Effects of filler metal composition on the microstructure and mechanical properties for ER NiCrFe-7 multi-pass weldments

The effects of the minor elements Ti and Nb on the microstructure and mechanical properties for multi-pass weldments from the alloy ER NiCrFe-7 were studied using an optical microscope (OM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), electron probe micro analysis (EPMA), as well as tensile and bend tests. The results show that grain size does not change significantly by increasing the Ti content from 0.28 wt% to 0.87 wt% in the weld metal (WM), whereas the grain boundaries become tortuous. The intragranular precipitate in the WM with Ti are AlO and Ti(C, N), whereas the intragranular precipitate in the WM with Nb are AlO and MX (M=Nb, Ti, X=C, N). As the Ti and Nb content increased in the WM, more MX was produced. Furthermore, the majority of C was fixed in the grain, not segregated to the grain boundaries; and less M23C6 (M=Cr, Fe) formed at the grain boundaries. Fewer ductility-dip-cracking (DDC) was observed for WM with higher levels of Ti and Nb. The tensile strength and elongation simultaneously increased with an increase in Ti and Nb in WM. The number and length of the cracks in the bend specimens decreased upon adding Ti and Nb.