M A TE RI A L S C H A RAC TE RI ZA T ION 5 9 ( 2 00 8 ) 1 4 4 7–1 4 5 4

Microstructural characterization of dissimilar welds between

alloy 800 and HP heat-resistant steel

R. Dehmolaei, M. Shamanian⁎, A. Kermanpur

Department of Materials Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran

AR TIC LE D ATA ABSTR ACT

Article history: In this study, dissimilar welds between HP heat-resistant steel and Incoloy 800 were made
Received 22 February 2007 with four different filler materials including: 309 stainless steel and nickel-based Inconel 82,
Received in revised form 182 and 617. The microstructure of the base metals, weld metals and their interfaces were
20 November 2007 characterized by utilizing optical and scanning electron microscopy. Grain boundaries
Accepted 9 January 2008 migration in the weld metals was studied. It was found that the migration of grain
boundaries in the Inconel 82 weld metal was very extensive. Precipitates of TiC and M23C6
Keywords: (M = Cr and Mo) in the Inconel 617 weld metal are identified. The necessary conditions for the
Alloy 800 formation of cracks close to the fusion line of the 309-HP joints are described. Furthermore
HP heat-resistant steel unmixed zone near the fusion line between HP steel base metal and Inconel 82 weld metal is
Dissimilar welds discussed. An epitaxial growth is characterized at the fusion line of the 309-Alloy 800 and
Weldability Inconel 617-Alloy 800 joints.
Unmixed zone © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction Dissimilar welding of Alloy 800-HP steel in aged condition is

Superalloys and heat-resistant steels are widely used in high
temperature environments, such as steam generators, reformer
and pyrolysis tubes in oil refineries, petrochemical factories and
nuclear power plants, where a combination of strength and
resistance to corrosion is required [1–6]. Dissimilar metal welds
between superalloy and heat-resistant steel tubes are com-
monly employed in the above-mentioned applications. Incoloy
800 (Alloy 800) and HP heat-resistant steel (25%Cr–35%Ni) are
frequently used in refinery and petrochemical industries. The
microstructure of Alloy 800 consists of an austenitic matrix with
precipitations of titanium carbide and titanium nitride (or
carbonitride) along the grain boundaries and in the matrix
[7,8]. On the other hand, the microstructure of HP steel consists
of an austenitic matrix and a network of primary carbides along
the grain boundaries [9–11]. Aging of this alloy at elevated
temperatures may cause secondary phases, such as chromium
carbide and G phase to precipitate [9,10,12].
usually associated with several problems: thermally induced
cyclic stresses resulting from the difference in thermal expan-
sion coefficients (TEC) of HP steel and Alloy 800 as well as crack
initiation in the heat affected zone (HAZ) [7]. In order to overcome
these problems and to prolong the life of such transition joints,
using a trimetallic configuration has been recommended; it is to
use a material having a TEC between those of HP steel and Alloy
800 as the filler material. In addition, for optimizing the choice of
filler material, apart from TEC factors such as weldability,
solidification cracking, metallurgical compatibility and long-
term stability in elevated temperatures of service must also be
considered. Among the materials which can be employed as the
filler material, nickel-base alloys are the most attractive, due to
their excellent resistance to creep and oxidation as well as their
appropriate TEC [7,13]. Other suggested methods for eliminating
the above-mentioned problems are: selection of proportion heat
input, controlled interpass temperature and solution annealing
heat treatment of base metal before welding [8,13].

⁎ Corresponding author. Tel.: +98 311 3915737; fax: +98 311 3912752.
E-mail address: shamanian@cc.iut.ac.ir (M. Shamanian).

1044-5803/$ – see front matter © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.matchar.2008.01.013
1448 M A TE RI A L S C H A RAC TE RI ZA T ION 5 9 ( 2 00 8 ) 1 4 4 7–1 4 5 4

Table 1 – Chemical composition of the base and the filler metals (wt.%)
Sample Fe Ni Cr C Nb Ti Al Mo Mn Si S Co

HP steel 35.4 35.8 24.4 0.4 1.3 – – 0.04 1.3 1.3 – –

Alloy 800 39.5 31.1 17.9 0.09 – 0.36 0.25 – 1 0.7 – –
Inconel 82 3 67 18.2 0.1 2–3 0.75 0.3 – 2.5 0.5 – –
Inconel 182 Rest 72.6 19.6 0.015 2.68 0.37 – – 2.8 0.1 – –
Inconel 617 1.5 Rest 22 0.07 – 0.3 1.2 9 0.5 0.5 0.008 12.5
309 stainless steel Rest 13.5 22.5 0.025 – – – 2.6 0.7 0.9 – –

In the current work, a trimetallic joint has been studied for scopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with
dissimilar welding of as-cast HP steel and solution-annealed energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) point analysis.
Alloy 800 using several types of alloys as the filler materials.
Microstructures of two joints were investigated: one between
HP steel and filler metal and the other between filler metal and 3. Results and Discussion
Alloy 800.
3.1. Base Metal Microstructures

2. Materials and Experimental Procedures
HP heat-resistant steel and Alloy 800 were used as the base
materials in this study. The HP steel was manufactured by
centrifugal casting in tube shape with external diameter 250 mm
and thickness13.5 mm. The Alloy 800 was also manufactured by
forging in tube shape with external diameter 320 mm and
thickness 13.5 mm. The four consumables were 309 stainless
steel, Inconel 82, Inconel 617 (gas tungsten arc filler wires) and
Inconel 182 (manual metal arc electrode). The chemical
compositions of the base and the filler materials are given in
Table 1. Small coupons with 100 mm long were cut from each
tube for the welding experiments. The welding was carried out
on three different types of joint, including the as-cast HP steel-
solution-annealed Alloy 800, the as-cast HP steel-aged Alloy 800
and the aged HP steel/solution-annealed Alloy 800, which the
study of two latter types of the joints will be reported in the other
paper. All butt joints were machined into 37.5° V-grooves.
Welding routes were then performed by gas tungsten arc
welding with direct current electrode negative (GTAW-DCEN)
for three types of filler metals (309 stainless steel, Inconel 82 and
Inconel 617) and by shielded metal arc welding (SMAW) for
Inconel 182 electrode. The welding parameters are listed in
Table 2. Shielding was done with 99% pure argon using 25CHF
and 40CHF flows for back and shielding.
Specimens of 10× 20× 100 mm in size were cut from the
welded samples. All specimens were ground on silicon carbide
paper of 80–2000 grit and then were polished on a nylon cloth
with 0.3 μm alumina. The etching reagent used for revealing the
microstructure was Marbel (10 g CuSO4 + 50 cc HCl+ 50 cc H2O).
The microstructures were characterized using optical micro-
Fig. 1 shows the microstructure of the as-cast HP steel. The
optical image (Fig. 1a) shows the austenitic matrix containing
chains of eutectic carbides in a lamellar or skeleton structure.
The SEM image (Fig. 1b) shows two different primary carbides,
which are distinguished by their tonality, the dark and the
white carbides. Different colors of these carbides can be
attributed to the difference in atomic weight of the concen-
trated elements in the particles. Fig. 1c and d show the EDS
spectrum of the eutectic carbides. It is observed that the
darker carbides are chromium-rich, which has been reported
to be Cr23C6, and the clearer carbides are niobium-rich, which
are NbC. These results verify the previous results reported by
other [9,12,14].
The microstructure of Alloy 800 is shown in Fig. 2. The
optical image (Fig. 2a) shows the fully austenitic equiaxed
matrix containing several types of precipitates. These pre-
cipitates are found in the austenitic matrix and along the grain
boundaries. Alloy 800 contains 0.36% titanium and 0.09%
carbon and hence tends to form titanium carbide and titanium
nitride or carbonitride during high-temperatures exposure.
The SEM image (Fig. 2b) shows two different precipitates; first
is the large precipitates with cuboidal morphology in the
austenitic matrix and along the grain boundaries that might
be titanium nitride formed during solidification process;
second is the finer precipitate with nearly spherical morphol-
ogy and white color, probably titanium carbides, mainly in the
austenitic matrix. These results confirmed by EDS analysis
(Fig. 2c and d). Similar results have been also reported by
others [7,12]. It has been reported that titanium nitrides or
carbonitrides can not be dissolved easily during solution
annealing even if high soaking temperatures are employed [7].

3.2. Weld Metal Microstructures

The microstructure of the weld metals are shown in Fig. 3.

Table 2 – The welding parameters
Fig. 3a shows the microstructure of the 309 weld metal. This
Parameter Root pass Fill and cap passes
reveals an almost fully austenitic structure with a dendritic
Current (A) 105 120 morphology showing well-developed side branches. There is
Voltage (V) 14 14 also a region in the weld metal exhibiting more ferritic–
Travel speed (mm/s) 1.4 1.1 austenitic (FA) and less austenitic–ferritic (AF) modes of
Heat input (kJ/mm) 0.791 1.15
solidifications. The regions solidified in the (FA) mode and
 M A TE RI A L S C H A RAC TE RI ZA T ION 5 9 ( 2 00 8 ) 1 4 4 7–1 4 5 4
Fig. 1 – Metallography of the as-cast HP steel: (a) light optical micrograph; (b) SEM image using backscattered electrons. EDS
spectra of the eutectic carbides: (c) Dark carbide and (d) clear carbide.
consisting of small amount of delta ferrite, segregated in
interdendritic (or intercellular) boundaries. However, in the
regions that solidified in the (FA) mode, there is a greater
amount of vermicular ferrite. The solidification mode in welds
of austenitic stainless steels are sensitive to chemical com-
position (Creq/Nieq ratio, Creq = Cr%+ Mo% + 1.5 Si%+ 0.5Nb% and
Nieq = Ni% + 30 C% + 0.5 Mn%) and kinetic factors (welding
velocity) [7,8]. In higher Creq/Nieq ratio and lower welding
velocities, the mode of solidification is shifted to the FA mode.
Since the Creq/Nieq ratio in the 309 stainless steel is relatively
high (1.695) and its welding velocity is low (1.1 mm/s), the
solidification mode is predominantly FA [15,16].
The microstructures of the Inconel 82 and 182 weld metals
(Fig. 3b and c) are fully austenitic. This is due to the fact that
because they do not undergo allotropic transformation during
welding. The microstructures of weld metals are similar with
extensively migrated grain boundary (MGB) [7,15]. The MGBs
carry a high angle misorientation of the parent solidification
1449
grain boundary (SGB). The driving force of their migration is the
same as simple grain growth in base metals (that is to lower the
boundaries energy) [15]. It is also possible that some segrega-
tion might occur along the MGBs, possibly due to a “sweeping”
mechanism [15]. The Inconel 182 weld metal deposited by
manual metal arc welding shows, however, a large number of
fine inclusions.
Fig. 3d shows that the weld metal microstructure of the
Inconel 617 is austenitic with a dendritic morphology. A small
amount of precipitates in the different forms are also present.
A comparison between Fig. 3b and d shows a lower number of
MGB for Inconel 617 weld metal than Inconel 82 weld metal.
MGBs are mostly prevalent in fully austenitic weld metals such
as Inconel 82, while in the Inconel 617 weld metal, precipitates
form along the solidification subgrain boundaries (SSGB) and
SGBs. These precipitates are rather effective in “pinning” the
crystallographic component of the SGBs. Therefore, they pre-
vent it from migrating away from the parent SGB [15]. The
1450 M A TE RI A L S C H A RAC TE RI ZA T ION 5 9 ( 2 00 8 ) 1 4 4 7–1 4 5 4

Fig. 2 – Metallography of Alloy 800: (a) light optical micrograph; (b) SEM image using backscattered electrons. EDS spectra of the
precipitates: (c) cuboidal and (d) spherical.

microstructures of the different weld metals have a significant
effect on deciding their cracking susceptibility and mechanical
properties. For instance, a quantitative evaluation of weld
solidification cracking showed that the 309 weld metal exhibited
a greater tendency to cracking than the others weld metals. It is
believed that the greater sensitivity of 309 weld metal to
cracking is attributed to its pronounced dendritic morphology.
It is found that dendritic structures are associated with a greater
degree of segregation and are more prone to cracking [17].
3.3. Interfacial Microstructures
The interfaces of Inconel 82 weld metal with the base metals
are observed in Fig. 4. A continuous weld line with an unmixed
zone in both interfaces can be seen. However, the unmixed
zone in Inconel 82/HP steel base metal interface (Fig. 4a) is
much wider than the one in Alloy 800 side. Such an unmixed
zone is observed when the melting range of filler materials is
similar to or higher than the melting ranges of base metal [18].
 M A TE RI A L S C H A RAC TE RI ZA T ION 5 9 ( 2 00 8 ) 1 4 4 7–1 4 5 4
Fig. 3 – Microstructure of the weld metals: (a) 309 stainless steel; (b) Inconel 82; (c) Inconel 182 and (d) Inconel 617.
The existence of unmixed zones affects weld corrosion
resistance. Previous investigations indicated that in environ-
ments that base and weld metals are resistant to corrosion,
the unmixed zone can preferentially be sensitive to corrosion
[19]. Fig. 4b shows grain growth in the HAZ and near the
interface of Alloy 800. It can be attributed to an increase in
temperature during different passes of welding. Fig. 4b also
shows a partially melted zone that is characterized by grain
boundary melting and thickening. The tendency of grain
boundaries to melt in HAZ of Alloy 800 is well known and is
attributed to the precipitation of titanium at these boundaries.
Titanium at these boundaries not only lowers the melting
point constitutionally, but also forms low-melting carbide–
austenite eutectics during solidification [20]. The interfaces of
Inconel 182 weld metal with base metals are almost similar to
the interfaces of Inconel 82 weld metal with base metals.
Fig. 5a shows a fully continuous interface between 309 weld
metal and Alloy 800 base metal without any crack. No
considerable variation is observed in the HAZ of Alloy 800,
but grain growth is occurred near the fusion boundary. In
addition, an epitaxial growth is clearly evident at the fusion
line in Fig. 5a,. Epitaxial growth is attributed to the alloys
having the same crystal structures (here FCC) [16]. Far from the
fusion line, competitive growth is dominated. This type of
growth is attributed to the different growth directions of
grains far from fusion line (easy growth direction is b100N in
FCC materials) [15,16].
1451
The interfaces between 309 weld metal and HP steel base
metal are shown in Fig. 5b and c. Fig. 5b shows important
variations in the HAZ of HP steel base metal. A melted zone of
base metal (MZBM) exists between fusion boundary and HP base
metal. This melted zone has finer grains than the base metal.
The melting point of 309 stainless steel (weld metal) is higher
than HP heat-resistant steel (base metal), which results in
formation of finer grains close to the fusion boundary, due to
rapid cooling. Chromium and molybdenum of the weld metal
(309 stainless steel is rich of Cr and Mo elements) can diffuse in
the MZBM and form chromium and molybdenum carbides. On
the other hand, carbon of the base metal from MZBM can diffuse
to the weld metal and forms carbides with chromium and
molybdenum. Fig. 5c shows a crack in the MZBM adjacent to the
fusion boundary running parallel to it. The weld metal has
higher melting point than the base metal and can solidify
sooner. Therefore, MZBM is still liquid while, weld and base
metals are solid. Solidification of this liquid causes tensile stress
on the solidified MZBM that can form the cracks. These cracks
usually initiate from the carbide precipitates in the MZBM.
The interfaces between Inconel 617 weld metal and the base
metals are shown in Fig. 6. Fig. 6a and b illustrates that the
interfaces between weld metal and base metals are fully
continuous without any crack. Fig. 6a reveals the formation of
secondary precipitations in the grain boundaries in the HAZ of
HP steel near the fusion line. The weld metal is rich in chromium
and molybdenum (Inconel 617) and the base metal is rich in
1452 M A TE RI A L S C H A RAC TE RI ZA T ION 5 9 ( 2 00 8 ) 1 4 4 7–1 4 5 4

carbon (HP steel). Therefore, chromium and molybdenum can

diffuse from the weld metal liquid (even solid) to the base metal
and then form secondary precipitations. Carbon can diffuse
from the base metal to the weld metal and form precipitates
near the fusion line of the weld metal. The presence of Cr and Mo
in the precipitates was confirmed by EDS analysis (Fig. 6b).
Fig. 6a also shows some unmelted grains near the fusion line,
due to the difference between melting temperature of the base
and weld metals [7]. Grain growth has occurred in the HAZ of
Alloy 800 (Fig. 6c) due to the heating cycles during different
passes of welding. From the welds shown in Fig. 6c, epitaxial
growth at the fusion line is evident. Similarity of crystal
structure and the chemical composition of the base and weld
metals have caused epitaxial growth to occur. Fig. 6d shows SEM
image of the epitaxial growth.
Two types of grain boundaries may occur near the fusion
boundary in the weld metal of dissimilar welds: type I (in a
direction roughly perpendicular to the fusion boundary
caused by epitaxial growth) and type II (in a direction roughly
parallel to the fusion boundary). Type I boundary is usually
observed in the similar welds (similar base and filler metals),
while type II boundary is a result of allotropic transformation
in the base metal that occurs on cooling of weld in dissimilar
welds (BCC/FCC) [7,15]. However, in the present study all the
micrographs obtained from the interface regions revealed only
type I boundaries. It should be noted that, although dissimilar

Fig. 5 – Interface between 309 stainless steel weld metal and

base metals: (a) epitaxial growth of Alloy 800; (b) as-cast HP
steel; (c) crack in the HAZ of as-cast HP steel base metal.

welds are produced, there is no allotropic transformation

during the cooling of two base metals.

4. Conclusion

Dissimilar welds between HP heat-resistant steel and Alloy 800

Fig. 4 – Interface between Inconel 82 weld metal and base
metals. (a) As-cast HP steel; (b) Alloy 800.
can be successfully produced with nickel-base alloy filler
metals, such as Inconel 82, 182 and 617. Inconel 82, 182 and
617 weld metals exhibited a dendritic structure. The weld fusion
lines of base metals and Inconel 82, 182 and 617 weld metals
showed continuous weld lines, without any cracks; while in the
 M A TE RI A L S C H A RAC TE RI ZA T ION 5 9 ( 2 00 8 ) 1 4 4 7–1 4 5 4 1453

Fig. 6 – Interface between Inconel 617 weld metal and base metals: (a) HP steel; (b) EDS spectrum of precipitates in the HAZ of HP
steel; (c) Alloy 800; (d) SEM image using backscattered electrons of Alloy 800.

HAZ of HP steel with 309 weld metal, some cracks were formed.
Therefore, 309 stainless steel can not be recommended for such
dissimilar joints. Some precipitations occurred in the Inconel
617 weld metal that might promote creep resistance of joint at
the elevated temperature. The Inconel weld metal, when
deposited from flux coated electrodes (such as Inconel 182),
revealed a higher inclusion content than welds produced by gas-
shielded welding (such as Inconel 82 and 617).
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge Isfahan Oil Refinery
Company in Iran for performing welding experiments, their
partial financial support and permission for publishing this
paper.
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