A comparative study on weld-bead geometry of austenitic stainless-steel produced by cold metal transfer welding and pulse metal inert gas welding process

Abstract

In recent years, weld cladding has become an emerging technique for the surface modification of carbon steel, which has various industrial applications such as chemical, marine, mining, agriculture, and power generation. In this research, cold metal transfer (CMT) welding and pulse metal inert gas (MIG) welding are utilized to study the weld-clad bead of 308L stainless steel over low-carbon steel. To examine the mechanical and wear characteristics of CMT weld-clad samples, welding speed (3, 4, 5, and 6 mm/s) was used as the input process parameter, while current (175 A), nozzle to workpiece distance (10 mm), and shielding gas flow rate (15 l/min) were kept constant. Microstructural analysis of weld bead samples was done through optical microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy. With an increase in welding speed, the microhardness and wear properties of the clad surface were improved. The CMT-clad surface had significant improvements in mechanical, wear properties, and lower residual stresses due to low dilution and lesser heat input.