c + rot 0x18 No remane Prnestione. (°C). RT face 0x15 tonne ntepans te). ax 140 fsae__oxis Normans podrastvearmert WA mpc Vaio] Toor Fon BO TWaltrsname” "0, Ftseme end J. Terseep [See ofepeciner: 10x 0xS5mm Required 40 Joule we = “ latory Test No, DM32 Ronan Speccaton cose swelo m2 ‘Stoormaran 20/7210; EN 208. NAWNSS-806 7-02 |waaing Process IsvODiesing Pass| Consumable | Weiding Current jee HL [Notch Temp. ‘CTOD valve Fracture ‘No. index © [mm}| Ampere | Votts [mm/min] sim fecation roy een} mode TAT] 12 fbcces e200 2] a] 24 | a0 a |e] 24 | 30 a fea | 24 | a0 t |e | 24 | so om baat festype: Veter Lond: 204g Rag < 325 — 45°~— BM HAZ WM “ * ace | asr-243 | 250-257-2n0-250 [245-2012 leenre | | 358-200- ass-are_[as2-240 254 7 ® |Root 248-236 277 - 288 - 264-274 278-260 é | oo : 2) Mode ASTW G48 3 > 2ehowre i & Gere sore = ¢ |We the undersigned, certify that the statements in this record Brecon 4 BX ittutscurer or Contactor Uncatn Seiwa bv Neen —+ 44 S [assent by en nase fesued by Fred Neeton bate 23 Sepionber 1095 Figure 2. Welding Procedure Approval Recored: GMAW-STT and SAW.Pulsed open arc welding is not new but the application of GMAW in practice was limit- ed, A new generation of power sources, with a programmed full control of the wave form, provides a high productivity in all posi- tion welding. ‘Amost advanced process in this category is the 'GMAW-STT" process (ref. 7, 8) with wave form control®. In this process a sen- ‘sor monitors the are current and voltage. A specific sequence of fast current switching, at moments where overheating of the weld droplet at the wire end would otherwise cause spatter, has been build-in in the process (figure 1). The process enables in particular the welding of root runs in pipes. The energy efficiency, in terms of heat sup- ply to the wire and the base metal, is better {than known for other arc welding processes. ‘At low heat input the welding speed in root runs is 3-4 times as fast as regular GTAW. At the same time the root weld thickness al- lows to continue with other processes like SAW (figure 2 and figure 3). The weld metal pitting corrosion properties are significantly better than obtained with regular GTAW (table 2). 4.2 Welding consumables ‘The revised AWS standards such as AWS AS.4-92 , A5.9-93 and A5.22-95 as well as the new European Standards EN 1600, EN 12072 and EN 12073 contain the specifica tion limits for the chemical composition and mechanical properties of the welding con- Process/Standard Chemical composition w% Mechanical properties © Mn Si Cr Ni Mo =N Cu other Rp0.2 Rm ASIA Nimm? Nim? % SMAW (covered electrodes) AWS 5.4.92 E2200-XX min. Os 25 85 25 0,08 max. 0,04 20 0,90 235 105 35 0,20 0,75 E2553 in 05 240 65 29 0,10 155 mx. 0,06 15 10 270 85 39 025 25 EN 1600 E2293NL min 20 75 2,5 0,08 450 550 20 max, 004 25 1.2 240 105 40 0,20 0,75 E2572N min 240 6,0 10 500-700 15 max, 0,08 2.0 12 020 0,75 E2593 CuNL min O10 15 590 6018 max. 0,04 25 12 0.25 3,5 E2594NL_ min 0,20 $50 620 18 max. 0,04 25 © 12 270 0330 1,5 W:10 GTAWIGMAW/SAW welding wire AWS A5.9.93, ER 2209 min 0.50 21,5 0,08 max. 0,03 2,0 0.90 23'S 0,20. 0,75 ER 2553. min 240 ono 15 max, 0,04 18 10 270 0.25 25 EN 12072 CWS min 210 0,10 450 550 20 2293NL max 0,03 25 10 240 0.20 0,75 GAS min. 240 500 700 15 2S72NL mx 003 25 10 270 - 0,75 CWS min 240 010 15 550 620 18 2593CuNLmax. 0,03 25 1,0 270 0.25 2,5 GW min 240 0:20 550 620 18 2594CuNLmax. 0,03 25 1,2 27,0 030 18 W109 FCAW (tubular cored wire electrodes) AWS A5.22-95 E2209TO-X min os 210 75 25 0008 mx. 0,04 20 10 240 100 40 0,20 0,5 E2553TO-X min os 240 8S 29 O10 15 mx. 0,04 15 0,75 270 105 39 0.20 215 EN 12073 T293NL min 210 75 25 008 450 550 20 max, 004 25 1,2 240 105 40 020 03 ‘Table 3. Chemical composition and mechanical properties, specified for all-weld-metal samples,sumables for SMAW, GMAW & GTAW and FCAW (table 3) ‘The SMAW process conditions have not been changed since 1992. Some electrode manufacturers, however, extended the range of covered electrodes. Details such as the typical impact toughness and chemical composition may show substantial differ- ences between the manufacturers. The min- imum and maximum ferrite content in the weld metal is not specified in the above- mentioned standards. In practice a range of FN 30-70 is usually obtained in the all weld metal and in the actual weldments. Rutile/basic electrodes have been in use for all position pipe welding. Today the welding characteristics of a new DSS fully basic electrode (Jungo 4462, see also table 4 and 5) receive a welders preference, mainly due to the low defect rate, the perfect weld pool control and the higher mechanical proper- ties. For the downhand position, filling joints as well as welding fillets, a high recovery elec- trode proved to be economically attractive. Both deposition rate and the properties made it possible to combine productivity and reliability Welding procedures, qualified for Maersk and Occidental projects respectively, are shown in figure 4 and 5 GTAW pipe welding in the field has a low productivity. Most specifications require full Penetration root GTAW welds. Due to the generally respected minimum N-level (0,149) in the filler rod and the associated HAZ, lack of austenite is no longer a prob- lem. Good toughness and corrosion proper- ties in DSS have been obtained. For highest pitting corrosion resistance, SDSS root weld metal has been recommended (ref. 8). This recommendation has been followed in many projects where a CPT min. 24°C must be achieved. At least for the filling and capping layers the use of the SMAW process is more appropriate. Another trend in welding DSS is the applica- tion of tubular cored wire. n practice the wires had porosity problems. New wires dis- criminate between welding downhand (PA, PB) and out of position (PC, PF, PD) and provide user benefits as productivity for the Walding procest Stedende __SMAW. ‘GTAW ‘GMAW FCAW. SAW ‘Arosta 4462 LNT 4462 1LNM 4462 ‘Cor-A-Rosta 4462 LNS 4462/ 2MCrDSSE2293NLR32 W2293NL = G2293NL T293NLRCM P2000 ‘Arosta 4462-145 (Cor-A-Rosta P4462 E293NLRS3 T2293NLM2 Junge 4462 ER93NLB2 28MCrSDSS Jungo Zeron LOOX LNT Zeron 100K LNM Zeron 100K LLNS Zoro 100X/ E2593NLB32__W2593NL_G2593NL. P2000 Table 4. A commercial range of DSS and SDSS welding consumables with their EN classification, Figure 3. GMAW-STT root weld in X2 CrNiMo 22-5-3Lincoln Smitweld 2 EN 1600 £2293L.NR53 [shitting gas Win) Ar 09.00% Flow 12 fesoero (can ume wy @BaPH RF) Pow 25 method NA, Jourent/ poiaty [Preneat tem. (°C) lterpass temp. [°C] IPostnea: treatment Welders name GTAW= DC - and SMAW= DC + man 15 Max 130 NA | svortory Test No, [Remarks Specticaton - Code Stoomwezen TO2t0 , NEN EN 286-3 ASME ig Procedure Consumable | Welding Current | Speed index] @ vn] | Ampare | Vos Welding Procedure Approval Record eri dcaay Procedure Specification {| Test Resuts [base materia! Duplex SS Grade 1.4462 [Radiographic, Penetrant Examination; Accepiatle |weldng processes A: GTAW (141) B: SMAW (114) IMenval or machine Manuah [Reguced-secton tension teat [Tensile strength IMPs} Fractre location Welding position 3G upand 1G (PF /PA) [2s x 11 sm 753 ‘Base mater Jia mote (race) 1: LNT Zeron 100X 2: Aroats 446214825 x11 Sin 788 Bono material ux NA filer metalctssifc. t: EN 12072: W25 94 NL {Wieroscopical investigation WeAR Ar-146.01 Rov. No. 1 ‘The microstructure shows 2 goed ferefaustenite distbation and ne hart precpations [Bend Test ‘ine m1 JRoot ax 180" ‘Accepted Face 2x 180" ‘Accepied [inpacttests 150-7 Tatra Po) aoe aoe size of specimen: 10 x10 x55mm 20°C ow | -sre wy, lew | 72 a3 a1 78 | soa est lA ata ta 41845 | 83 300 tor to l+2 |s62 205 204 ©1900 fxs 10a 147 58 5 y i 2 z ™ = 2 Z g 3 =F 5, 3 & 3-5. = =e ® Hesitype: Vickers Load: 109 Jom | __ Haz. ww. Haz jou [Face —J24s|3ee- 246 252] 255 250 250] 772 274 265] 282] 243] 258 205 2e2|255 283 259] 260 256 260) 248 Root }2se|277 285 283] 298 311 303] 290 259 263|256| 250) 287 283 262] 2r4 278 274) 248| 23 September 1005 Figure 4. SMAW Welding Procedure Approval Record of a high recovery electrode for the downhand position. {ill of butt welds and fillets. The typical im- pact toughness of the weld, due to its oxy- gen level of S00-700ppm, is limited to CVN =20°C >40 J. For SDSS some consumable manufacturers have products still in the ex- perimental stage. The incentive to make a ‘SDSS tubular wire is high due to the difficult manufacturing conditions of bare welding wire, The GMAW wires and GTAW rods for 22%Cr DSS have all a simitar composition with 23%6Cr, 8,59%Ni, 3%Mo and 0,1596N. ‘Trace elements, however, determine the welding characteristics. in particular the wetting action and weld bead appearance may therefore vary. For smooth pulsed GMAW and GMAW-STT welding specific wire compositions have been selected. The availability of filler materials for welding 25%Cr SDSS has shown a supply problem. Rolling and drawing of overalloyed SDSSProcess ‘SMAW-fil SMAW-fil SAW. Consumables classification EN F 2293 NLB32. E22931R53, ‘wire:$ 2293NLiflux:BABS 64 AWS E 2209-15 2209-16 SUNGO 4462 AROSTA 4462-145 LLNS 4462 / P 2000 GTAW-ro0t 2593 NL Cuw: 259 3NL Cow: LNT Zeron 100% LNT Zeron 100X type of weld / dimensions ieth weld U-prep. girth weld U-prep, plate butt weld t=15mm C= 127mm 1/2V-prep.;t = $0 mm ‘chem.composition w% c 0,022 0,015 0,025 cr 24,1 2s 2,7 Ni 86 a4 7.9 Mo 3.0 3.0 33 N 015 0,12 0.1 PRES) 36,4 343. 35,5 ferrite EN 40:50 55-65 % 36-38 ‘mech properties condition as welded as welded as welded Nimm2 686, 626 Nimm2 852 ‘Transy. 753-766 base mat. 77 % 24,7 6 uv 46°C 60 20°C 79 -40 °C 73-103 -60*C 53, 50°C 65 cTOD mm/ 40°C 0,280.37 ad. 60°C 0,21-0,31 HVS/0 HVS 265-294 HV10 250-303 nd. HRe 24.30,5 corrosion properties ASTM G48A cpr *c test ongoing | 225 Table 5. Weld metal properties; weldments in 22%Cr duplex stainless steel type; Typical values (ef. 15, 16, 17) Process ‘Consumables classification EN ‘SMAW E2594 CuWLB GTAW W2594CuWL, JUNGO ZERON 100X_LNM ZERON 100X_LNS ZERON 100X/ P2000 ‘ype of weld / dimensions plate butt weld plate butt weld plate butt weld Veprep.it = 16mm V20-prep.;t = 20 mm U-prep.;t = 35 mm ‘chem.composition w% Cc 0,03 0,026 0,016 cr 25 24.8 25,4 Ni 92 91 856 Mo 37, 3,65 3,70 N 0,22 0,23, 0,19 PRE,*) 40.8 40,5 40.65, ferrite FN 35-45 35-40 67-73, ‘mech.properties condition as welded as welded as welded Rp0.2 N/mm? 629 691 m3 Rm Nim? 827 846, 873 as % 26 2B 18 cvN I -20°C 60 -20°C 57 40°C 58 40°C 44 40°C 48 60°C 46 cTOD =m 40 °C 0,32.0,42 -60 °C 0,34-0,56 ‘Wide plate test; strain at fracture % n.d. ad. 1,60 HVI0 290-330 300-330 HVS 283-317 HRe 3-25 24-26 ‘corrosion properties ASTM G48A ® crr °c >a0 >40 >40 Table 6. Weld metal properties: weldments in 2594Cr super-duplex stainless steel; Typical values (re. 3, 16).wire compositions require extra-ordinary skills. The established material manufacturers are now confident with their production proce- dures so that these consumables became readily available. The use of SDSS rods for GTAW of pipe root runs and the ‘cold pass’ welding tech- nique (ref. 1), assuring increased pitting cor- rosion resistance, has become a common practice. For submerged arc welding the welding wires have the same composition as the GMAW wires. The flux can be of the fused or the agglomerated type. Only basic fluxes are used. SAW welding procedures require precise voltage, current and travel speed control, this to avoid hot cracking due to the weld geometry. 4.3. Shielding and purging gases The composition of shielding gases for GMAW have been further developed. The most commonly used shielding gas is lightly oxidising with 2-2,5% CO, added to the main component argon. Linde (ref. 9) claims that as low as 0,05% CO; is already sutfi- cient to stabilise the arc. Addition of He from 20-50% increases the heat conductivi- ty and heat transfer to the base material. This increases the wetting action of the weld pool and the welding speed. Adding 2-2,5% No to the shielding gas is applied for GTAW of root welds. In particular in welding SDSS the N-emission is compen- sated. More Np in the shielding gas and use for the filling and capping layers is not rec- ommended. It may cause uncontrolled N Pick-up and result in porosity. Purging in pipe welding (GTAW, GMAW) is mostly done with pure argon or with an Ar/59@N, mixture. Industrial clean Np is ap- plied as well but this gas may have a prob- lem with its moisture content which can cause excessive oxidation, The gas is much cheaper and N-emission may be limited slightly. The use of H, containing purging gases is often wished for by the fabricator, Risks to mixing hydrogen with the shielding gas and consequently the risk of hydrogen induced cracking cannot be avoided and make the method unacceptable for most specifying companies. ‘The need to do the purging effectively re- mains a problem. The use of devices to io- calise the purging helps in decreasing the required purging time. Avoiding turbulence is recommended as well (ref. 10). A stan- dard for the allowance of weld and HAZ oxi- dation for DSS, supported by the NAM is Published (ref. 11). The allowable discol- oration can be obtained with maximum 500ppm ©; in the pipe during root and sub- sequent second and third layer welding, In welding SDSS a higher O; level has been tolerated (ref. 12), with the objective to limit the N-emission, Open joints have been recommended for manual GTAW, this to assure sufficient sup- ply of filler material. In field welding open joints do cause problems, for instance when wind and traffic cause pressure waves. 44 Hydrogen Following the discussion on the effects of hydrogen (ref. 13), a group sponsored proj- ect at The Welding Institute has been arranged and recently completed. ‘Consensus has been reached about the ef- fect of hydrogen, entrapped in the specific DSS structure. Weld metal with a hydrogen ‘content Hom up to 25 mi/100g did not show H-induced cracking, provided that the ferrite content does not exceed FN=90. The deter- mination methods are under dispute. TWI claims that only the vacuum hot extraction method determines the correct H-level. Welding consumables may show a hydro- gen content of 5 to 20 m/100g. 45 Welding dissimilar joints Frequently DSS has to be welded to a ferrit- ic mild or low alloyed steal. In chemical tankers the internal containers have to be connected to the hull sections, in process equipment only the critical area is some- times made of DSS (or SDSS). Furthermore, related to preferences or restrictions in pro- ‘curement, various grades of SDSS or DSS to SDSS have to be welded. For butt welds between CMn-steel grades and DSS, the standard duplex welding con- sumables proved to be very suitable. The WRC 1992 Constitution Diagram provides the limits of dilution in various cases (figure 6). The resulting weld metal structure shall be a ferrite containing austenitic matrix which is resistant to hot cracking, providing that the weld geometry (height/width ratio < 1)is correct. ‘A welding procedure record for the qualifi- cation of dissimilar butt welds in pipe weld- ing is shown as figure 7. The butt weld between SDSS grades has been investigated and has not found to be detrimental to pitting resistance (ref. 14).5 Properties of weldments In particular the use of welded structures with wall thicknesses over 25mm and at low design temperatures required the availability of mechanical test data. A sophisticated mechanical testing pro- gramme, in which The Genth University, fabricators and consumable manufacturers participated under supervision of the Belgium Institute of Welding, provided im- portant information (ref. 15). The work is continuing. Other sources have been the work of Weir Materials fora ASME Code Case, a DSM project (ref. 16), authority ap- provals and various procedure qualifica- tions. Some recent typical test results in various thicknesses have been compiled in table 5 and 6. 6 Conclusions The use of duplex stainless steel! has grown to big volumes in the world. This applies in particular for the UNS 31803 base material and the associated welding consumables. Superduplex stainless steel welding con- sumables are in use for welding regular DSS and also 13% Cr soft martensitic steel for its strength properties. New GMAW welding processes have been invented. GMAW-STT provides benefits in root pipe welding. Productivity (3-4 times faster) and pitting corrosion resistance, compared to GTAW, improved substantially. Mechanical properties have been deter- mined in heavy wall pipe and plate material. ‘The CVN, CTOD and wide plate testing proved that DSS and SDSS weldments can be applied down to -40°Cin most cases. References 1 Lvan Nassau e.2. Welding duplex and superduplex stainless steel, Weld. In the World, Volt, pp 323- 343, 1998, 2H. Okamoto, Proc. of Stainless'92, Stockholm 1992, pp90-369. 3. JJ. Dutrane Fabrique de Fer, private communica tons. 4 BIL Research Project: Weldability, corrosion resis- tance and fracture behaviour of duplex and su- perduplex stainless steels, doc. ED 60003.W61, 1996, 5. L Karlson, Review on intermetallic phase precipita tion in duplex stainless steels and weld metals, IW doc. [X-H-881/87. 6. Stava, Welding Ja! , pp , 1993. 7 L van Nassau e.a., Paper at 1st ttalian Welding ‘Symposium, Genova 1996. 8 TWI Group Sponsored Project. 9. Linde brochure 8998/9, 1994. 10 H.Geipl, Applications technology in the imelignt, Linde publication no.7, 1984. 11 L. Smith, M. Klein: Acceptance criteria for oxidation of stainless stee! weldments, Stainless Stee! World, 44,45 1996, 12 Weir Materials Ltd.: Guidelines for welding Zeron 100 super duplex stainless stee! (1966). 18 TWI Group Sponsiored Project, Hydrogen cracking of duplex stainless multinass weldments, doc. 8669/7a/9714, 14 S-A Fagen, L. Odegérd: Welding of superdupplex stainless stee! Sandvik SAF 2507™ (UNS 32750), Stainless Stee! Europe Dec. pp 40-45 1993, 15 DSM project Investigations of weldments in 5mm DSS, proj.no. 511040001, 1996. 16 Lincoln Smitweld WPAR 2100X.01, 2100X.02. 17 BIL Research Project: Weldabilty, corrosion resis- tance and fracture behaviour of duplex and su- perduplex stainless steels, doc, ED 70090.W61, 1997,Lincoln Smitweld Procedure Specification lBase material Duplex SS Grade 1.4482 IMarwal or machine Manual Welding positon 6G up (H.L048) Fux NA. Filer metal classifi. 1: AWS AS.9: ER 2209 2: AWS AS4: E 2200-15 Shielding ges [min] Argon 98.998 Flow Backing (ges) [Vmin] Argon 99.998 Flow Jcouge method NA. Preheat temp. [°C] RT Interpass temp. [°C] max. 150 Posthest treatment NA Weider's name Laboratory Test No, ‘Stoommwezen T 0210 Welding Procedure ieaearicc| ‘Welding Current | Speed ‘No. |index| 2 jmm)| Ampere | Votts mimi Welding processes A: GTAW (141) B: SMAW(111) Filler metal (rade) 1: LNT 4482 2: Jungo 4482 10 15-20 [Current poterity GTA = DC- / SMAW= DC + [Remarks : Welding and testing in accordance with Welding Procedure Approval Record Rav, No. 0 Ret WG, 95.083 Test Results, Visual and Radiographic Examination: Acceptable |Reduced-sechion tension test [Tensiie strength [MPa} Fracture location 12,37 x 24,58 mm 830 base metal [Allweld-metai tension test Yield point IMPa} [Tensie strength [APa} Elongation, AS [%) Reduction, Z Bend tests Fomver diameter 4x1 Root 3x 125x283 > 150" ‘acceptable Face © tx 128x23 > 180° ‘acceptable impact tests Charpy V—[uoule] —Teatlemp. TOF Size of specimen: 10 x 10x55 mm Joint Dewan [Testtype: Vickers Load: 109 —-—— 60° Weld meta 258-254-275 Heat Affected Zone 274-274-285 270-284-285 Base metal 254-251-251 -259-236 - 253, a | 3 5) per 2 = = 2/7 S x x FN 2 = ma |_| te uncorigned, cory Wat the statements WBS ooo 4 3 B— awcorest Z| Manutacturer or Contractor Occidental (Pci) [authorized by ‘Stoomwazen issued by Fred Neessen Date Tsay 1986 Figure 5. SMAW Welding Procedure Approval Record of basic covered electrode.Tyg? Wr 35S ON O25 Ge wee suteeoaag | iS a Gteg ® Gr Me * 0. Nb ee EE) z Figure 6. WRC-1992 diagram with an expanded scale for dilution calculations, Weiding Procedure Approval Record lure platy Pase| Conaumadie Ne. [sen rm] Ampere | Vans DS 14482 A333 Grade AGTAW (141) BESMAW (311) 1048 op) SUNT ate?” 2 sunpouase na 412072 W209 NL 2 Biteoo £2203MB42 ‘aonsact Pow 35:17 ‘Aeneas Flow 20.25 Nk craw 0¢-/sMaw=pe+ rt ‘2uang SHAWN, 70 Un A backing ‘losing andtntrgin ace wh ‘Toate NSS socr ove EN 2083 Wel ure 0273 x 28 svat, Radiographic and Dye penetrant Examination: tamer el lense [as e278 nm a fos) 26.2 mm ae [aiameal weston [fenaie srenen Dual: ND), |aonosten 6) |necooon.2 ps) fRect ae 4720 > 50" wecaptle jase AT a3) 3 HOY emapatle In” |son soo s23 Jav2 [126 470 170 lass [266 261 206 74 bes 248 297 21a das 28 2 ‘4,274 274 254 ‘70 so 100 387 Figure 7. Weiding Procedure Approval Record of dissimilar butt welds in pipe weld- ing.