Effects of evolution of nanoscale copper precipitation and copper content on mechanical properties of high-strength steel weld metal

Abstract

Nanoscale copper precipitation in high-strength weld metal was characterised by using atom probe tomography (APT) and transmission electron microscopy. In as-deposited zone, there was no copper precipitation. During welding thermal cycling, nanoscale copper of 2–3 nm in radius precipitated with face-centred cubic (FCC) and body-centred cubic (BCC) structure. During post-weld heat treatment (PWHT), FCC copper precipitate became coarsen and BCC transformed into FCC. The highest hardness was in the reheated zone which subjected to the peak temperature below 500°C; while the lowest hardness was both in deposited zone and the reheated zone which subjected to the peak temperature greater than 810°C. After PWHT, the hardness became homogenous as well as decreased. With increasing copper content, the hardness was increased and the toughness was slightly decreased. After PWHT, the toughness decreased due to the change in the structure of copper precipitates.

Keywords

High-strength weld metal Copper precipitation Welding thermal cycle Post-weld heat treatment Mechanical properties

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