The influence of welding speed conditions of GMAW on mechanical properties of 316L austenitic stainless steel

Abstract

In this study, the influence of welding speed conditions of gas metal arc welding (GMAW) on mechanical properties of 316L austenitic stainless steel (SS) was investigated. The welding speed was applied with three different variations at 175 mm/minute, 190 mm/minute, and 205 mm/minute. The GMAW was equipped by solid electrode wire ER308L with 0.8 mm in diameter. The Vickers micro-hardness and tensile tests were conducted for each GMAW joint, and the results were discussed. It was found that the Vickers micro-hardness showed a dependence on welding speed conditions in weld metal (WM) and heat affected zone (HAZ) areas. A systematic increase in hardness was shown with an increase in welding speed. The ultimate tensile strength and yield strength of GMAW joints were found to decrease systematically with an increase in welding speed. From this investigation, it was found that GMAW joint with the welding speed at 175 mm/minute was suitable to be applied for 316L SS.