Microstructure and Hardness in GTA Welding of Stainless Steel

The experimental studies on microstructures and micro hardness in the weld metal show that the fluid flow pattern in the weld pool strongly influences the cooling rate, microstructure and hardness. The fluid pattern predicted is correlated with the experimental results for microstructures and hardness. The spatial variations of micro hardness show that the micro hardness values are higher in the low velocity fluid flow region and lower in the remaining region. The variations are due to different cooling rates, micro structures, sizes of the grains and delta ferrite content.