Investigation of the Effects of Submerged Arc Welding Process Parameters on the Mechanical Properties of Pressure Vessel Steel ASTM A283 Grade A

Abstract

The pressure vessel steel is used in boilers and pressure vessel structure applications. This research studied the effects of submerged arc welding (SAW) process parameters on the mechanical properties of this steel. The weld sample originated from ASTM A283 grade A sheet of 6.00-millimeter thickness. The welding sample was treated using SAW with the variation of three process factors. For the first factor, welding currents of 260, 270, and 280 amperes were investigated. The second factor assessed the travel speed, which was tested at both 10 and 11 millimeters/second. The third factor examined the voltage parameter, which was varied between 28 and 33 volts. Each welding condition was conducted randomly, and each condition was tested a total of three times, using full factorial design. The resulting materials were examined using tensile strength and hardness tests and were observed with optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the welding current, voltage, and travel speed significantly affected the tensile strength and hardness (P value < 0.05). The optimum SAW parameters were 270 amperes, 33 volts, and 10 millimeters/second travel speed. High density and fine pearlite were discovered and resulted in increased material tensile strength and hardness.