Metallurgical Effects Produced in Steel by Fusion Welding (3aea5b8b-9561-4f4e-8e31-dc5c13751cdd)

PRECISE knowledge regarding the effect of heat treatment on the properties of steel has made possible the detailed specifications and instructions covering optimum heat-treating temperatures and practices that are in current use. A distinct contrast is presented by the metal-lurgical treatment of steel adjacent to a fusion weld, as such steel is subjected to each, temperature from room temperature to fusion tempera-ture, and cooled at a rate that is not generally controllable but is pre-determined by the nature of the assembly to be welded, the kind of welding used, and the surrounding conditions. This is true regardless of the type of fusion welding: oxyacetylene, electric arc, thermit or flash resistance. Therefore it seemed desirable to investigate the effect of this metallurgical treatment on the characteristics of carbon steels commonly used for welding, by a detailed study of metal subjected to each temperature range; i.e., each heat-affected zone. Oxyacetylene welding was chosen for the investigation because of the experimental facility of accurately segregating and studying each tem-perature zone. The nature of the zones produced by other types of welding is the same. The difference is primarily a matter of dimensions of each of the temperature zones involved. The advantages and dis-advantages of the extent of the zone are of prime moment, and are dis-cussed after the presentation of the detailed zone study. No mention is made of the fused metal proper, as this has been the subject of much published research and the nature of the solidified metal is fairly well known.