Properties and Microstructure of Laser Welded Dissimilar Joints of TP347-HFG and S235JR Steels with Additional Material

Paper presents results of laser welding of dissimilar joints. Flange pipe joints of austenitic TP347-HFG and low carbon S235JR steels were performed. Possibility of laser girth welding of dissimilar joints was presented. Welding of dissimilar materials are complex phenomena, chemical composition of chromium and nickel base austenitic steel with carbon amount of 0.07%, comparing to low carbon steel with trace amount of chromium, nickel and with 0.17% of carbon are different, and affect on welding result. Amount of carbon and chromium have great effect on steel phase transformation and crystallization process, which affect on material hardenability and strength characteristic. In conventional GMA welding methods solidification process of different metals is controlled by use of a selected filler material, for creating buffer zone. The main advantages of laser welding over other methods is process without an additional material, nevertheless some application may require its use. Laser welding with additional material combines advantages of both methods. To carry out weld with high strength characteristic, without welding defects, selecting chemical composition of filler wire are required. Welding parameters was obtained using numerical simulation based on Finite Element Method (FEM). Joint properties was investigated using hardness test. Metallographic analysis of obtained weld was carried out using optical microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis.