Experimental and Computational Investigation of Structural Integrity of Dissimilar Metal Weld Between Ferritic and Austenitic Steel

The structural integrity of dissimilar metal welded (DMW) joint consisting of low-alloy steel and 304LN austenitic stainless steel was examined by evaluating mechanical properties and metallurgical characteristics. INCONEL 82 and 182 were used as buttering and filler materials, respectively. Experimental findings were substantiated through thermomechanical simulation of the weld. During simulation, the effect of thermal state and stress distribution was pondered based on the real-time nuclear power plant environment. The simulation results were co-related with mechanical and microstructural characteristics. Material properties were varied significantly at different fusion boundaries across the weld line and associated with complex microstructure. During in-situ deformation testing in a scanning electron microscope, failure occurred through the buttering material. This indicated that microstructure and material properties synergistically contributed to altering the strength of DMW joints. Simulation results also depicted that the stress was maximum within the buttering material and made its weakest zone across the welded joint during service exposure. Various factors for the failure of dissimilar metal weld were analyzed. It was found that the use of IN 82 alloy as the buttering material provided a significant improvement in the joint strength and became a promising material for the fabrication of DMW joint.