Effect of enhanced weld cooling on the mechanical properties of a structural steel with a yield strength of 700 MPa

Abstract

In this study, we present the effect of enhanced cooling on the mechanical properties of a high-strength low-alloy steel (having a yield strength of 700 MPa) following a single-pass weld process. The properties evaluated in this study include uniform elongation, impact toughness, yield, tensile and fatigue strengths alongside the cooling time of the weld. With the steel used in this study, the enhanced cooling resulted in a weld joint characterized with excellent cross-weld uniform elongation, yield and fatigue strength. The intensified cooling reduced the time it takes for the weld to reach 100 °C by around 190 s. Not only the fusion line of the weld was less pronounced, but also the grain size of the CGHAZ was greatly refined as a result of the enhanced cooling. The results indicate that combining external cooling to the welding processes can be beneficial for the studied high-strength steel.