AIJSTPME (2010) 3(2): 57-64

Analysis of Microstructure in Soft Zone and Precipitation Zone of Dissimilar Cr-Mo

Steels Weldment

Sae-teaw N.
Production Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, KMUTT, Bangkok, Thailand

Poopat B.
Production Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, KMUTT, Bangkok, Thailand

Phung-on I.
MTC, Institute for Scientific and Technology Research and Services (ISTRS), KMUTT, Bangkok, Thailand

Chairuangsri T.
Department of Industrial Chemistry, Chiangmai University, Chiangmai, Thailand

Abstract
Welding of dissimilar material between Cr-Mo Steel grade 9Cr1Mo and 2.25Cr-1Mo had significant effect on
its microstructure when improper post weld heat treatment applied. This research studied the effect of post
weld heat treatment at 7600C for various time duration of 0.5, 1 and 2 hours followed by microstructure
analysis and EDS, Line scan Technique. The result showed the evidence of carbon migration from the low
chromium side to the weld metal which has higher chromium content. Increasing time of PWHT was influence
width of soft region and precipitation region.

Keywords: Cr-Mo steels, Post weld heat treatment, Carbon migration

1 Introduction
Cr-Mo low-alloy ferritic steel is widely used in many
industries such as petrochemical, electric power
plants, and nuclear power plants. Cr-Mo ferritic steels
can be employed at high service temperatures with
good creep strength. Dissimilar joining is used in
different parts of steam generator where the
differential temperature is critical. After welding of
dissimilar welds, post weld heat treatment must be
applied. The result in post weld heat treatment of
dissimilar welds between high Cr steels and low Cr
steels are the formation of a carbon migration zone
due to different in carbon content. In the low carbon
side presents the formation of soft zone while in the
high carbon side will be the formation of precipitate
zone which is Cr23C6 [1].
In this research, there would be a study the effect of
post weld heat treatment on microstructure of soft
zone and precipitation zone, as well as mechanical
properties in dissimilar joining of Cr-Mo low alloy
ferritic steel between grades 9Cr-1Mo and 2.25Cr-
1Mo.
2 Experimental
2.1 Material and Welding process
The 2.25Cr-1Mo and 9Cr-1Mo ferritic steel
(seamless tube) were used. Chemical compositions
were given in table 1. The dimension of welding
specimens was 45 mm outside diameter with 6.5 mm
thickness and joint preparation was a single V groove
weld. GTAW processes using ER 90S-B9 (9Cr-1Mo)
filler metal was employed with welding parameter as
given in table 2. The preheat at 2500C as minimum
and interpass temperature were maintained at 300 0C
as maximum followed by post weld heat treatment
schedule at 7600 C for various time duration of 0.5, 1
and 2 hour.

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Table 1: Chemical composition [2]

Material Element (%Wt)
C Cr Mo Mn Si S P V
2.25Cr - 1Mo 0.05-0.15 1.90-2.60 0.87-1.13 0.30-0.60 0.50 0.025 0.025 -
9Cr-1Mo 0.08-0.12 8.00-9.50 0.85-0.15 0.30-0.60 0.20-0.50 0.01 0.02 0.18-0.25

Table 2: Welding parameters

Layers Process Filler metal Polarity Amp. Volt. Travel (cm/min) Preheat/interpass temp.

1 GTAW ER90S-B9 DCEN 90-100 10-15 8-12 200 oC

All GTAW ER90S-B9 DCEN 90-140 10-15 8-10 Maximum 300 oC

2.2 Tensile test 3 Result

The preparation of tensile specimen and acceptance
criteria was followed by ASME boiler and pressure
vessel code section IX [3].
2.3 Hardness test
Vicker’s micro hardness profile was taken across the
weld interface (raster scan) from 9Cr-1Mo base metal
and weldment side to 2.25Cr-1Mo side. The hardness
was used to determination hardness in each location
of weldment. This was tested at constant load 1 kgf.
with distance between point of 250 micron.
3.1 Tensile test result
The acceptance criteria of minimum tensile strength
for 2.25Cr-1Mo side is 415 MPa. The results showed
that all tensile specimens had higher tensile strength
than stated in acceptance criteria. Figure 1 showed
the strength for PWHT at 7600 C for 0.5, 1 and 2 hr as
570 MPa, 558 MPa and 525 MPa respectively.
Increasing time of PWHT had the effect for
decreasing tensile strength.

2.4 Microstructure analysis

The specimen were polished using 2% nital for etch
2.25Cr-1Mo side and 10 ml HNO3 + 20 ml HCl + 30
ml water for 9Cr-1Mo side. This was performed
according to ASTM E407 standard [4]. Scientist
software was used for measuring width of softening
region [5]. SEM/EDS line scan techniques was
employed for determination of the elemental
redistribution across the weld interface for chromium
and carbon element.
Figure 1: The variation of tensile strength.
2.5 Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was 3.2 Hardness test result
employed to identify phase of the softening region.
The micro hardness results showed in Figure 2
Specimens were cross sectioned into thin slices
covering the weld and HAZ region. Thin foil were  For PWHT at 7600 C / 0.5 h.
then prepared by twin jet polisher using electrolyte of The hardness of weld metal and heat affected
48% Ortho-Phosphoric acid, 32% Sulfuric acid and zone on 9Cr-1Mo was around 294-306 HV and
20% Distilled water at room temperature. heat affected zone on 2.25Cr-1Mo was around
189-212 HV.

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 For PWHT at 7600 C / 1 h.

The hardness of weld metal and heat affected
zone on 9Cr-1Mo was around 271-299 HV and
heat affected zone on 2.25Cr-1Mo was around
164-202 HV.
 For PWHT at 7600 C / 2 h.
The hardness of weld metal and heat affected
zone on 9Cr-1Mo was around 225-280 HV. and
heat affected zone on 2.25Cr-1Mo was around
159-179 HV.

(a)

(a)

(b)

(b)

(c)
Figure 2: Hardness profile across the weld interface.
(a) PWHT at 7600 C / 0.5 h., (b) 7600 C / 1 h. and
7600 C / 2 h.
(c)
Figure 3: Metallographs of 9Cr-1Mo weld metal in
the (a) PWHT at 7600 C / 0.5 h., (b) 7600 C / 1 h. and
7600 C / 2 h.

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3.3 Metallographic analysis

Figure 3 showed optical micrographs of 9Cr-1Mo
Weldmetal side on the weld metal after post weld heat treatment.
The microstructure consisted of tempered martensite
for all condition of PWHT. Because of the nature of
welding are fast cooling rate and the Cr-Mo steels
(9Cr-1Mo) have a good hardenability.
Figure 4 showed optical micrographs of the HAZ on
2.25Cr-1Mo side, the microstructure consisted of
HAZ 2.25Cr-1Mo bainite and ferrite band near the fusion line between
the weld metal and HAZ. This ferrite band had lower
hardness as can be seen from the hardness results.
When the specimen was tempered, martensite and
bainite recovered and then recrystallized.
(a)
The formation of ferrite band is due to the carbon
migration, carbon atoms dissolved in the ferrite
matrix diffuse to the high Cr side (9Cr-1Mo) this
location has depletion of carbon and conversion of
the bainite structure of the base metal to ferrite
structure.
HAZ 2.25Cr-1Mo The effect of PWHT could be seen from the width of
ferrite band. In Figure 5, the width of ferrite band
increased as PWHT duration increased.

Weldmetal

(b)

Weldmetal

Figure 5: The variation in the width of ferrite band

3.4 SEM/EDS elemental analysis

HAZ 2.25Cr-1Mo The EDS line scans technique was performed for
determine the redistribution of element between weld
metal of 9Cr-1Mo and HAZ of 2.25Cr-1Mo. The
results were showed in Figure 6 and Figure 7
From the results of EDS line scans, it was found that
(c) there was decrease of carbon concentration in the
HAZ region while there was increase of carbon
Figure 4: Metallographs of weld metal and HAZ of concentration in the weld metal near the fusion line.
2.25Cr-1Mo. (a) PWHT at 7600 C / 0.5 h., (b) 7600 C This was observed by number of X-ray count in Y
/ 1 h. and 7600 C / 2 h. axis versus position along the line in X axis in Figure
7.

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The amont of chromium was also different between
HAZ and weld metal. As can be seen in Figure 7, the
concentration of chromium decreased drastically
from weld metal to HAZ. This was due to the fact
that filler metal ER90s-B9 has higher chromium
content (9%) compared to 2.25% in 2.25Cr-1Mo side.
strength and hardness value were decreased due to
ferrite band formation as a result of carbon diffusion
(carbon migration) from HAZ of 2.25 Cr-1Mo to the
weld metal [6],[7]. The reduction in the tensile
strength and hardness of the specimen is due to the
progress of the tempering process at 760 oC.

Fusion line
Weld metal HAZ
9Cr-1Mo 2.25Cr-1Mo

Weld metal HAZ

9Cr-1Mo 2.25Cr-1Mo

Fusion line
Weld metal HAZ
9Cr-1Mo 2.25Cr-1Mo
Figure 6: SEM/EDS line scans image. Shows the
redistribution of Cr and C across the weld interface.
Cr (green) and C (red)

3.5 TEM analysis

TEM was employed in order to identify phase of
ferrite band (Softening region) in the heat affected
zone and weld metal near the fusion line by using
selected area diffraction pattern (SADP). The results
confirmed that the phase in softening region in HAZ
was ferrite. However, the phase at the fusion Figure 7: EDS line scans image. Shows the
boundary near the ferrite band could not be redistribution of Cr and C across the weld interface.
identified. This was due to the magnetic build up on Cr (green) and C (red)
the specimen during TEM analysis. In addition
according to SEM back scatter electron, this phase
was believed not to be carbide precipitate. Further
study need to be performed to confirm this issue.

4 Discussion
4.1 Tensile and hardness test
From the tensile and hardness test results, it was clear
that increasing time of PWHT decreased tensile
strength and hardness values of weldment. From
tensile test, specimens were broken at location where
ferrite band located. For hardness test, the hardness
values were drop at same location where the ferrite
band presented as showed in Figure 8. With Figure 8: Hardness profile across the weld interface
increasing time of PWHT, the ultimate tensile after PWHT.

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4.2 Metallographic in the regions carbon content or activity of carbon was the driving
force which would be the major concern for Carbon
From the microstructures after PWHT at 7600 C for
Migration and this would convert bainite into ferrite
various times, the microstructures showed ferrite
matrix.
band in HAZ of 2.25Cr-1Mo due to the fact that
dissimilar weld of Cr-Mo steels had different Cr and
C. Carbon activity of 2.25Cr-1Mo was higher than
a
that of 9Cr-1Mo. Therefore, carbon from 2.25Cr-
1Mo side was easily to diffuse to 9Cr-1Mo side [7].
In addition, the width of ferrite region varied with
time of PWHT in which it was followed the equation
of Fick’s second law as shown in the equation 1
below,

C   C 
 D  (1)
t x  x 
Where D is diffusion coefficient, t is time (sec), x is
position (length), C is the concentration in
dimensions [8].
b
From the SEM/EDS line scans results, the evidence
showed carbon migration from the 2.25Cr-1Mo side
to the weldment 9Cr-1Mo.
Figure 9 showed at the weld metal region near fusion
boundary, there were precipitation particles found (b)
and in the HAZ found the formation of ferrite grain
(c).

4.3 TEM confirmation in HAZ region

The microstructure of PWHT at 7600 C for 2hr
condition was mainly consisted of precipitation in
weld metal along fusion boundary and softening
region in HAZ. In order to confirm phases in HAZ, c
SADP technique was employed.
Figure 10 showed the precipitate particles in the weld
metal near the weld interface between weld metal and
HAZ of 2.25Cr-1Mo. The precipitate particles had
the magnetic properties making them difficult to
identify because the magnetic properties responded
the electron beam of the microscope resulting in
inclination of the electron beam. More advanced
TEM with magnetic compensation should be used for
identification of this precipitate.
Figure 11 (a) and (b) shows typical microstructure
and SADP for the matrix present in HAZ or softening
region. Analysis of SADP types of microstructure Figure 9: SEM image, (a) Backscatter electron image
confirmed this matrix to be body center cubic (bcc) of interface, (b) Precipitation particle in weldmetal,
(C) Ferrite grain in HAZ.
were ferrite with zone axis of {131} .
The evidence for formation of soft zone could be
explained by diffusion of carbon. The difference of

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Precipitation particle
Figure 10: TEM micrographs of the weld PWHT at
7600 C/ 2hr. (bright field), black colour is unknown
precipitation.
a
b M. Vijayalakshmi. Systematic study of
Figure 11: TEM micrographs of the HAZ region
PWHT at 7600 C/ 2hr. (a) bright field of ferrite
matrix, (b) SADP with zone axis of {131} for ferrite.
63
5 Conclusion
 Increased time of post weld heat treatment
decreased tensile strength and hardness while
increased the width of soft region or ferrite band.
 Hardness and width of ferrite band were depended
on duration of PWHT. Increased time of PWHT,
hardness were decreased but the width were
increased.
 PWHT of dissimilar joining resulted in carbon
migration.
 Carbon diffuses from high carbon side to low
carbon side. Difference carbon content is the
driving force.
 Carbon migration of dissimilar joining, resulted in
the formation of ferrite banding.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Dr.B.Poopat, Head of department
Production engineering, KMUTT, Dr.I. Phung-on,
MTC, ISTRS, KMUTT for consultant about welding
process, welding practice and welding metallurgy,
Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT)
who supported the material and facility in this
research, and Dr. T. Chairuangsri, at Chiengmai
Univeristy, Thailand for TEM facility.
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