High-Ni Steel Weld Joint Composition for Cryogenic Crack Resistance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Weld joints in high Ni steel plates for cryogenic environments face challenges with hot cracking and inadequate low-temperature toughness when using existing welding materials, particularly with high Mn steel wires, which fail to ensure absorbed energy of 27 J or more at -196°C.

Innovation Solution

A weld joint composition with specific chemical compositions for both steel plates and weld metal, along with controlled welding heat input, is used to achieve high strength and low-temperature toughness, where the weld metal contains 13% to 25% Mn and limited Cr content to prevent hot cracking, and the welding heat input is adjusted to 0.5 to 6.0 kJ/mm to ensure fracture propagation through the weld metal rather than the heat-affected zone.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If Ni-based alloy welding material containing 50% or more Ni is used, then low-temperature toughness at -196°C equivalent to base metal can be ensured, but welding cost increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvelow-temperature toughnessVSAvoidwelding material cost
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the chemical composition parameters of the welding material by using high Mn content (18-35%) instead of high Ni content (50-65%). This parameter substitution allows achieving similar low-temperature toughness properties through a different compositional approach, thereby reducing material cost while maintaining reliability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention replaces expensive Ni-based alloy welding material with a cheaper high Mn steel welding material. Although Mn-based materials were previously considered insufficient for cryogenic applications, this invention demonstrates that with proper composition control, they can achieve comparable performance at lower cost

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Quantity of substance

If high Mn steel welding material is used, then welding cost is reduced, but hot cracking occurs in the weld joint

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewelding material costVSAvoidhot crack resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention carefully controls the Cr content parameter within a specific range (0.5-5.0%) to prevent hot cracking. By optimizing this compositional parameter along with C content (0.10-0.80%) and Mn content (18-35%), the welding material achieves both cost reduction and hot crack resistance

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a composite welding material system combining multiple alloying elements (Mn, Cr, Ni, Mo, C) in specific proportions. This composite approach allows the material to exhibit both cost-effectiveness and resistance to hot cracking through synergistic effects of the elements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #40Composite materials

3Strength

If Cr content in weld metal is increased to improve strength, then hot cracking resistance decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweld metal strengthVSAvoidhot crack resistance
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes the Cr content parameter within a balanced range (0.5-5.0%) rather than maximizing it. This parameter optimization ensures that the weld metal achieves sufficient strength (tensile strength ≥660 MPa) while maintaining hot crack resistance by preventing excessive Cr carbide precipitation at grain boundaries

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

4Strength

If welding heat input is increased to improve weld metal strength, then fracture propagation shifts to heat-affected zone reducing low-temperature toughness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveweld metal strengthVSAvoidlow-temperature toughness of weld bond
Core Design Contradiction:
StrengthVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention establishes a feedback control mechanism for welding heat input based on the desired fracture propagation path. By controlling heat input within 0.5-6.0 kJ/mm, the process ensures that fracture propagates through the weld metal (which has adequate strength) rather than the heat-affected zone, thereby maintaining low-temperature toughness of the weld bond

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The approach results in a weld joint with high strength and excellent low-temperature toughness without hot cracking, achieving absorbed energy of 27 J or more at -196°C, without the need for expensive Ni-based welding materials.

Implementation Method 1

the components in the flux cored wire are adjusted so as to contain, in the Ni-based alloy outer skin and the flux in total, Mn: 2.0% to 4.5%, Ni: 53% to 65%, Cr: 13% to 19%, Mo: 5% to 14%, Nb: 0.5% to 3.0%... the wire to produce a 9% Ni steel weld joint can yield a weld metal having high strength and excellent toughness

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAustenite stabilization:

Implementation Method 2

the welding heat input is adjusted to 0.5 to 6.0 kJ/mm to ensure fracture propagation through the weld metal rather than the heat-affected zone

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectControlled heat input: Heating

Data Source

PatentUS20240003367A1Weld joint and production method therefor
Publication Date: 2024.01.04 JFE STEEL CORP

AI summary

Provided is a weld joint having high strength and excellent hot crack resistance and low-temperature toughness. High Ni steel plates containing 6.5 mass % to 10.0 mass % of Ni are welded to form a weld metal to obtain a weld joint. The weld metal has a chemical composition containing Mn: 13.0% to 25.0%, Cr: 3.8% or less, Ni: 1.0% to 12.0%, Mo: 0.1% to 5.0%, N: % or less, and O: 0.100% or less, and the strength of the weld metal is adjusted so that the yield strength BYS of each steel plate and the 0.2% proof stress WPS of the weld metal satisfy[WPS]≤[BYS]−100 MPa  (1)and the tensile strength BTS of the steel plate and the tensile strength WTS of the weld metal satisfy[WTS]≤[BTS]+100 MPa  (2).