Effects of V–N Microalloying on Microstructure and Property in the Welding Heat Affected Zone of Constructional Steel

Abstract

Shielded metal arc welding and welding thermal simulation experiment were carried out for constructional steel containing 0% V and 0.10% V, and the microstructure, precipitation feature, microhardness HV0.2, and −20 °C impact value in the welding heat affected zone (HAZ) were investigated. The results showed that in the coarse-grained heat affected zone (CGHAZ), V and N were completely dissolved in the matrix of steel containing 0.10% V to promote the growth of prior austenite grains, meanwhile the fraction of high angle grain boundaries (HAGBs) decreased, thereby leading to the mean −20 °C impact value decreases from 87 J to 18 J. In the grain refined heat affected zone (GRHAZ), V(C, N) precipitates experience re-dissolution and re-precipitation at grain boundaries, V–N microalloying changes the microstructure from lath bainite + granular bainite + small amount of polygonal ferrite to polygonal ferrite + pearlite + martensite, thereby leading to the mean microhardness decreases from 335 HV0.2 to 207 HV0.2, and the mean −20 °C impact value decreased from 117 J to 103 J. In the intercritical heat affected zone (ICHAZ), V(C, N) precipitates experience re-dissolution, re-precipitation, and growth, causing the formation of micro-sized V(C, N) precipitates, thereby leading to the mean −20 °C impact value decreases from 93 J to 62 J.

Keywords

• vanadium
• nitrogen
• constructional steel
• HAZ
• microstructure
• hardness