Weld Strength of Laser Welded SS316 and SS321

Abstract

Nowadays, due to economic considerations, stainless steel is frequently used in dissimilar welds configurations– alloyed steel, carbon steel, copper, titanium. Current research in laser welding aims at joining a large category of structurally dissimilar materials, like copper, stainless steel or aluminum components. The weld quality of 10mm thick stainless steel grades of 316 and 321 laser welded in butt configuration is studied. SS321 is well known for its corrosion resistance property especially dissimilar metal corrosion ie., galvanic corrosion. SS316 provides high strength to weight ratio even at high temperature which makes its as a potential candidate for aerospace application. The joint quality is characterized in terms of hardness, microstructure and inspected using NDT. Scanning Electron Microscope and Optical Microscope were used to study the microstructure of welded specimen. The microhardness test is conducted on the weld joints to quantify the effect of weld parameters in mechanical strength of the joints. Radiography test was conducted to identify the defects in the specimen.