Jornadas SAM - CONAMET AAS 2001, Septiembre de 2001 51-58

INFLUENCE OF WELDING PROCEDURE ON THE

MICROSTRUCTURE AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF AN
ASTM A 148 GR. 80 50 STEEL ANCHOR SHACKLE
a a b b c
J.C.F. Jorge , L.F.G. Souza , O.R. Santos Filho , Ivani de S. Bott , A.M.F. Santos Filho
d
and F.H.B. Guimares
a
Centro Federal de Educao Tecnolgica (CEFET-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
b
Pontifcia Universidade Catlica (PUC-RIO), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
c
Fluke Engenharia Ltda., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
d
American Bureau of Shipping, Rio Office, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

ABSTRACT

The present work is part of an extensive research program of which the main objective
is the development of welding procedures for the repair of equipment used in mooring lines
for offshore platforms, such as, high holding power anchors, chain links, shackles, swivels.
In the present work, the effect of welding thermal cycle on the microstructure/toughness
relationship of ASTM A 148 Gr. 80 50 cast steel used in anchor shackles in Brazil was
studied, to allow the approval of a welding procedure by the Classification Society American
Bureau of Shipping.
A welded joint was produced by the SMAW process using a AWS E 7018-1 electrode
of 3,25mm diameter. After welding, mechanical tests and metallographic examination were
performed according to the ABS Rules.
Tension, bending, hardness and Charpy-V tests were conducted in specimens cut
transversally to the weld zone. The tension and bending tests were performed at room
temperature to evaluate the ultimate tensile strength and ductility of the welded joint. Charpy-
V tests were performed at -20oC. The notch was positioned on the plane perpendicular to the
thickness direction at the weld metal center line, at the fusion line (FL) and at distances of 1,
3, 5 and 7 mm from the FL.
The metallographic examination was performed on the same specimen used for
hardness tests and the microstructure was observed by optical microscopy at positions
equivalent to the Charpy-V notches.
The results obtained showed that it is possible to perform reliable repairs in accessories
for mooring lines manufactured in ASTM A 148 Gr. 80 50 cast steel, attaining the
requirements of the ABS Rules, ASTM Standards and anchor shackle design acceptance
criteria.
Additionally, it was verified that the development of the welding procedure promoted a
reduction of about 50% in manufacturing costs of cast steel shackles for steel plate anchors.

Key words
Welding, Cast Steels, Welding Procedure, Mechanical Properties

51
 Jorge, Souza, Santos Filho, Bott, Santos Filho and F.H.B. Guimares

INTRODUCTION

The weldability of cast steels for offshore and naval industries has been the object of
many studies [1-4], aiming to show that the repair by welding of cast pieces does not present a
risk to the reliability of the structural work of the equipment.
However, evidence of qualified procedures for the execution of these repairs are not
available on literature.
Considering the facts presented above, associated with the need for a qualified welding
procedure for the repair of cast steel shackles used on welded steel plate anchors (figure 1), a
research program was created to evaluate the possibility of development of a welding
procedure for ASTM A 148 Gr. 80 50 cast steel, according to the requirements of American
Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Classifying Society [5].

Proofload test of steel plate anchor Shackle in cast steel

Figure 1. Detail of the cast steel shackle used on steel plate anchor.

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

Materials
An ASTM A 148 Gr. 80 50 steel was used in the form of a shaft with a diameter of
180 mm and a length of 600 mm, from where the specimens for welding were extracted.
The consumable used in welding was a shielded electrode from class AWS E 7018-1
with a diameter of 3.25 mm.
The material received presented characteristics of chemical composition and mechanical
properties as shown on tables 1 and 2, respectively.

Table 1. Chemical composition of the used materials

Element C Mn Si Cr Ni Mo V P S
% Peso 0,24 1,37 0,38 0,40 0,47 0,18 0,008 0,03 0,03

Table 2. Mechanical properties of the used base material

Tension test Charpy-V Impact test (-20oC)
Sy (MPa) Sut (MPa) Elong.(%) R. A.(%) Individual values (J) Average (J)
557.2 704.4 20.2 48.6 50.0, 53.0, 54.9 52.6

52
 Jornadas SAM - CONAMET -AAS 2001

Welding of the specimens

Two specimens with a length of 185 mm and thickness of 50 mm, with a X-type groove
with a angle of 60 degrees, were welded by the shielded metal arc weld process (SMAW), in
the flat position using, continuous current around 145 Amperes, voltage of 22-26 volts,
welding speed of 3.7 mm/s, with a average heat input of 1.0 kJ/mm in a total of 84 passes.
Additionally, a preheat of 150oC was used and the temperature between passes was
maintained between 150 and 250 C.
The welding technique consisted of filleted passes, with hammering being performed
after each pass for the residual stresses relief.
After the execution of the finishing pass, a temper bead was deposited on both sides of
the joint, aiming to avoid the need of a post weld heat treatment (PWHT).

Mechanical tests
After the welding, the specimens for mechanical tests were extracted according to the
requirements of the Classifying Society Rules Book [5].
Tension test and bending at room temperature, on test specimens cut transversally to the
weld bead, were performed to evaluate the mechanical strength and ductility of the welded
joint.
Charpy-V impact tests, at 20oC temperature, were also performed on test specimens
transverse to the weld bead, extracted from 1 mm below the welded joint surface. The test
specimens presented a notch on the through thickness plane at positions corresponding to the
weld metal, fusion line and 1.0, 3.0, 5.0 and 7.0 mm from the fusion line.
The hardness test was performed on a test specimen transverse to the weld bead, using
the Vickers scale with a load of 1 kgf, on the trough thickness plane, in a line parallel to, and
at a distance of 1 mm from the joint surface, with the measurements being performed at the
same positions were the notches for the Charpy-V impact tests were placed.

Metallographic examination
Macro and Microscopic examinations were performed using Optical Microscopy on
specimens of the welded joint cross section, to evaluate the microstructures of the weld metal,
heat affected zone (HAZ) and base metal.
The metallographic preparation consisted of grinding and polishing with diamond paste,
followed by a chemical etching with Nital 2%.

RESULTS

Mechanical tests
Table 3 shows the results of the tension tests, where it can be observed that the values
obtained were greater than the minimum requirements for approval.

Table 3. Tension tests results

Sample Sy (MPa) Sut (MPa) Fracture position
CP1 544.5 633.5 Weld metal
CP2 549.4 632.0 Weld metal
Minimum requirement 355.0 540.0 -

53
 Jorge, Souza, Santos Filho, Bott, Santos Filho and F.H.B. Guimares

Table 4 shows the results of the hardness tests, where it is possible to observe that the
hardness of the weld metal is the lowest. A expressive increase in hardness can be verified up
to 5 mm from the fusion line, and for greater distances, a stabilization of hardness at around
290 HV can also be observed.
Table 4 shows also the results obtained from the Charpy-V impact tests, where the
following characteristics can be noticed:
(a) the weld metal presented he highest toughness values of all tests;
(b) the toughness of the HAZ presented decreasing values from the fusion line up to a
distance of 5 mm from the fusion line, from which a slight increase was verified;
(c) all the values obtained were greater than the minimum required for qualification.

Table 4. Results of hardness tests and Charpy-V impact tests performed at 20oC.
Region Position Hardness Vickers Absorbed Energy (J)
Weld metal Center 250 139.9
Fusion line FL 290 77.8
HAZ 1 FL 378 76.5
HAZ 3 FL 378 53.0
HAZ 5 FL 290 44.2
HAZ 7 FL 290 47.4
Minimum requirement - - 40.0

Metallographic examinations
Figure 2 shows the macrographic aspect of the welded joint, where the effect of the
multi-pass welding can be noted, as well as the evidence of the temper bead.
Figure 3 shows the results of the micrographic examinations of the weld metal using
optical microscopy (OM), where it can be verified that the columnar region is composed of
primary ferrite, acicular ferrite and second phase ferrite, while the re-heated region is
composed by polygonal ferrite [6].
Figure 4 shows the micrographs of the HAZ and base metal, when observed by optical
microscopy, where the presence of tempered martensite can be verified for all analyzed
regions, drawing attention to morphological changes of the tempered martensite at the
different points analyzed. It can still be noticed that only in the region corresponding to the is
fusion line, the martensite morphology similar to that of the base metal.

DISCUSSION

Welding procedure
The analysis of the base material chemical composition indicates a high hardenability
and, consequently, a high probability of martensite formation in the HAZ after welding.
Based on this evidence, a welding procedure that generated a lower cooling rate at the
HAZ was elaborated, to allow the formation of martensite with a lower level of residual
stresses, considering the fact that a very low cooling rate could lead to the formation of
Bainite in this region, which recognizably presents a lower impact resistance[7].
Another important aspect to be highlighted is the one related to the obligation of
performing a stress relief heat treatment on repairs by welding of steel castings. According to
the manufacturing standard of the cast steel used [8]. The repair by welding can be executed

54
 Jornadas SAM - CONAMET -AAS 2001

without the need for a post weld heat treatment, when the depth of the defect to be repaired is
inferior to 20% of the thickness or 25 mm, which ever is the smaller.
For the validation of the present study, this possibility is being contemplated and
evaluated, considering that the defects found on the used castings, anchor shackles, have
always been rejected during magnetic particle inspection, which only detects superficial
defects and, so, within the limits of tolerance allowed by the Standard [8].

Figure 2. Macrograph of the welded joint

Magnification: 2X. Etching: Nital 5%

Columnar region - 100X Columnar region - 500X

Re-heated region - 100X Re-heated region - 500X

Figure 3. Microstructure of the weld metal (OM). Etching: Nital 2%

55
 Jorge, Souza, Santos Filho, Bott, Santos Filho and F.H.B. Guimares

Fusion line 500X 1 mm from fusion line 500X

3 mm from fusion line 500X 5 mm from fusion line 500X

7 mm from fusion line 500X Base metal 500X

Figure 4. Microstructures of HAZ and base metal (OM). Etching: Nital 2%

In relation to the welding technique employed and considering the absence of a post
weld heat treatment, the welding presented two special features:
a) hammering after each welding pass and
b) use of the temper bead technique, recognizably efficient on the improvement of the
properties of the last welding pass [9].
The association of these special features allows the possibility of generation of a welded
joint with adequate mechanical properties and with a lower risk of reduction of fatigue life
due to residual stresses.

56
 Jornadas SAM - CONAMET -AAS 2001

Mechanical properties of the welded joint

The welding consumables identified as E 7018-1 present a Manganese content higher
than the E 7018 electrodes and can be considered as an evolution. This increase in Manganes
content modifies the microstructure of the melted zone and improves the toughness properties
through the decrease in the ductile-fragile transition temperature [10].
In relation to the base metal, as shown in the tension tests (table 3), the mechanical
strength is much superior to the minimum requirements for approval and, so, this property
does not cause any worry concerning the effect of the welding thermal cycle.
However, the analysis of hardness results (table 4), shows that the welding generated
significant changes in the characteristics of the material, considering the high hardness values
obtained at points located near to the fusion line. Thus, the effect of welding on the impact
toughness of the welded joint must be evaluated critically.
Regarding this aspect, table 4 shows that, apart from what could be expected based on
hardness results, the impact toughness presented greater values exactly in the regions where
the hardness presented its highest values, showing, once again, that hardness can not be
considered as a reliable parameter for the evaluation of the quality of the welded joint. It
should also be said that the toughness values at these points were greater than those obtained
for theas- received base metal (table 2).
The variation of the impact toughness with increasing distance from the fusion line
could be explained by the observation of the microstructure obtained (figure 4). In fact, it can
be verified, that although the microstructure at different distances from the fusion line is
constituted of tempered martensite, even by optical microscopy, a significant change in the
morphology of the martensite, presenting an aspect of greater tempering exactly at the region
where the toughness values were lower. Nevertheless, it is important to mention that the
influence of this microstructure located at the tip of the Charpy-V impact test specimen notch
is extremely reduced, considering the fact that the groove is X-type, which leads to a strong
participation of the base metal itself in the toughness obtained. Thus, the verified variations
on impact toughness can be due to the common property variations of cast steels.
The most important point in the scope of the present work is to note that, even with all
the alterations suffered by the material due to the welding thermal cycle, the values for
approval of the procedure were achieved, which allows the approval of the welding
procedure, even for working temperatures around 20oC, which is unlikely to be the situation
faced by oil platforms operating at Brazilian waters. This guarantees a conservative procedure
for the recuperation of castings for this application.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results obtained at the present work, it is possible to conclude that:
a) the ASTM A 148 Gr. 80 50 quenched and tempered steel can be welded by the shielded
metal arc welding process with the used procedure;
b) the welding of ASTM A 148 Gr. 80 50 steel with hammering and temper bead, without
post weld heat treatment, leads to the achievement of the mechanical properties required
for the base metal, allowing the qualification of the welding procedure;
c) the welding thermal cycle generated morphological changes in the martensite of the
studied steel;

57
 Jorge, Souza, Santos Filho, Bott, Santos Filho and F.H.B. Guimares

d) the increase in hardness values was accompanied by the increase in impact toughness
values for the studied steel and
e) the mechanical properties values obtained in the present work allow the safe repair of the
ASTM A 148 Gr. 80 50 steel castings.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors would like to thank the following institutions for the support given during the
execution of the present work: CEFET-RJ, PUC-RIO, Fluke Engenharia Ltda., American
Bureau of Shipping, CNPq e FINEP.
These thanks are also extended to the Technician Fernando dos Santos Dutra from Fluke
Engenharia for the support given on specimens welding.

REFERENCES

[1] A.M.F. Santos Filho, A.S. Guimares and J.C.F. Jorge, Efeito do procedimento de
soldagem nas propriedades mecnicas da ZTA de reparos em ao fundido (ASTM A 27 GR.
60 30) pelo processo eletrodo revestido, Annals of 14o Congresso Nacional de Transportes
Martimos e Construo Naval, vol. III, pp 151-177, Brazil - 1992.
[2] J.C.F. Jorge, A.M.F. Santos Filho and R.D. Vieira, Soldagem de reparo de ao fundido de
alta resistncia e baixa liga, Annals of XX Encontro Nacional de Tecnologia da Soldagem, pp
307-320, 1994.
[3] R.D. Vieira, J.C.F. Jorge, J.L.F. Freire and J.T.P. Castro, Medio de tenses residuais em
peas fundidas com reparo soldado", Annals of 3o Seminrio Latino-Americano de Inspeo
de Equipamentos, pp 39-46, 1995.
[4] O.R. Santos Filho, A.M.F. Santos Filho., R.D. Vieira., L.F.G. Souza, P.M.C.L. Pacheco.
and J.C.F. Jorge., Avaliao de juntas soldadas de aos fundidos para construo naval, IN:
14o CBECIMAT, Brazil, December, 2000.
[5] ABS Rule Requirements for Materials and Welding 2000, Part 2, Chapter 4, Section 3,
Item 5, Approval of welding procedures.
[6] IIW, Guide to the light microscope examination of ferritic steel weld metals, IIW DOC.
IX-1533-88
[7] R.M. Al, J.C.F. Jorge and J.M.A. Rebello, Constituintes microestruturais de soldas de
aos C-Mn baixa liga. Parte III: ZAC, Revista Soldagem e Materiais, 5(4), Arquivo Tcnico
1(3), p.38-49, 1993.
[8] ASTM A 148-81, Standard specification for high strength steel castings for structural
purposes.
[9] J.C.F. Jorge, L.F.G. Souza and J.M.A. Rebello, Influence of welding procedure on the
microstructure and toughness of high strength ferritic steel weld metals, Revue de la Soudure,
56(3), p. 4-12, 2000.
[10] R.A. Fedele and A.M. Moreno, Estudo comparativo do desempenho de eletrodos
revestidos AWS A5.1 E7018-1, http://www.bwtbr.com.

58