2018 International Conference on Advanced Science and Engineering (ICOASE), Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Dissimilar Welding of AISI 309 Stainless Steel to

AISI 1020 Carbon Steel Using Arc Stud Welding
Ehab N. Abbas Salman Omran Muhaed Alali
University of Baghdad Middle Technical University University of Kufa
Baghdad, Iraq Baghdad, Iraq Baghdad, Iraq
ehabvocation@yahoo.com salman_ytt@yahoo.com mowahid.alali@uokufa.edu.iq

Mohammed H. Abass Adnan N. Abood

Ministry of OilMidland Oil Company Middle Technical University
Baghdad, Iraq Baghdad, Iraq
mohammedarnawooty@gmail.com adnan_naama_59@yahoo.com

Abstract— In present work, AISI 309 stainless steel studs increase with increasing welding current and time and
were joined to AISI 1020 carbon steel sheets by arc stud welding consequently determine weld quality [1, 4]. Generally,
technique. A range of welding currents and times were applied to welding of dissimilar metals with this process has a
investigate the effect of welding parameters on microstructure
developing importance in industry due to their high practical
and mechanical properties of the weldments. The microstructure
and economical capabilities [5]. Dissimilar welding provides
observation revealed that increasing of welding current and time
encourages martensitic transformation in heat affected zone of
flexibility to the designer in selecting right metal for certain
carbon steel and gives a high possibility to the formation of sigma application and intends service condition, e.g. corrosive
phase in fusion zone of stainless steel. Microhardness test showed environments and thermal cycling that sometimes difficult to
highest hardness of 575HV in fusion zone at 800A welding meet with one metal [6, 7]. Joining of austenitic stainless
current and 0.35s welding time because of hard and brittle sigma steels to carbon steels is versatile in fabrication of components
phase. The strength of the joints was evaluated using torque test. that require combination of high corrosion resistance of
Maximum torque strength of 60N.m was registered with 400A stainless steel and high strength and considerably low cost of
and 0.35s that also showed the best weld integrity. A crack was
carbon steel. For example, pipes, vessels, evaporators and heat
detected in the fusion zone at 800A welding current due to the
exchangers in power generations and petrochemical industries
difference in thermal expansion coefficient between stainless steel
and carbon steel.
[8].

Keywords— Arc Stud Welding, Dissimilar welding, However, joining of dissimilar metals is more
Solidification mode, Martensitic transformation, Sigma phase complicated than similar metals because of differences in
physical, metallurgical and mechanical properties of the
I. INTRODUCTION
metals to be joined [7, 9, 10]. Combination of dissimilar
Arc Stud Welding (ASW) is a fabrication process metals is often linked with metallurgical problems, i.e.
that is typically used for welding studs to sheets or plates of formation of brittle phases that lead to degradation of
different metals and thicknesses. This welding process is mechanical properties of weldment. Welding of austenitic
based on developing a heat by an electric arc that locally melts stainless steel to low alloy steel associated with segregation of
tip of stud and plate and physically joining them by applying alloying elements at grain boundaries causes a reduction in
pressure in a very short time [1]. Short welding cycle makes mechanical properties and corrosion resistance of the weld
stud welding is an attractive process in automotive and [11]. Welding of austenitic stainless steel to carbon steel
structural applications where productivity is the matter causes migration of carbon from HAZ of carbon steel towards
[2].Controlling welding parameters in stud arc stainless steel melting zone that raises hardness at fusion
welding such as welding current, welding time, boundary making this area considerably brittle [12-15].
plunge (stud length) and lift (gap between tip of stud and work Another negative metallurgical variations is possibility of
piece surface) is a significant factor in getting a quality weld presence of sigma phase in stainless steels [16], which is
[3]. It was realized from the literatures that in ASW, weld FeCr-phase precipitates at elevated temperature during
penetration, size of weld metal and heat affected zone (HAZ) welding. Sigma phase is hard and brittle phase and causes a

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 2018 International Conference on Advanced Science and Engineering (ICOASE), Kurdistan Region, Iraq

drop in mechanical properties of stainless steel when present AISI

0.17 0.88 0.17 0.02 0.02 19.5 12.8 Bal.
in high amounts [17]. Therefore, precautions must be taken 309
when welding stainless steels, such as, selection of proper
welding parameters or using a high welding speed process AISI
0.19 0.19 0.98 0.06 0.03 - - Bal.
where is unwanted precipitation is less likely to occur [8]. 1020

In this research, arc stud welding of AISI 309 stainless steel

studs to AISI 1020 carbon steel sheets using different welding
currents and times was occurred. The study aims to investigate TABLE II. MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF BASE METALS
the effect of arc stud welding parameters on microstructure and Base metal Yield Strength Tensile Strength Minimum Torque
mechanical properties of the joint. Phase transformations and (MPa) (MPa) (N.m)
solidification modes were identified and their impact on the
properties of welds was evaluated.
AISI 309 310 620 32
II. MATERIALS AND METHODS
The base metals used in this research are AISI 309 stainless AISI 1020 270 480 -------

steel partially threaded studs with diameter of 8mm and AISI

1020 sheets with 6mm thickness. Carbon steel sheet received
in rolled condition. The chemical compositions and
III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
mechanical properties of the stud and base metals are listed in
Tables 1, 2 respectively. Welding the studs to the sheets was The microstructure of as received AISI 309 studs are
performed using arc stud welding machine type DABOTEK equiaxed austenite grains as a matrix with delta ferrite as a
DT (1000). Welding parameters employed for welding were second phase. While the microstructure of AISI 1020 carbon
400, 600 and 800A welding current and 0.2, 0.25 and 0.35s steel sheet consists mainly of pearlite and primary ferrite Fig.1.
welding time. Metallographic examination was implemented HAZ microstructure of stainless steel consists of coarse
using optical microscope and scanning electron microscopy austenite grains near the FZ and fine austenite grains at the
(SEM). The SEM test was carried out using Inspect F device region close to unaffected zone of the stud Fig.2. It was
and performed in secondary electron mode using an observed that microstructure of carbon steel is varying through
accelerating voltage of 20kV and spot size of 5. Stainless steel HAZ influenced by welding current and distance from FZ. At
was etched to reveal the microstructure using two parts of 400A welding current, microstructure at fusion boundary
HNO3, two parts of acetic acid and three parts of HCl for 50- region, consists of ferrite and martensite. Moving toward BM,
60s. While for carbon steel, Nital was used as an etchant the microstructure characterised with ferrite, bainite and
solution. To analyse phases and compounds of fusion zone martensite due to low temperature and no diffusion effect in
(FZ), X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) was performed. The scan was this zone. At 800A, it was realized that microstructure in region
carried out using SHIMADZU Diffractometer model XRD adjacent to fusion boundary is full martensite, while ferrite was
6000, Japan. Torque and Vickers microhardness tests were detected in addition to martensite near BM Fig.3. Volume
used to evaluate mechanical properties of the welds. Torque fraction of martensite in HAZ and regions near FZ was higher
test was applied according to BS EN ISO 14555:2014, using with 800 than with 400A. This could be related to high
MANESSMAN torque wrench device. Vickers microhardness temperature associated with high welding current and distance
test were undertaken using LARYEE microhardness testing from heat source. High temperature permits more diffusion of
device and according to ASTM 384. The hardness carbon, which consequently encourages diffusionless phase
measurements were taken along the base metal (BM), HAZ transformation of carbon steel and full martensite becomes
and FZ, using 500g load and 15s dwell time. more possible to form [18]. The formation and amount of
martensite was verified by the microhardness test since the
TABLE I. CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF BASE METALS. martensite phase raises the hardness in carbon steel [19].
Higher HV values recorded in the HAZ of 800A than 400A
Chemical composition (wt%)
Base welding current Fig.4. Maximum values of HV in HAZ were
Metal also registered in regions close to fusion boundary and dropped
C Si Mn P S Cr Ni Fe
toward BM. In FZ for both 400 and 800A, microstructure near
fusion line consists of cellular structure Fig.5, resulted from
high G/R ratio, where G is thermal gradient and R is growth

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rate [20]. Growth direction of cellular structure is characterized torque values was observed over different welding conditions
with epitaxial growth with direction of <100>. However, this Fig.10. At 400A, torque value started from 38N.m at 0.2 s
direction is then no longer continuous where a mismatch welding time and increases with increasing of welding time
occurs at weld centerline where grains intercept with other until reached peak value at 0.35s with 60N.m. This could be
grains of different growth direction or different solidification attributed to sufficient welding time that produced a good
mode [21]. For instance, it was observed that towards weld weld penetration and sufficient fillet around the stud [25].
centerline, microstructure changes from columnar to equiaxed
Increasing welding current to 600A, torque recorded 53N.m at
dendritic Fig.6. This variation in growth direction,
0.2s and decreased to 50N.m with both 0.25 and 0.35s welding
solidification mode and grains structure could be linked to G/R
times. This could be resulted from relatively high heat input
ratio that reaches its lowest value at weld center and therefore
linked with excessive melting of stud Fig.11. The difference of
encourages equiaxed structure [22]. It is worthy to mention that
thermal expansion coefficient between the metals creates
a crack was detected in FZ with 800A Fig.7, which is probably
internal stresses and affected joints strength negatively that
due to relatively high heat input and the difference in thermal
gives a prognosis to fail under lower torque value [26]. At
expansion coefficient between stainless steel and carbon steel
800A, torque values dropped with increasing in hardness,
that causes high residual stresses in weld area and leads to
resulted from sigma phase precipitation.
crack formation [11, 23, 24]. Fusion zone in both welding
currents represents sigma phase (FeCr), Figs. 8 and 9. Sigma
phase increases brittleness of the weld and reduces toughness
[20]. Hardness recorded higher value in FZ with 800A
(575HV) than 400A (505HV) because high heat input raises
the amount of sigma phase and consequently increases the
hardness value [17].

Fig.1 Microstructure (a) AISI 1020 carbon steel (b) AISI 309 stud

Fig.2 HAZ of AISI 309

When weldments subjected to torque load, the minimum

torsional stress (MTS) requirement (32N.m) for the AISI 309
stainless steel (according to ISO 3506-1, 2009 standard) was Fig.3 (a) Optical microstructure of HAZ of AISI 1020 steel at 400 A, (b) SEM
image of HAZ of AISI 1020 steel at 800 A
exceeded. Generally, failure occurred at HAZ for all tested
samples. This indicates good joint strength over the selected
range of welding parameters. However, a clear variation in

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Fig.8 (a) Microstructure of FZ showing sigma phase (b) Higher magnification

of sigma phase

Fig.4 Microhardness values across BM, HAZ, FZ of the dissimilar joint.

Fig.9 XRD analysis of FZ

Fig.5 Columnar cellular structure at FZ

Fig.6 Transformation in solidification mode from columnar dendritic to

equiaxed dendritic at FZ.

Fig.10 Torque values as a function of welding current and welding time.MTS

is the minimum torsional strength for AISI 309 stainless steel.

Fig.7 Solidification crack at the FZ of 800 A weldment

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